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The Slippery Slope of Public Funding: Where Will it End? Now we know:
Robert Beveridge, Napier University, writing in a personal capacity.
DATELINE: 10/12/08
Scottish TV (stv) seeks public funding, otherwise it might well reduce its provision of news and current affairs, since this is not deemed to be commercially viable. The combination of the credit crunch, digitalisation and increased numbers of TV channels - together with the ability of technology to screen out spot advertising - is hitting the profit margins of ITV and stv.
The resultant cost cutting has already seen childrens', religious and non-news regional programming being reduced. In Scotland, the commercial pressure is on for stv. But should the taxpayer put money into stv or ITV in return for specific genres, quality and quantity of programming? What would we get in return? What might be the implications of such a development for our democracy; for the independence and credibility of news on stv itself?
To establish this policy has ramifications beyond the short term commercial health of one broadcaster and the possible danger of subsidising stv shareholders. Firstly, would any of this money be used to ensure greater relevance of ITV's news provision for viewers in Scotland? At present, it is beyond doubt that the ITN early evening news and the News at Ten need to be more in tune with devolution and the interests of the Scottish public.
Moreover, they need to better inform and educate viewers in England about the realities of the evolving UK. So, would public funding be able to address these gaps, perhaps by setting targets and having contractual clauses with ITN?
But how might this work precisely? At what points would 'The State' have influence over the provision of news and current affairs and not? Of course, stv might say they need public funding for reporting on Scotland, not for whatever they pay for ITN news. But even if the money were just for Scottish national/regional news, what measures would need to be taken to establish where the money went? How would we be able to ring fence investment so that the taxpayer was not paying for whatever might otherwise have been provided as a commercial decision? And what would happen if the money, having been spent, and the disbursers of the money - Creative Scotland perhaps or broadcasting regulators, Ofcom - were unhappy with how the money had been spent? The resulting stushie would make pale by comparison rows about the Scottish Arts Council funding which theatre groups.
How would we ensure the independence of stv as a commercial operator and news provider but at the same time ensure that there was appropriate and democratic accountability of and for public funding? It is easy to call for public funding, less easy to work out the implications. A seat on the stv board for a civil servant? Or what kind of detailed targets for news and current affairs? And what of Ofcom's definition of pluralism and the need for public funding to ensure competition for the BBC? Most of the time, Ofcom makes great play of the new, digital world of downloading, time shifting, etc.
The internet does provide pluralism as do newspapers and radio. Suddenly, however, when it comes to the arguments for public funding of stv/ITV, Ofcom rediscovers the importance of linear television That sounds to me like policy-based evidence, not evidence-based policy. And if we provide public funding for news and current affairs on channels three, four and five, why not BSkyB? Why not newspapers? And take it further to the New Zealand model and have contestable funding for all PSB content? And what then happens to the ecology of broadcasting in Britain and Scotland which has responded well to the changes over many years?Giving public money to stv is a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope. Once we embark on such a journey, who knows what the results might entail?
Many of us support stv chief executive, Rob Woodward and his team, in their efforts to make stv a vibrant and viable national broadcaster. We wish them well in their negotiations with both Ofcom and ITV. We support their case to be designated as an independent producer and believe that there would be benefits in an all-Scotland licence. These are policies which command support across the political and business spectrum. But direct public subsidy for news and current affairs is a state too far in every sense of the term.
Last modified: Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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Previous stories
Public Service Broadcasting
ITV strike ballot called off
Sertuc conference postponed
Here we go again!
Campaigning for quality television
The future of PSB - postponed
Opting Out
Citizenship and Public Service Broadcasting
How do Ofcom and the BBC Trust see their Roles?
Commission recommends new TV channel for Scotland
Ofcom's 'smash and grab' raid on the BBC licence fee
World Service threatened
Wales, Devolution and Democracy
CPBF responds to Ofcom public service review
NUJ slams 'simplistic' top-slicing arguments
PSB on ITV - No thanks!
BBC unions ballot for action on jobs
Crisis looms in kids' telly
Scottish Broadcasting Commission wants to hear your views
Begin the fight back: How corporate strategists neutered the BBC
Joint statement from the BBC, BECTU, the NUJ and UNITE
BBC unions ballot for action
New Labour takes revenge on BBC
Future of ITV PSB at stake
Crunch time for TV
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BBC Trust agrees to cuts
CPBF responds to Ofcom's second PSB review
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Broadcasting Commission in Scotland
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