ITV has welcomed Ofcom’s proposals to ease some its public service obligations in a move that will clear the way for the broadcaster to concentrate on more revenue-generating commercial programming.
The media super-regulator yesterday published a wide ranging report ruling that the levels of public service programming currently demanded of ITV would make little sense once the analogue television signal is switched off in 2012.
In the second phase of its review on public service broadcasting, Ofcom proposed that the number of hours of regional, non-news programming that ITV is required to broadcast should be halved to 90-minutes, with the BBC taking responsibility for more regional output.
The watchdog also responded to long-running calls from ITV to reduce its public service broadcasting commitments by recommending “greater flexibility” is assessing how the channel should deliver arts, children’s and religious programmes.
Ofcom said that ITV should be allowed to move away from “hard quotas for specific genres” but concluded that the broadcasters must remain committed to national and regional news, current affairs programming and original UK production.
ITV has long been arguing that its current PSB commitments would become increasingly unreasonable in the face of growing competition from multi-channel broadcasters. The network, which is no longer the cash cow its once was, currently spends around £475 million on analogue licence fees and public service programming.
Commenting on the Ofcom report, ITV chief executive, Charles Allen, said: “We entirely agree with Ofcom’s conclusion that ITV’s key PSB contribution going forward should be the provision of high quality UK production and national, international and regional news.”
He added: “We are delighted that Ofcom has finally recognised the need to find a new funding model for commercial public service broadcasting post digital switchover and look forward to playing an active role in that ongoing debate.”
Ofcom’s 100-page report also recommended the launch of an entirely new public service broadcaster to be run by commercial operators as a rival to the BBC in the digital age. The regulator is suggesting the creation of a new organisation similar to Channel 4 that would use a variety of new technologies and distribution systems to meet audience needs in the digital age (see Ofcom Plans New Public Service Channel To Rival BBC).
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