Elon Musk’s Twitter has wrongly labeled the BBC as being “government funded.”
23.03.2023 - 15:31 / deadline.com
The BBC has been told that it must be more transparent about its content acquisitions strategy after being accused by ITV of buying glossy U.S. shows to chase ratings.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, said the BBC must explain in its Annual Plan how buying content, as opposed to commissioning British originals, supports “distinctiveness” and engages different audiences.
The BBC is funded by the British public to the tune of £3.8B ($4.7B), meaning it has an obligation to be distinct from commercial rivals like ITV and serve all audiences.
Ofcom made the intervention as part of plans to update the BBC’s operating licence for a digital age from next month. A guiding principle of the changes is transparency, with Ofcom arguing that the BBC has not always provided proper “detail and clarity” on updates to its output and services.
In a submission to Ofcom’s review, ITV said the BBC had “dramatically increased” its spend on acquired content over the past six years, including deals for shows like Warner Bros. Discovery title Superman & Lois and films such as Marvel’s Avengers Assemble.
“The first issue with the BBC acquiring mainstream third-party content is that it sits uncomfortably with its mission to be distinctive and take creative risks,” ITV said.
“The second issue… is that the BBC competes in the market against other broadcasters, such as ITV, inflating the price at which the content is purchased.”
ITV suggested that the BBC should focus on distinctive acquisitions, pointing to previous deals for Nordic noirs, including The Killing and Borgen, which it said helped pave the way for other successful foreign-language dramas.
Ofcom said it did not agree that “BBC should be required to ensure that every one of its
Elon Musk’s Twitter has wrongly labeled the BBC as being “government funded.”
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