Please leave comments (by clicking on the bar) to help us respond to Ofcom’s ‘Digital Opportunity’ consultation. We plan to respond only to the Section 6 questions (”Meeting audience needs in a digital age”), which are laid out below. We have also reproduced the headlines of that section although strongly recommend that you read the entire section of the consultation document before commenting on the questions. Our submission will call for distribution of PSB productions to be in non-DRMed and remixable. Also, we will suggest a new exception should be introduced to encourage a culture of transformative works.

Link to our wiki page explaining the broader remit of the consultation

Link to the consultation document PDF

Introduction and headlines from Section 6: Meeting audience needs in a digital age

6.1 The preceding section described the future prospects for delivery of public purposes across multiple platforms. This section sets out a vision for the future provision of public service content, based on audiences’ priorities and the new opportunities emerging for delivery of public purposes on interactive platforms. We assess whether the existing model for public service broadcasting is sufficiently flexible to adapt to the potentially radical change in audience requirements over the next ten years and beyond, and argue that a new model is likely to be needed to secure the ongoing benefits of public service content.

6.2 We investigate two core underlying principles of the existing model – universal availability of free-to-view content, and plural provision – and argue that although these principles remain valid, a more nuanced understanding of their implications will be needed for a new era characterised by greater choice, variety and flexibility in media consumption.

A vision for public service content in a digital age

The value of public service broadcasting is a function of availability, reach, impact and the cost of intervention

Intervention to achieve public purposes will need to take different forms in future

Public service content should continue to be widely available, but some more targeted interventions may maximise overall reach, impact and value

Plural provision delivers significant benefits to audiences

The existing model for public service broadcasting will struggle to adapt to the changing environment

Relevant questions - Section 6: Meeting audience needs in a digital age

i) Do you agree with Ofcom’s vision for public service content?

ii) How important are plurality and competition for quality in delivering the purposes and characteristics of public service broadcasting, and in what areas?

iii) In maximising reach and impact of public service content in the future, what roles can different platforms and services play?

iv) Do you agree that the existing model for delivering public service broadcasting will not be sufficient to meet changing needs in future?