Digital platforms such as YouTube could be forced to make programmes from UK public service television channels “prominent” to protect “endangered” networks such as BBC and Channel 4, according to the British media watchdog, the Office of Communications (ofcom)
Ofcom on Monday said there needed to be “prominence and discoverability” for content from public service broadcasters (PSBs) on the online platforms that audiences increasingly use.
It added that in particular it was “critical that the public service broadcasters and YouTube ... work together to ensure that PSB content is prominent on its service, and on fair commercial terms”.
Ofcom said the government should consider whether this needs to be underpinned by legislation to give statutory backing to PSB content on YouTube, especially news and children’s programmes.
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Britain’s existing Media Act already guarantees PSBs prominence on connected TVs and other devices, which means being seen among the first viewing options on the home screen “carousel”.
With more audiences watching online, the PSBs have developed on-demand services such as BBC’s iPlayer. However, this has not fully offset declines in viewing to traditional linear channels, with younger audiences in particular more likely to watch YouTube, Netflix and TikTok.
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PSBs are now increasingly placing their shows on third-party platforms to follow their audiences but are competing with vast libraries of rival content. Public service companies’ video-on-demand players only account for 9 per cent of all viewing, according to Ofcom data.
Ofcom said that viewers now spend less than half of their in-home viewing on traditional linear TV channels, and that this was still declining. Last year, fewer than half of 16-24-year-olds tuned into broadcast TV in an average week, while younger children spent far more time watching YouTube.
“If no action is taken, the very existence of the PSBs will be threatened. Time is running out to save this pillar of UK culture and way of life,” the regulator said.
YouTube and the UK government did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
In a wide-ranging review designed to ensure the future of the UK’s public broadcasters, Ofcom has launched an assessment of the regulation of broadcast TV and radio.
It recommended a bonfire of red tape to strip away outdated and unnecessary restrictions given much of the existing legislative and regulatory framework was designed for traditional linear TV.
Ofcom also urged broadcasters to be more ambitious in pursuing strategic and technological partnerships with each other. It said less commercially viable genres, such as news, local news and children’s content, should be prioritised if the government was to decide to allocate additional public funding. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
