Big Changes Will Equal the Playing Field for U.K. Broadcasters, Promises Government in New White Paper
variety.comManori Ravindran International EditorTectonic changes are on the horizon for Britain’s broadcasters.Boris Johnson’s government on Thursday will lay out plans to update decades-old regulations and allow broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to “compete fairly” with their competitors (namely the likes of Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video) and support the local production sector.
The changes will be set out in a “Broadcasting White Paper,” for which a preview was shared with media on Wednesday evening, local time.“U.K.
public service broadcasters will no longer be subject to a complicated set of ‘purposes’ and ‘objectives’ from laws made in 2003,” reads a statement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. “Their remit will be overhauled and simplified, with a new definition of what it means to be a PSB [public-service broadcaster] and a focus on creating distinctive shows which reflect British culture, support domestic film and TV production, and provide impartial and accurate news.” A number of significant changes stand to overhaul the landscape for U.K.
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