Select committee: Communications and Digital Committee
Conclusion 1
1st Report - Public service broadcasting: as vital as ever
Published 5 Nov 2019
Paragraph 31
Communications and Digital Committee Public service broadcasting in the age of video on demand inquiry All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Public service broadcasting remains essential to the UK media and losing it would leave UK society and democracy worse off. Public service broadcasting can bring the nation together in a way in which other media cannot and can ‘raise the level’ of quality, as well as ensuring continued investment in original UK content across a range of programming. An essential feature of public service broadcasting is its universality, free at the point of use after paying the licence fee: both the availability and affordability of public service broadcasters are unmatched by other services. In its forthcoming PSB review, Ofcom should also consider the contribution of content from non-public service broadcasters to public service objectives.
From: Communications and Digital Committee, 1st Report - Public service broadcasting: as vital as ever, paragraph 31, 5 November 2019
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 February 2020.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government shares the Committee's view on the importance of public service broadcasting, while saying that broadcasters will need to adapt and that legislation and regulation will need to evolve.
- On the listed events regime, the Government "does not plan to review the list", saying it "strikes an appropriate balance". It has announced the Paralympic Games will be added to group A and will set out next steps on women's equivalents "in due course".
- On BBC funding, it "has no plans to introduce a Licence Fee Commission" and considers it "appropriate to determine the level of the licence fee in discussions with the BBC".
- On prominence, the Government "has committed to act on Ofcom's prominence recommendations and is exploring the potential for legislation", and will set out next steps "in due course".
- On a levy on video on-demand subscriptions, the Government agrees one "is not appropriate at this time" and has no plans to introduce one, but "will keep the situation under review".