John Whittingdale promises prominence and protection for indies

Culture minister John Whittingdale has indicated that the PSBs are on the brink of winning the prominence battle, and that the indie sector will be protected in the event of Channel 4 being privatised.

Whittingdale stepped in to deliver an RTS Cambridge keynote at the eleventh hour, replacing Oliver Dowden who has been replaced as culture secretary by Nadine Dorries.

He told the convention: “Whatever decision is taken with C4 there is no way this government will ever compromise our independent production industry. UK film and TV is booming, hundreds and thousands of families rely on the industry for their living, creative fulfilment and sense of self. Our economy relies on the creative industries, no less than our national identity. We will do everything we can to protect it in the years ahead.”

In the Q&A afterwards, Whittingdale indicated that it is not a fait accompli that a purchaser of C4 would be allowed to introduce in-house production. This appeared to contradict comments he made at the Edinburgh TV Festival, and the strong industry consensus is that some level of in-house would be allowed, and that the key debate will be about where the quota is set.

Whittingdale went on to suggest that a revised remit that prioritises C4 supporting smaller producers rather than their larger counterparts could be on the cards.

Prominence legislation on agenda ASAP

He also revealed that the government will legislate to ensure that PSB content is legally required to be carried across popular online TV platforms including smart TVs, pay TV services, streaming sticks and set top boxes.

Whittingdale said: “I want to ensure British broadcasters get the exposure they deserve - no matter how their content is consumed. Public service broadcasters have been part of our national life for almost a century, and are uniquely placed to reflect our values. It’s incredibly important that they keep their place at the heart of television.

As well as ensuring services such as iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 are easily discoverable on digital platforms, the culture minister indicated that Ofcom will be empowered to ensure that commercial negotiations between platforms and broadcasters are handled effectively. This appears to be the ‘fair dealing’ requirement that the PSBs have been lobbying for, which would mean they are paid appropriately for supplying their services.

Whittingdale said government will legislate as soon as possible on this issue.