What Should A Futureproof BBC Look Like?
If any institution has found itself in a better position as a result of Coronavirus, it’s undoubtedly the BBC. With a big Boris majority and press briefings outlining the potential decriminalisation of avoiding paying the licence fee, the start of the 2020s was looking rough for the Beeb. The BBC’s response to the Coronavirus has been strong with an increase in educational and informative programming, alongside big hits such as Normal People. Despite this turn of fortune and goodwill towards the BBC, I’m not convinced that this has bought the broadcaster a blank cheque, instead just about securing the status quo for the next election cycle.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting in the context of the rise of the tech platforms and services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. My MSc research is focussed on the views of young people towards Public Service Broadcasters as a bell-weather for how the BBC, ITV etc may need to adapt going forwards. Much of the conversation around the BBC is about cost-cutting and/or firefighting, rather than how we can create a public media institution fit for the 21st century.
To Licence Fee or Not Licence Fee? — That is the Question
One of the BBC’s main problems is that very few people in Westminster seem ready to go out and bat for them. Boris, Dominic Cummings and co clearly feel aggrieved at the corporation’s coverage of Brexit and many figures in Labour have been riled by some of the uneven coverage of Corbyn during his tenure as leader. Pissing off both sides of the political spectrum is probably a good sign that its news coverage is achieving some form of balance, but it’s not a good sign when your funding settlement and oversight is ultimately decided by politicians. With 10 years of Tory-led Government, the BBC is undoubtedly on the backfoot in any negotiation, especially after caving in on shouldering the costs for free pensioners licence fees.
The framing of the debate seems to be a straight dichotomy between keeping the licence fee as it is now or some kind of abstract ‘Netflix-style’ subscription. This doesn’t really constitute a formative discussion about what we want the BBC to deliver for us. If, as a society, we value much of the BBC’s output as a public good, we will need some kind of public funding akin to the licence fee to cover the cost of a global news network and other services the market may not be able to deliver. The debate needs to widen: do we want the BBC to continue to create leading dramas and entertainment shows; or are we happy for a slimmed-down BBC to focus on news and public service content whilst Netflix, Amazon and Sky cover our entertainment needs? The status quo commits to neither option. A capped licence fee ties the BBC’s hands, meaning it has to try and do everything but with reduced funds, risking becoming a jack of all trades, master of none at a time when the platforms are rapidly expanding their reach in all areas of media, news and content. Either allow for a rise in the licence fee, find an alternative and sustainable funding mix, or reduce the licence and in turn reduce the output we expect from the BBC.
As a big advocate and fan of the BBC, I would be happy to see the licence fee rise to maintain the same model but without the financial pressures currently being faced. However, I still think there is a more interesting conversation to be had. With some political support and vision (probably in the form of funding guarantees), could there be opportunities for a mixed funding model with a licence fee or broadband tax in combination with a subscription? There is no way the public service elements of the BBC could be funded by subscription alone and therefore some form of public funding or taxation would still be needed to cover this. With greater freedom, a mixed model could present opportunities not currently open to the corporation.
Competing with the Platforms
Whether it’s Facebook, Spotify or Netflix, these platforms benefit from huge economies of scale and network effects, meaning that the more people that use them around the world, the more powerful they become and the lower their costs. National entities such as the BBC and ITV in their current form cannot compete. A mixed funding model, with supportive political backing, could lay the foundations for a BBC fit for the 21st century. If you expanded BBC Sounds to include music streaming alongside podcasts and pop radio and charge £10 a month to compete with Spotify and Apple Music, I think it would have a good chance. The BBC brand is strong enough to compete at a global level. There were musings of a global iPlayer years ago and I still think this should be on the table, but, again, it would need political support to underwrite the funding in order to catch up and compete. It may be a pipe dream, but I genuinely think with the right vision and support, the BBC could be the European, yet still global, alternative to Netflix and Spotify.
Can Less Be More?
A scenario where BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds can truly compete with the big guns is highly, highly unlikely given the Conservatives will be in power until 2025 at the very minimum and nobody seems to be making the case regardless. As previously mentioned, the likely outcome is a continuation of the status quo where the BBC has less money to try and deliver the same output. What could a slimmed-down BBC look like that doesn’t end up falling behind? There is potential to consolidate its analogue channels into one or two main channels that cover event programming like sport or Strictly Come Dancing, alongside local output and content for older generations who may not have access to digital platforms. You could then shift the focus to iPlayer to deliver a greater array of high-end programming. A slimmed-down BBC that focuses mainly on high-end content, alongside its public service obligations could mitigate the effects of the cuts.
The BBC seems to have other ideas with rumours they are going to put BBC Three back on linear TV. It may have been a mistake to move it online only five years ago, but the data doesn’t suggest they’ll win back the target demographic by reversing that decision. Young people have moved to streaming services, social media, YouTube and TikTok, so putting BBC Three back on a Freeview Box seems crazy to me. The success of Normal People on BBC Three has shown the demand for streamed shows is there. The problem is the amount of quality content, not the delivery method. Having fewer shows overall, but more of the quality of Normal People, Fleabag and Killing Eve seems a sensible strategy in this less than ideal situation.
A Public Solution to Big Tech?
Now it’s time for the pie in the sky thinking. Some who study and commentate on technology are resentful of the increasing concentration of power in Silicon Valley and in China. Europe and the UK do seem to be lacking in clout when it comes to serious challengers to big tech. Whether it’s data privacy or accountability, there are arguments that we need to move that power close to home. Now, I’m not trying to make a judgement on this, as there are so many issues at play and often it comes down to your views on the market, the state, globalisation etc. However if one was going to start to think about a potential public or pan European solution to concentrated big tech, the BBC could be a good vehicle to build out an alternative. If you were to design a public service media institution from first principles today, you would imagine that it would have more of a slant towards technology. France has recently talked about a public alternative to Airbnb and UK Labour even mentioned a potential British Digital Corporation in their recent manifesto.
There have been attempts to do this model before. Europe funded Quaero was created as an alternative to Google and it simply could not compete with the size and scale of big tech. That may be the case here, but with the right product and the right vision and funding, the BBC has the brand and reach to potentially mount a challenge. Would you want to see a BBC alternative to Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube and WeChat? Of course, this is massively far fetched in the current circumstances, but it’s interesting to consider what it could look like and what the right line would be.
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As I hope I’ve made explicitly clear, this is a mix of options that range from the probable to the pipe dream. What do you think the BBC should look like? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you’re between 18–34 and fancy being part of my study, please do drop me a line. It seems like public service media is at a crossroads and there’s a number of ways it could head for better and for worse.
rhys@rhyshancock.com // twitter.com/rhyshancock
P.s my latest COVID content tips — Dave (BBC iPlayer/FX), The Boys (Amazon), Normal People (BBC/Hulu), Nathan For You (Comedy Central), Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe (BBC iPlayer)
