The future of television

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Unless, of course, you are a PSB...

PSBs can be redefined...or even abolished!

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Originally Posted by jfman

And where does that threshold lie OB?

When it ceases to draw in sufficient advertising revenue. You’re the economist......

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

PSBs can be redefined...or even abolished!

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When it ceases to draw in sufficient advertising revenue. You’re the economist......

And you’re the one making claims in absolute terms that it will cease to be viable financially. Surely, in order to make such a claim, you should know where that threshold lies?

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

PSBs can be redefined...or even abolished!

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When it ceases to draw in sufficient advertising revenue. You’re the economist......

Probably not for the next 17 years, at least...

https://committees.parliament.uk/com...-broadcasting/

Key recommendations to Government

Prioritise new primary legislation to update the Communications Act 2003 and grant PSBs prominence which extends beyond the Electronic Programme Guide

Unless PSBs do more to attract younger audiences, the core principle of universality that underpins their existence will be threatened. Recommend that changes be made to the regulatory structure to enable PSBs to innovate more rapidly and easily, and to be able to better compete online

Come out with a strong alternative to the BBC licence fee that it can put to Parliament, or strongly support the current model for at least the next Charter period (2028 - 2038) and actively aid the BBC in driving down evasion

Provide assurances that the issue of decriminalisation will not be used as a bargaining tool during the ongoing licence fee settlement negotiations with the BBC and S4C

If budgets are going to continue to decline in real terms, the Government should review the expectations set for PSBs

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style...and-Speed-DCMS

Government proposals to scrap the BBC TV Licence fee and replace it with a Netflix-style monthly subscription from 2027 onwards have been rubbished in a new report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee. According to the report, the UK Government has "left itself with no option on the licence fee" because it has "failed to put in place the necessary broadband infrastructure that would facilitate other funding mechanisms".

Given the huge popularity of streaming services and the contract-free monthly subscription service that pays for them, the TV Licence is likely living on borrowed time. However, these issues will need to be solved – as the DCMS report highlights – before the current funding model can be replaced wholesale. Given the amount of time left before the next Charter period begins, it seems unlikely that Boris Johnson and his teams will be able to solve in the next six years.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

That is true, but the car is more popular by a country mile.

I was not the one who said that conventional viewing would have to get to near zero before existing channels were scrapped. Advertising revenue just has to fall to a level that doesn't make it worthwhile.

We have already seen this happen with some of the +1 channels.

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Originally Posted by Hugh

Unless, of course, you are a PSB...

PSB's can and have ceased trading and gone off air.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

We have already seen this happen with some of the +1 channels.

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PSB's can and have ceased trading and gone off air.

See this is a straw man.

Nobody here is claiming TV isn’t in a process of evolution. All we are saying is - as with the private car in Old Boy’s analogy - trends and growth in competitive markets rarely hit 100% and where they do rarely in such a narrow timeframe.

OB incorrectly charts an accelerated growth of streaming and ignores that on demand cable services that existed long before. BBC iPlayer launched in 2007. Yet still, 11 million people sat down and watched BBC One last night. Maybe another 4 or so will catch up on demand.

Rational consumers in the marketplace. Many with streaming services. The vast majority with internet. Sat down and went to the top of their EPGs in prime time.

11 million people aren’t Neanderthals. Or if they are there’s a lot of dying out to go.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

We have already seen this happen with some of the +1 channels.

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PSB's can and have ceased trading and gone off air.

Which ones?

I must admit I'm curious to know which ones Richard is thinking of. I can't think of any. The nearest I can get is some of the ITV regional franchise holders, who didn't cease trading and go off air, but in some cases went off air because they lost the franchise, and where they were unable to diversify they then had to cease trading. I suspect that's not what he's alluding to though, and in any case the mechanics of the ITV regional franchise system really has nothing to do with the commercial viability of TV channels today, whether they're operated by PSBs or not.

[jfman]

Was S2 (the early days Scottish ITV2) under a PSB remit? Genuinely don't know.

No, it wasn't. No additional channels provided by STV plc, ITV plc, Channel 4 or Viacom (which owns Channel 5) are PSB. Only the channels in EPG slots 1-5, plus all additional BBC branded channels, are public service. None of these have ever failed as businesses and been forced to go off air.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Chris

No, it wasn't. No additional channels provided by STV plc, ITV plc, Channel 4 or Viacom (which owns Channel 5) are PSB. Only the channels in EPG slots 1-5, plus all additional BBC branded channels, are public service. None of these have ever failed as businesses and been forced to go off air.

If Richard has a narrow definition of "off air" as being no longer available via DTT or DTH, then maybe he's thinking of BBC 3?

It looks to me like he meant gone out of business as in gone bust because their business was no longer viable, which wasn’t the case with BBC3. Hard to say until he comes back in here and clarifies though.

[1andrew1]

Oh dear, another streaming company not playing by the rulebook..sorry ruleblog. When will these thriving multinational companies learn that linear TV is on its way out?

Rakuten signals major European expansion

Rakuten has expanded its AVOD offering with the launch of over 90 free linear channels in 42 European markets....

Audiences will be offered a selection of local content through partnerships top European media groups for the launch of new channels, such as FilmRise, Real Stories, Timeline and the Lego channel in the UK; ¡Hola! Play and Planeta Junior (kids and family entertainment content) in Spain; L’atelier des chefs, Luxe, Motosport and Humanity in France; as well as established channels; Netzkino, Waidwerk Free, Tierwelt Live and Deluxe Lounge HD in Germany; and Bizzarro Movies and Cinema Segreto in Italy...

Commenting on the expansion, Jacinto Roca, founder and CEO at Rakuten TV, said: “We are eager to contribute once again to the disruption of the entertainment industry with this major step on the growth and innovation on Rakuten TV, which aims to enrich our business model and content offer.

“At a time when the entertainment sector is living an unprecedented transformation, and consumption habits are constantly evolving, we are striving to adapt our business model to meet users and advertisers needs at once”.

https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2021...ean-expansion/

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Originally Posted by Chris

It looks to me like he meant gone out of business as in gone bust because their business was no longer viable, which wasn’t the case with BBC3. Hard to say until he comes back in here and clarifies though.

Maybe he's referring to failed local TV channels allocated space on Freeview 8/VM 159. I don't think they're strictly PSBs though.

[RichardCoulter]

Can't remember it's name, I think it was one of the Welsh ITV companies that went bust. It didn't get much advertising because it's fanchise area had a sparse population. The solution was to tag it's area onto a neighbouring franchise area.

In fact, a lot of the new ITV companies came perilously close to financial collapse. Once established, however, they were referred to by one owner as being the nearest thing to being given a licence to print money!

Found it:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wale...rth_Television

[RichardCoulter]

ITV's Head of Digital Channels & Acquisitions says youth programming will go onto VOD first as "the linear channels are going nowhere":

https://rxtvinfo.com/2021/on-demand-...youth-channels

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Can't remember it's name, I think it was one of the Welsh ITV companies that went bust. It didn't get much advertising because it's fanchise area had a sparse population. The solution was to tag it's area onto a neighbouring franchise area.

In fact, a lot of the new ITV companies came perilously close to financial collapse. Once established, however, they were referred to by one owner as being the nearest thing to being given a licence to print money!

Found it:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wale...rth_Television

Right. Well that’s an interesting story but it was an extremely specific set of circumstances that doesn’t demonstrate the very broad point you were trying to make. WWN suffered from a small service area, delays building one of its key transmitters and ludicrous rules about the amount of Welsh language content it was supposed to produce itself. Its failure was ultimately a failure of the design of its franchise. Public service broadcasting on channel 3 is managed very differently these days.