Mind the funding gap. The potential of industry levies for continued funding of public service broadcasting
Article
An ippr report for BECTU and the NUJ
Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) - television content funded either directly or indirectly by the state and designed to meet specific societal and cultural objectives - is a culturally and economically valuable part of the UK's media landscape. It is popular and valued by citizens, and public service brands - such as the BBC and Channel 4 - are internationally respected.
The digital revolution has presented PSBs with huge challenges. Following digital switchover in 2012, the decline in value of spectrum gifted to PSB providers will cause a funding gap of between £145 and £235 million to emerge.
The continued popularity and desire for PSB among British citizens means that addressing the funding gap and ongoing financial pressures is a matter of great urgency and importance. This report provides analysis of the current challenges facing PSBs and the various different methods and models that have been suggested to bridge the funding gap.
Related items
One year in: the government is making decent down payments for the years ahead
It’s fair to say it hasn’t been a straightforward first year for the government.Britons back local leaders with fiscal firepower
“Death and taxes,” they say, are life’s only certainties. But there’s a third - wherever taxes are controlled, power lies.Filling the funding gap: at what cost to Scotland’s public services?
Last week the Scottish government published its delayed Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) which ‘provides the economic, funding and spending outlooks for the financial years 2025/26 to 2029/30’ and ‘the Government’s fiscal strategy to…