Culture clash

Lisa Campbell

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Andy Burnham speaks with conviction but some of his views are alarmingly outdated.

Perhaps helped by his famous doe eyes, the new culture secretary Andy Burnham appears a warmer, friendlier character than his cold, somewhat steely predecessor, James Purnell.

What's more, Burnham appears to be a politician with soul - his passionate diatribe on maintaining traditional values in broadcasting and listening to and respecting the viewer is a refreshing change of emphasis from the policy-wonk approach of yesteryear.

Speaking to members of the Broadcasting Press Guild this week, Burnham revealed more in his first 10 minutes than his predecessor did during his entire tenure. But, as the questions became more probing, it was clear that after the initial rhetoric, much of it outlined in his speech to the Convergence Think Tank last week, Burnham was not giving much away.

When asked if he felt it was reasonable for the BBC to share the licence fee, Burnham said discussions on a settlement would be "more challenging" next time around but that he had an "open mind". When asked if Channel 4 was a worthy recipient, he would only say that it had presented "a distinctive vision" for itself and could see how it might develop its offering across online and television.

What Burnham was clear on was his support for impartiality in news and for the regions, perhaps not surprising for a Merseyside-educated MP. While he joked that he would be "tough on London-centricity and the causes of London-centricity," his criticism of ITV's failure to meet its regional quotas was serious.

All in all, Burnham appeared surprisingly old-fashioned for a 38-year-old. In some respects this is a good thing - his determination to preserve the standards of a previous era for example - but in others, such as product placement, he seems dangerously outmoded. It's to be hoped that Burnham's rose-tinted spectacles do not cloud his vision for the future.

TV's foreseeable future
Despite his reverse pterodactyl impression, Sir Alan's new apprentice Lee McQueen is stepping straight into the future, helping develop advertising on digital billboards. This week's Future of Television supplement highlights digital signage as one of the new breed of distribution models alongside IPTV and games consoles.

Our crystal ballgazers have identified other technological innovations - including video tiles in the bathroom and surround video that can turn the living room into a TV screen. But what will future technological changes - the death of tape-based workflows, the continual upgrading of HD formats and the rapid rise in distribution platforms - mean for the way shows are created, managed and delivered? Turn to page 21 to find out.
Lisa Campbell, Editor