Today's Guardian editorial on Ofcom's proposals for a public service broadcasting shake-up seems to understand the interconnection of issues in a way most of the other commentary has failed to. It addresses the challenge of online content, the question of the long-term need for plurality in PSB at all, and how the debate links to the roll-out of universal broadband.
Where the editorial fails is in omitting to define just what PSB is (the elephant in the room in the whole argument, whoever is talking about it). The consequence is that the conclusion ("But when everyone can watch what they want, when they want, will the BBC really need Channel 4 to keep it honest?") is practically reasonable, but misses the biggest point of principle here. The debate should not be about the ability of public service broadcasters to give people what they want, when they want: something greater than bottom-line populism should define their remit, and frame all the financial and policy questions in play.
2 comments:
Yes, theose were broadly my thoughts.
Do you read Martin Belam's blog?
http://www.currybet.net/
His coverage of Ofcom's reports is normally quite good.
I don't but I should. Tend to rely on ofcomwatch.co.uk, Ofcom's own feeds, and the Register.
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