At the 2025 RTS Cambridge Convention, UK public service broadcasters (PSBs) issued a unified call for far-reaching policy and regulatory reform to safeguard the cultural and economic future of British broadcasting. BBC Director-General Tim Davie opened the event by framing the moment as "a critical turning point" for the sector. He emphasized that while the BBC currently reaches 94% of UK households each month, relying on past success is no longer enough in a landscape increasingly dominated by global digital platforms, AI-driven content, and streaming giants.
Davie argued that public broadcasters must avoid "managing decline" and instead develop "a clear growth plan" that plays to their strengths—particularly in trust, regulation, and creative excellence. “What is momentarily comfortable must not breed complacency,” he warned. The core challenge, he said, is to navigate a market that is shifting rapidly due to the concentration of power among major global tech companies, while continuing to deliver on public value and cultural distinctiveness.
Echoing Davie’s message, the heads of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C, STV, and Alba stood together to demand urgent intervention in three key areas: financial sustainability, digital prominence, and brand protection. At the heart of these demands is a call for the government to ensure that the licence fee increases with inflation through to 2027. With current funding from the licence fee contributing approximately £3.7 billion annually to the BBC, its value is being eroded by inflation and increased competition. The PSBs also seek legislation guaranteeing their visibility on digital platforms—including smart TVs, streaming services, and social video apps—on fair and commercially viable terms.
Tim Davie also underscored the strategic importance of “editorial integrity, regulation, and democratic values,” which he argued set PSBs apart in a global media environment increasingly shaped by algorithmic curation and opaque commercial priorities. He framed the BBC and its peers as engines of national cohesion and innovation, highlighting the results of the public consultation initiative "Our BBC, Our Future," which revealed deep public support for regulated, distinctive British content.
The convention also tackled the role of artificial intelligence and platform power in shaping content discovery, monetization, and consumer behavior. Davie noted the risk of a fragmented media landscape where trusted, verifiable content is buried beneath viral and often unreliable information. “We cannot allow the gatekeepers of the new internet to determine what survives,” he stated, urging proactive regulation and international collaboration to uphold quality journalism and democratic discourse.
Meanwhile, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall and Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon reiterated the critical role PSBs play in investing in local production, supporting creative talent, and representing the diversity of UK society. Mahon emphasized the need for “flexible, modern regulation” to enable PSBs to compete fairly with streamers and tech platforms that are not subject to the same public obligations or editorial standards.
The RTS Cambridge Convention 2025 marks a pivotal moment for UK broadcasting as the BBC prepares for its next charter renewal and the wider sector contends with structural disruption. With PSBs still responsible for over half of UK-originated TV content and playing a foundational role in the country’s creative economy, the sector’s leaders made clear that bold, forward-looking policy is essential not just to survive—but to thrive. The call to action is unequivocal: Britain must act now to preserve its unique broadcasting ecosystem before its advantages are lost to global convergence.
Related News
