Public Service Broadcasting in the Multiplatform Era The Role and Legitimization of the BBC as a public service broadcaster in the Multiplatform era

(1)

1 Public Service Broadcasting in the Multiplatform Era

The Role and Legitimization of the BBC as a public service broadcaster in the Multiplatform era

Oliver Rowlatt 12026034 Master of Arts

Date of Completion 07/07/2019

Media Studies: Television and Cross Media Culture University of Amsterdam

Supervisor: Dr Jan Teurlings Second Reader: Dr Markus Stauff

(2)

2

Born in the belief that it would provide a set of ideals to bring together a nation for the purposes of good and the national interest, public service broadcasters (PSB) have been fighting for their legitimization, and more so than ever in the multiplatform era. Using the words of John Reith, the founding father and pioneer of the BBC from 1926 to 1938, PSBs strive to deliver the promise of universal access to the greatest number of homes and with that the moral responsibility to provide an insight into “everything that is best in every department of human endeavour and achievement” (Reith 1924). The public must be served devoid of the influences of commerce and political agendas and driven by an ethical purpose rather than to exploit a market. Moving into the digital age and multiplatform era Mark Thompson stated;

This decade will be the decade of on-demand. And we will arrive at a digital Britain not when we switch analogue terrestrial TV to digital – though that's important as well of course – but when every household has access to rich and interactive on demand services. That's when the real gains in public value – in educational potential, in civic connectivity, in user-based creativity, in the opening up of resources like the BBC's amazing archive – that's when the real gains kick in. (Speech given at the Edinburgh International Television Festival 2005).

Indeed, reflecting on the words of Thompson, Britain and the broadcasting industry have progressed through the on-demand era but are now faced with a new challenge in the multiplatform era. Gains have been made by PSBs to legitimize themselves against the continued pressure from the commercial market, the pressure to justify its remit and the attack on the license fee. For example, in terms of universal access and the gains that PSBs have made are evidenced in their efforts to seek a universal presence on all platforms rather than solely on terrestrial broadcasting channels (Smith & Steemers 2007). In Europe, national PSBs maintain their roles as crucial conveyors of political and cultural communication to the public in their respective countries (Bardoel & d’Haenens 2008). Bardoel and d’Haenens believe this method of conveying such communication to the general public cannot be wholly offered with the guarantee of freely accessible, reliable information by the commercial market. Furthermore, an innovative creative culture in line with the value of the public interest can also not be offered as a guarantee (351). The uniqueness of the licensing fee for PSBs and not for independent broadcasting companies must be supported by the fact that it can continue to prove it can adhere

(5)

5 to offering the public service of cost effective-quality programming and content that corresponds to its remit to “educate, inform and entertain” (Helm 2005).

According to the BBC, the live linear broadcast finale of The Bodyguard (BBC 2017-2018) was viewed by 17million people, almost a third of the population of Britain. In the Netherlands the live broadcasted finale of Wie is de Mol? (NPO, Avatros 2000-present) was watched by more than 3.5million people in a nation of 17million. These figures indicate a continued interest in content provided by PSBs. Therefore, these figures also provide a basis from which to consider the argumentation for legitimising PSB in the multiplatform era. There is ample discussion about the role of PSBs and whether public service broadcasting will survive (Avery 1999; Steemers 2003; Holtz-Bacha 2000, 2003; Collins 2001; Jacka 2003; Helm 2005; Jauert & Ferrel Lowe 2005; Bardoel & d’Haenens 2008; Bennet 2008; D’Arma 2018).

Beginning with radio broadcasting, PSBs transitioned into visual broadcasting in the form of linear conventional television that progressed and adapted through the commercialisation of the media market, the introduction of the multi-channel, the explosion of the network era, online and on-demand, and has had to constantly make a case for itself in order to survive each period of change. Now in the multiplatform era PSBs face continued pressure and must once again legitimise its existence.

This thesis seeks to analyse the legitimization of public service broadcasting in the multiplatform era and construct an arsenal of elements to help the defence for public service broadcasters. Chapter one will detail the logics of public service broadcasting that will set the scene for how PSBs maintain their remit. Building on this, chapter two details the pressures of public service broadcasting in the multiplatform era as well as the beginning of the defence for PSBs through the perspective of the BBC annual report 2019/2020. The proceeding chapters; three and four will focus on specific case studies within the contemporary BBC offerings. Chapter three will focus on removing distance and the paternalistic qualities of PSBs through lowering the walls around the walled garden. This includes greater audience participation, contribution and inclusion, better approachability and accessibility of PSBs for younger generations, and encouraging digital citizenry in the age of digital Britain. That is, PSBs strive for civic connectivity, and population gathering (Hartley 1999) as well as the call for user-based content. Chapter four’s case study; Crossing Divides reveals new media forms to help towards the remit of educating, informing and entertaining as well as the pursuit of cultural neighbourliness (172), and diversity and pluralism in a fragmented political and digital landscape.

(6)

6 Before beginning with this thesis, it would be worthwhile to begin with briefly defining the multiplatform era and what is public service broadcasting so as to set the scene for the legitimisation of PSBs. A PSB is a broadcasting system that broadcasts television, radio and public service content. It is an institution set up by law and through a government agreement generally financed by public funds. It should have cultural, social and democratic functions which it discharges for the common good. From this normative viewpoint, PSBs have a vital significance for ensuring democracy, pluralism, social cohesion, cultural and linguistic diversity; (European Broadcasting Union; McQauil 2010; Bardoel 2015).

The multiplatform era is the convergence between mass media and personal media and the various combinations between traditional broadcasting formats and new media (Enli 2008). It is characterized by 360-degree commissioning as the value for the public is generated through the return in use of multiple forms of content distribution such as online, mobile, interactive games, internet distributed television, portals as well as conventional television (Doyle 2010). Amongst the plethora of distribution channels now available to broadcasting companies and competitors of PSBs, PSBs must find ways to remain a potent source of public value and continue to deliver their remit to educate, inform and entertain. Public service broadcasters such as BBC (UK), ARD or ZDF (Germany), FR2 (France), RAI (Italy), and RTVE (Spain) according to Steemers are

“still important in attracting mass audiences. Their mainstream services are also vital for legitimating the institutions as a whole. These services indicate commitment to mainstream entertainment, event programming, and news, which still attract large audiences and constitute common experiences. (Steemers 2003:129)

The multiplatform era is a competitive and fragmented place and the need for PSBs to legitimize themselves once more in a new era of multiplicity and multiplatform functionality could not be more vital towards their survival.

(7)

7 Chapter 1

The Logics of Public Service Broadcasting

Definitions and Logics

Since its initial conception in the early 20th_{century, transformations in public service}

broadcasting have gained much scholarly and political attention throughout its 100-year life. Public service broadcasters (PSBs) without doubt have transformed to a great extent, having transitioned from the radio broadcasting era through to the visual broadcasting era in television, the multichannel and network era, the post network era and the online era towards its current position in the multiplatform era. Mapping these transitions has improved our understanding of how PSBs have changed over the last one hundred years. Despite these changes fundamental logics have remained in place. Logics in this case refer to characteristics that shape PSBs and offer insight in to their existence and how they operate. This chapter aims to detail those fundamental logics that define and legitimise PSBs.

Part of the role of PSBs is to configure themselves around how to be different from their counterparts in the commercial broadcasting sector and battle against the world of internet distributed television. Specific logics construct the basis from which public service broadcasting can fight against the commercial market of both broadcasting and online portals. Of course, there are logics that are characteristic of both forms of broadcasting providers as well as online portals, such as the promise of entertainment and accessibility.

Whilst PSBs continue to exist in the multiplatform era these logics will continue to provide framework from which to analyse public service broadcasting so as to consider the role of public service broadcasting in the multiplatform era. Not only to consider the role PSBs have in modern day society but how this role and the existence of PSBs is legitimized in the multiplatform era. It is important to note that these logics will be pinpointed and discussed through the lens and perspective of the BBC in the United Kingdom.

This chapter intends to assemble an inventory of past and present discourses regarding PSBs’ role and legitimacy. The inventory will provide a foundation from which to analyse the BBC. The logics that are detailed will assist in understanding how the BBC functions as a PSB and what the BBC does to be different from the competition. In addition, by considering how PSBs have survived since their initial conception it will aid in understanding how the BBC legitimizes itself in the multiplatform era. The logics are broken down into three sections. All three logics stated in this chapter display similarities that are derived from democratic and cultural objectives as opposed to economic viability and profit (Grummell 2009). The logics in

(8)

8 this chapter; universalism, diversity and pluralism, citizenry and maintenance of culture find their ultimate justification in developing, enhancing and serving social political and culture objectives to form an ideal democratic society (Born & Prosser 2001).

1.2 Universalism

The promise of universal access, universalism and accessibility are logics that have persisted from broadcasting’s initial conception. Once the BBC sought after ‘more extensive and universal broadcasting’ to reach the wider public the public demand followed and the extension of broadcasting services became the justification for public service (Briggs 1995). However, the logic of universalism goes beyond providing a universal and comprehensive service. As well as the concept of a universal and comprehensive service, this section will include programme and audience universality and education within the universal logic of public service broadcasting.

As part of the overall logic of universalism, providing a universal and comprehensive service is regarded as a service mission traditionally understood through achieving the goal of ensuring nationwide coverage (D’Arma 2018). In terms of universalism this can be said to relate to the geographical aspect. Geographical universality is a result of providing services where all regions of the territory that a PSB covers are reached. Established in 1946, The NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute for the Japan Broadcasting Corporation provides monthly reports on broadcasting. The broadcasting monthly report described the geographical aspect of PSB universalism as “The ground principle governing [American] broadcasting is that the air belongs to the public and those who use a finite resource called airwaves have to serve the “public interest” (Japan Broadcasting Corporation 2007). It is therefore in the public interest to receive access to broadcasting. The ‘great chain’ metaphor helps to understand the practicalities of the geographical distribution of television. This chain supports the concept that broadcasters must blanket the nation “evenly and fully” to enable geographically viable and universal access. (Sterne 1999). In the case of commercial broadcasters this benefited them immensely if advertisers had universal access to potential consumers. In the case of public service, the benefits reside in being able to access the nation to aid in establishing a sense of national identity and collective community, to educate and inform and provide the space in which the nation and public can be served.

For geographical universalism to be made viable, technological universalism has to be achieved. Initially, the main responsibility to provide a service that aligned to public interest and which was situated within the larger national framework was that of pre-existing local

(9)

9 stations. Once plugged into the national network through providing technological systems that enabled access to very high frequencies (VHF), ultra-high frequencies (UHF) and satellite connection, integrating public service broadcasting into society was made further possible (Sterne 6-7). It is necessary to consider how public service broadcasters maintain a universal comprehensive service in the multiplatform era.

Technological universality in the multiplatform era now relates to how PSBs can adopt cross-media strategies in order to keep viewers and listeners attention beyond the television set. In the eyes of Bennet from the digital technological perspective everyone should have equal access to a democratic internet portal that facilitates the public to participate in the spaces of the digital landscape, in his case the digital Britain (Bennet 2008:289). On demand platforms now provide a multitude of thematic channels alongside showrooms and open channels that also participate in the supplying of content provided by PSBs. The concept of brand-building will therefore become an important factor for PSBs if they are to deliberately implement cross media strategies that can enable the maintenance and retention of attention towards PSBs (Collins 2001).

Universal access was concerned with bringing the means to access public service broadcasting and its services into the living room so all at home could access and engage with content provided by PSBs. The home was a place that necessitated PSBs to provide trust beyond entertainment and offer balanced fare in the age of television (Briggs 1995). The television set opened a window to the world, giving viewers at home instant access to events that they would not have had access to before. In the multiplatform era universalism and accessibility is far from being only associated with the television set in the living room. Access to PSBs is now positioned across many screens, on the move and away from the home. However, this increases the competition from other platforms. PSBs in order to legitimize themselves must find ways to continue to provide universal access both geographically and technologically as well as meeting the needs of the diverse target market whilst in alignment with the national and public interest. How accessible is the programming or content for the large fragmented target market in the multiplatform era?

1.2.1 Programme and Audience Universality

To achieve the logic of programme and audience universality all must be served even if providing a range of programmes for all societal groups may be deemed unprofitable (Collins 7). As Jacka (2003) states the analysis of a PSB, must done so from analysing how the PSB

(10)

10 represents and portrays each group in society. It is a responsibility of PSBs to represent and connect as many diverse groups that they can to maintain the formulation of national identity in a fragmented and multicultural society. Hujanen and Ferrel Lowe believe that PSBs are vital for broad content provision of information, entertainment and education that society can relate to (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 2003:21). This should be provided irrespective of one’s ability to pay so that the provision of the wide range of programming can cater for all needs of all citizens (D’Arma 2018:206). An example is event television associated with BBC commissioned nature programmes such as the Blue Planet (BBC 2001 & 2017) and Planet Earth (BBC 2006 & 2016). Both appeal to the mass audience but provide an educational platform from which citizens have access to, but that is also translatable to all aspects of society. D’Arma, in quoting Garnham (1990), translates programme and audience universality into the equal access provision regardless of wealth or geographical location to a wide range of high-quality entertainment, information and education. Public service broadcasting is owned by everyone who pays the same tax, the payment of which entitles one to receive the same benefit as any other taxpayer (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 20).

As a universal public service providing education, information and entertainment these three missions must be made accessible to all. This could be from young children, to teenagers to aspiring young adults, to parents and senior citizens but more importantly to digital natives, digital immigrants and towards becoming digital citizens in a digital Britain that resides in the multiplatform era. If access to content and programming is already in place, content should also be accessible in terms of its themes so that programmes and content can cater to the various different groups in society enabling the mass audience and its many audience segments to relate to public service broadcasting. Content and programming aspire to cater to the varying groups in order to serve the national interest and public consensus.

1.2.2 Education

Equal opportunity to know more and better understand the world around us is a civic right and social necessity that PSBs must help facilitate (20). Grummell’s work on the educational characteristic of public service broadcasting highlighted that it is necessary for a mature democratic society to maintain the characteristics of education. The characteristic of education also entails learning processes that persist as central roles for participation in citizenship and development of knowledge (Grummell 2009:282). This is in part achieved as a core capacity whose unique selling point converges around notions of authoritativeness and trustworthiness.

(11)

11 How these considerations can be perceived is through the services of PSBs that are independent of social and political interest as well as vested interests in economics. Combining this independence with the core traits of authoritativeness and trustworthiness enables fulfilment of a broadly educational mission. PSBs as educators facilitate “citizens to know what they need to know, to participate fully in all their communities social, commercial, and political issues, and at national, global and local levels” (Collins 2001:26). Finding ways to constantly innovate with education, authoritativeness and trustworthiness in mind is vital to the success of adapting and discharging the mission of PSBs in the multiplatform era (10). The BBC's public web site is currently one of the most trusted and widely used Internet sites in Europe that provides a space for the education of citizenry (Murdock 1990).

PSBs are an outlet of educational provision that has adapted to the broadcasting market; the spectrum of formal education, educative, edutainment and edinfortainment formats. PSBs must also participate by changing and understanding the malleability of education’s role in public service broadcasting (Grummell 2009:269). The remits of public service broadcasting are notoriously difficult to define as it is embedded in the normative value of western democracy. This is because modern democracy is difficult to define and is under the scrutiny of much debate. This is also true and applicable to the “contribution of education to public service broadcasting, where the balance between learning in a pedagogical sense and entertaining information is increasingly precarious” (281)

As stated on almost anything connected to the BBC regarding its status and definition, the words education and information are commonly used to describe the BBC’s remit. As educators and informers PSBs help guide the formation of collective thinking and oversee the public service of educating the public without profit in mind. If regarding public service broadcasting as the tool that oversees the formation of national thinking and the national consensus, it initially led towards the PSBs adopting a paternalistic role. Williams states the idea behind the BBC as an effective paternalistic institution helped implement a service according to values of an existing public definition and national culture (Williams 1990). This attunes to the logics of PSBs that position themselves as paternalistic educators and informers. Williams goes on to say that PSBs “sought to introduce standards of social usefulness, of political fairness and of public morality” (30). Williams in relating to political fairness refers to the impartial nature of PSBs as the neutral providers of education and knowledge sharing, neither being positioned on the right or left of the political system. This results in a balanced fare perspective which can stimulate democratic values and political fairness amongst PSBs viewership. This is precisely how the initial conception of public service broadcasting took

(12)

12 place in the 1920s as new mass media of the period could be the tool to create an informed and cultured modern democracy (Hendy 2013). Of course, both commercial and public broadcasters aim to educate and inform their viewership. Despite this, the persistence of the authoritative and trustworthy characteristics of PSBs lay with knowing that PSBs can provide a balanced fair view of the world, independent of the commercial market and self-interest. It is worth noting however that the paternalistic nature of PSBs is not necessarily always a good thing.

1.3 Diversity and Pluralism

The majority of western European countries in which PSBs exists are made up of a diverse populous, often split between various opposing groups with different ideologies and ways of thinking. Jacka details what is required for the analysis of PSBs if they were to fulfil their roles and remits as a public service. That is, in society there are many diverse groups that must all be addressed and connected (Jacka 2003). In modern societies PSBs can assist in bridging over the gap between different societal groups. For example, fragmented modern democracies have differences between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, different ethnicities, class, age, race, immigrants and residence, and finally national vs international ways of thinking. Therefore, it is the responsibility of PSBs to represent all stated social groups. Societal groups are important towards the notions of shared national and international interests.

The political functions of PSBs are aimed at drawing public attention towards pluralism, democracy and the public debate. Now in the 21st century other functions are emphasised and have become more prominent. Bardoel and Brants detailed more recent functions in the form or socio-cultural goals, such as serving social integration and cohesion, cultural bonding and bridging (Bardoel & Brants 2003). The mandated responsibility of PSBs to serve has necessitated into responsibilities for serving not only majorities and the market but also cultural and social minorities. In turn this has led to guaranteeing pluralism and diversity (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 2003:20).

Considering the logic of universalism in tandem with diversity and pluralism, PSBs have a fundamental role to convey democratic values to all parts of society and safeguard a common culture of tolerance and debate, rather than transmitting majority interest content in the fragmented media landscape. By adapting to the commercial media markets, PSBs have had to choose a middle ground between popularization and purification in their programme strategies (Bardoel & d'Haenens2008). The commercial and entertainment market has allowed

(13)

13 for the making of a strong case towards the public provision of safeguarding pluralism and diversity that is unencumbered by profit motives (Steemers 2003).

The attempts of PSBs to be diverse and pluralist in nature have led to contradictions in the way PSBs can deliver basic programming and cater to the interests of the mass audience. This is referred to as the ‘Splits’ by Das Normziel Freiheit (1999:7) and the justification dilemma by Eifert (2000:6). There must be a justification for the broadcasting fee for the former and a broad acceptance by the viewing audience for the latter that finance PSBs (Steemers 2003:118). In addition, responses to this dilemma and the ‘decline in generalist channels and changing viewer habits’, PSBs pursue the segmentation of content to offer more targeted content and build more personalised relationships with the public (131). Eagleton argues that the pursuit of these changes to make it more pluralistic in culture and participatory has gained momentum for some time. The momentum pushes towards creating greater recognition of the democratic value of common culture which is continuously remade and redefined by the collective practice of its members (Qtd. in Murdock 2004:17).

It is within the BBC’s mission statement to offer everyone a democratic voice as a means of contributing to the national debate. With this in mind and by working in tandem with the universalist remit, the BBC can develop a pluralist conception of ‘digital Britain’ (Bennet 2008). Bennet, whilst referring to multi-view experiences of the red button that gives access to multiple live sporting events, claims that obligations of universalism and promoting national cohesion were fulfilled through meeting the demands of a pluralist conception of the nation’s citizenry (280).

The majority of countries in the European broadcasting environment are diverse and complex places. Therefore, it is a responsibility of PSBs to represent and connect as many diverse groups that they can to maintain a pluralistic formulation of national identity. The public consists of people with differing political beliefs, faiths, race, class and generations, and how PSBs deal with representing such a diverse society in the fragmented media landscape will be discussed in chapter four. For PSBs it is not only about representing all the different facets of storytelling but how these stories can be portrayed in a diverse manner with the inclusion of marginal groups in society. This is achieved through initiatives promoting diversity such as the BBC Making It Happen or in efforts to connect better with audiences and reflect their interests and diversity in programme making, conducting direct market research that includes outside broadcasts and roadshows in all areas of the UK. Even areas that have low approval ratings of PSBs (Maxwell 2004).

(14)

14 Making It Happen strived towards making creativity and diversity the life-force of the BBC. From the ground up, the BBC worked as effectively as possible to become more familiar with fragmented viewership. Spindler and Van Den Brul summed up Making it Happen by stating that the initiative assisted in revealing the rapid and dramatic impacts to cultural change. This was conducted through harnessing the commitment, ideas and energy from a vast pool of BBC staff in an approach to culture and change. In turn this led to having an enduring impact on starting to better understand that innovation and creativity are essential to establishing better connections with diverse audiences. (Spindler & Van Den Brul 2007). Championing this way of thinking and methodology by first focusing on the individual no matter their background and channelling this diversity through the organisation results in a competitive advantage and creates a diverse and pluralist conception (Maxwell 2004:197).

1.4 Citizenry and Maintenance of Culture

Throughout this chapter the idea that PSBs have a mission to transmit knowledge, trends, movements and developments in society as a whole has been discussed. However, there is also a mission of PSBs to connect public thinking in the direction of a national identity and culture. This mission seeks to create a modern and fair democracy and can be achieved through the components of the logic that is citizenry and maintenance of culture. These sub-components in this section are; cultural citizenship, bridging and social cohesion and archiving as a method of culture maintenance. Public service broadcasting lays at the heart of forming and shaping the cultural identity of a nation, towards a sense of community and social cohesion. Hendy believes PSBs are just too precious to throw away. They do not merely create a static or monolithic conception of culture but emancipate the public and develops to become part of the character of their lives (Hendy 2013).PSBs assist in forming part of one’s national identity, character and consequently form part of one’s national culture as an institution. It becomes part of the culture of a nation, and attempts to mobilize all corners of society towards the common good and more harmonious social cohesion.

1.4.1 Cultural Citizenship, Bridging and Social Cohesion.

Murdock believes that “precisely because of its centrality the television system has become a key site on which the struggle to secure and develop resources for citizenship takes place” (Murdock 2004:78). This site or space is a place where viewers can disseminate discussions, opinions and find answers to common social problems through storytelling (Newcomb &

(15)

15 Hirsch 1983:565). The construction of communities, the nurturing of identities and the creation of a space for social sharing are supported by PSBs who are present in the form of a site, space or platform. (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 2003:20). In other words, another core logic of PSBs is that the cultural resources required for full citizenship are provided through the commitment of public service broadcasting to offer a range of distribution platforms that lead to the construction of communities and space for social sharing (Murdock 2). This is a commitment to maintaining the role of fostering political and cultural citizenship. PSBs create a space or forum from which conflicts that appear are “embedded in familiar and nonthreatening frames, are conflicts ongoing in [American] social experience and cultural history” (Newcomb & Hirsch 566). PSBs in the multiplatform era must continue to maintain this space in which public thinking can connect. Furthermore, the fragmented media space must also continue to provide the space where cultural and societal issues can be discussed and examined in alignment with national and public interests.

There are core cultural rights that PSBs can influence which form part of citizenship in modern western democracy. According to Murdock these are identified as information, knowledge deliberation, representation and participation as a public service offering towards creating cultural citizenry (Murdock 10). There is a particular connection to the transmission of and access to deliberative fora. In modern diverse societies where multiple interpretations and proposals exist it is paramount if positions are to be contended against available evidence, ethical presuppositions questioned and the rigorous evaluation of the quality of public life (10). There are free or heavily subsidised cultural initiatives that help to gain access to ‘deliberative fora’. This access can encourage responsible citizenship (8). However, a major challenge poses a threat to the democratic culture of creating a deliberative political and cultural citizenship. The deliberative system requires the understanding of differences based on knowledge and respect, to combat world views that are increasingly polarised (14). Therefore, it is in part the responsibility of PSBs to provide resources on all platforms which is “as important as the quality and diversity of programming in evaluating its contribution to cultural citizenship” (18). Yet, through the proliferation of the media market, forming citizenry by maintaining attention across platforms so that attention returns to the PSBs can be seen as efforts to legitimize its existence. PSBs not only as central universal providers but as central providers of proliferated media content are made accessible on a multitude of platforms to assist in encouraging responsible citizenship. The BBC website has achieved this position of responsibility by exploring ways the Internet can extend public broadcasting's core mission of providing cultural

(16)

16 resources for thick citizenship (16). Not only for thick citizenship but also digital citizenry in the multiplatform era.

The national agenda and mission of PSBs intends to seek the fulfilment of the broader society which has split into three sets of relevant interactions. These relevant interactions consist of relations with the government, the media market and civil society at large. The mission is to find balance, and serve all three components of the broader society to benefit all. Referring to the construction of communities to share and nurture identities, PSBs are essential tools to support contemporary democratic practice (Bardoel & d'Haenens 2008:338). Using the nation as an established primary source of social identity, the BBC could be utilized as a PSB to play an active role in symbolic and cultural nationalism. As the national PSB in the UK, the BBC plays a particularly active role in the formulation of a symbolic and cultural national identity. PSBs could invent or revivify shared rituals and participate in creating solidarity and celebration. Murdock refers to historically cultural events transmitted by the BBC such as “Christmas Day address, the jingoism on the last night of the Promenade Concerts, broadcasting the chimes of Big Ben at Westminster, relaying the football Cup Final and annual Oxford and Cambridge boat race on the Thames. But there was another motivation behind this promotion of national culture” (Murdock 9) The incentive that Murdock refers to was to promote national cultural production that spoke to specifically national conditions and issues in retaliation to Americanisation (10). The positive effect caused by the emphasis of the ‘centrality of national expression’ opened communicative spaces for contending visions of shifting national conditions and structures of feeling (10).

1.4.2 Preserving cultural identity

The logics of preserving cultural identity and the maintenance of culture are the living record and active embodiment of human understandings that derive from the nourishment of culture (Steemers 2003). The nourishment of culture through archiving helps preserve content that forms the cultural canon of a nation. Archiving can preserve and educate past and future generations. Bennet argues for the national nourishment of culture by detailing the aspects of the BBC interactive television strategies associated with the BBC’s archiving of British history (Bennet 2008). Making content available online has added the advantage of extending the contributions’ active life since they are now stored in an electronic archive that can be accessed at any time (Murdock 17). Bennet approached this idea of electronic archiving through exploring the interactive television services of the BBC that tried to ‘interface the nation’.

(17)

17 Interactive services surrounding the anniversaries of Dunkirk and D-Day were implemented by the BBC and they created a national archive of wartime testimony and participant history. This promoted the BBC as a central resource of online citizenship (Bennet 289). In addition, the BBC was also seen as a maintainer of national history and culture.

Part of public service broadcasting’s mission to maintain and preserve culture can be achieved through archiving content in way that commercial broadcasters do not take an interest in. Enabling access to past sound and vision of past content aids in the process of experiencing cultural memory. This cultural memory is a way to preserve national identity. Archiving for commercial broadcasters and portals such as Netflix is not in their best interest as they are not interested in maintaining cultural memory. Competitors of PSB encounter longtail media strategies (Anderson 2006) that create economic encumberments resulting in a challenge to store and archive cultural sound and vision.

The promise of digitalisation and internet distributed television was the enabling of the economic longtail in the media market. The internet allowed for the storing of large amounts of data which would appear in the form of a well-stocked, backed-up catalogue of programmes for viewers to return to time and time again. In other words, programmes that were not popular to the masses, those which sit at the long end of the long tail distribution graph, could still be broadcasted and consequently archived to be accessed online and on demand. However, commercial broadcasters and portals, despite having space to archive television programmes discovered that archiving the programmes did not turn out finically viable or within their best interests (Elberse 2008).

Competitors of PSBs like Netflix harvest user data on a grand scale to monitor which are the most popular shows. These shows are then kept at the top of the list, readily available and continue to help them make money as they justify the investment costs of either producing the show as a Netflix original or cost of supply deals from other networks and producers. These deals include forms of revenue sharing, minimum guarantees combined with revenue sharing (in case the title seems to have a bigger potential), flat deals (i.e., one-time advance payments), package deals (covering batches of titles), or output deals (monthly compensation) that contribute to acquisition of produced programmes for portals in the multiplatform era (Vonderau 2015). If there is an archive of less popular shows that are not viewed so often, the cost of maintaining them on the service within the archive affects profits of the providing platform. This is because, less popular shows do not necessarily contribute towards the experience of the monthly subscription like more popular shows do.

(18)

18 Archiving is more a task for PSBs and a mission set by the government. As PSBs are funded by the licence fee it also gives PSBs an economic advantage over the competition. This is because PSB can financially support producing less popular programmes that contribute to cultural citizenship. Avery references the Peacock Committee Report for financing the BBC and details programmes that allow for archiving and cultural memory; news, current affairs, documentaries, programmes about science, nature and other parts of the word and educational programmes. Also, critical and controversial programmes covering everything from the appraisal of commercial products to politics, ideology philosophy and religion (Avery 1993). Due to the fact that PSBs do not have to rely on profits made from subscription or advertisement-based financial models, PSBs have the potential to archive programmes. PSBs can create a catalogue of television shows to watch on request from either the iPlayer (only up to 30 days in some cases), BritBox or BBC archives for documentaries and factual content. When the BBC transformed into a producer as well as a transmitter of content it made the mission of archiving a possibility. Referring back to Williams early on in the chapter he noted the shift in the late 1920s as the revenue model based on the selling of licenses to own radio sets enabled the acquiring of the capabilities to self-produce content. Having not to rely on commercial financial models allows for the possibilities of archiving so PSBs can fulfil their mission to preserve national broadcasting material and educational and informative programmes that are self-produced by the nation.

Archiving is important in the fact that it helps preserve material that forms the cultural canon of a nation. This preservation can educate past and future generations. Therefore, this helps align the logic of archiving and long tailing with the logics of public service broadcasting as a cultural institution, cultural forum, as an educator and informer but overall as the public service that provides the connection of nationality identity. In the case of the BBC the logic of archiving and long tailing is constructed in various different forms across the PSB either through iPlayer, BritBox, online channels and sites such as Storyville and the BBC Archive.

1.5 Bringing Together the Logics

This chapter intended to outline three principle logics of public service broadcasting. By doing so the intention was to detail the principles that provide the basis from which PSBs can legitimize their existence in the multiplatform era. By using the BBC as a ground point from which to consider public service broadcasting, it has provided an opportunity to research the self-legitimization of the BBC and its defence against the attack of multiplatform era. For

(19)

19 PSBs to survive they have to constantly adapt but remain true to the core logics of public service broadcasting. They must conjure up all that they can in order to legitimize their existence both internally and beyond if these principle logics can still keep PSBs afloat.

PSB have a mandate to serve and operate in a society that necessitates a constant redefining of the relationship between public service broadcasting and society. PSBs are faced with the relentless attack of criticism towards the licencing fee that is seen as an unacceptable curb on individual consumer choice and that PSBs monopoly entitlement to public funding is seen as an unfair advantage in what is now an extremely competitive marketplace (Murdock 2004), Alongside this assault PSBs encounter other problems in the multiplatform era. These pressures include the commercialisation and digitalization of the broadcasting sector, the multiplication of distribution channels, individualisation of society, unfavourable political climate with inadequate financial conditions, and to try to resist the pressures and attractions of the marketplace.

If PSBs are to combat the pressures of the multiplatform era, they must continue to provide education, information and entertainment. Moreover, PSBs should instil confidence in the public and provide the capabilities to establish cultural norms and national identity. In doing so PSBs need to serve their national mission of introducing social standards of social usefulness, of political fairness and public morality. Furthermore, PSBs need to serve their remit to preserve national culture. This also entails driving the neutral footing into the future to represent all demographics, backgrounds and cultural identities that form the basis of any nation. It is not until all are represented that diversity and pluralism can adhere to the emancipation of disenfranchised groups in society. This is conducted through producing content that contains traits of all the logics. PSBs’ content should include content that is entertaining, content that is educational and informative, content that represents diversity, content that provides a space for cultural discussion and the formation of national identity, content that connects public thinking, content that has value and worth towards creating archives that justify the media long tail in public broadcasting, content that provides a neutral perspective and finally content that is universally accessible and themed content that is accessible to differing social groups and demographics.

It is no different in the multiplatform environment. With this in mind, questions asked by Hujanen and Ferrel Lowe such as; how do PSBs redefine, reinvent themselves whilst adhering to the basis upon which they were originally conceived. That is, based on western-style democracy with an underlying philosophy grounded on normative value (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 2003). In addition, they asked what is compellingly different about the public

(20)

20 service approach that could convincingly justify its remit today, and if compelling and convincing then what contemporary ingredients could fruitfully reframe its conceptual and operational designs (22)? From these questions a core question can be disseminated and that is; How have PSBs utilized the multiplatform world in the form of broadband, internet distributed television and interactive services to catch the eye of the diverse, broader public in the multiplatform era?

(21)

21 Chapter 2

Pressures of Public Service Broadcasting and the BBC The Defence

Hujanen and Ferrel Lowe proposed the necessity for PSBs to constantly redefine and reinvent themselves, as they have done through each transitional period since their initial conception. Based on western-style democracy with an underlying philosophy grounded on normative value, they also claim that PSBs must adhere to their founding logics and core principles. How do PSBs redefine, reinvent themselves whilst adhering to the basis upon which they were originally conceived (Hujanen & Ferrel Lowe 2003)?

Having discussed the logics of public service broadcasting in chapter one, this chapter will discuss the pressures PSBs face so as to set the scene for what PSBs must defend against in order to legitimize their existence. PSBs are faced with the relentless attack of criticism towards the licencing fee that is seen by some as an unacceptable curb on individual consumer choice. Furthermore, PSBs monopoly entitlement to public funding is seen as an unfair advantage in what is now an extremely competitive marketplace. Alongside this assault, PSBs encounter other problems in the multiplatform era (Ferrel Lowe & Hujanen 2003; Ferrel Lowe & Jauert 2005; Murdock 2005; Bardoel & Ferrel Lowe 2007; Ferrel Lowe & Steemers 2011; Carlsson 2013; Larsen 2014).

The commercialisation and digitalization of the broadcasting sector has led to a multiplication of distribution channels and shifts in viewing habits. The inclusion of large on-demand services has fragmented viewing and caused the individualisation of society, through allowing access to content anywhere and anytime. Finally, with an unfavourable political climate that has inadequate financial conditions, global competitors have inflated production budgets. (Bardoel & d’Haenens 2008; Ofcom 2018). The rise in production budgets has led to PSBs finding themselves with inadequate financial means. This highlights the need to resist the pressures and attractiveness of the commercial market (Ofcom 2017). Ultimately, pressure is caused by the competitive market, financial anxieties and the technological developments that have had an impact on societal cohesion.

Finally, this chapter will focus more on the BBC as a public service broadcaster and its modern-day remit as a provider of public service content. It will focus on the beginning of the defence against the pressures of the multiplatform era through the analysis of The BBC Plan 2019/2020 published March 2019 by the BBC press office and Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC. The analysis of the report will be approached through the logics described in chapter one. Where does the report adhere to universalism, to diversity and pluralism and to citizenry

(22)

22 and maintenance of culture? The annual plan seeks to demonstrate how PSBs persist in providing the public with its democratic values at its core, and building on the logics of PSBs leads to the self-legitimization of the BBC as a public service broadcaster and provider of public service content.

2.2 Continual Pressure

One of the greatest challenges faced by PSBs is the competition of the commercial market. In the United Kingdom, the BBC’s main competitor ITV was established in 1955 to break up the monopoly the BBC had on the television market. The privatised broadcasting channels created fierce competition that ultimately put great pressures on PSBs both for ratings and the role PSBs have in society (Holtz-Bacha 2000). The main concern of commercial broadcasters was to attract advertising companies to generate revenue as compared to the licensing fee of PSBs. This was done by achieving high ratings. However, the need to access more niche audiences for advertisers ultimately led to the proliferation of television to the multi-channel competitive environment in which PSBs still had to compete (Avery 1993). The mounting uncertainties during the time of the multichannel environment are similar to today’s uncertainty in the multiplatform era. The greater the number of outlets for viewership attention, the more fragmentation in all directions, which makes that the struggle for attention is therefore greater than ever. As a result, the competitive media marketplace has become a battleground for different interests and insights.

In part, the programming of news, documentaries, current affairs and programmes that convey political, ideological, philosophical and religious topics are undermined by the vast amount of entertainment television at a viewer’s disposal. If there is an easier choice in the viewing options available to the viewer, viewers tend to gravitate towards easy entertainment at the expense of more serious offerings (1999: 18). Higher ratings meant there was a greater appeal to advertisers that could gain access to potential consumers. Therefore, the ‘justification dilemma’ provoked fear in PSBs. If they submitted to commercial logics, the logics of public service broadcasting would ‘go missing’ (Eifert 2000). For example, the impartiality of PSBs could become increasingly more difficult to achieve if they were driven by the profit motive. As a consequence, commercial broadcasters could provide more entertainment to attract higher ratings for advertisers and shareholders. This was done at the expense of serving the public and creating public value. Commercial broadcasters did not need to offer political fairness and encourage ideal citizenship through providing knowledge and information

(23)

23 (Steemers 2002). These competitive pressures call for PSBs to legitimize themselves in a commercial environment yet continue to adhere to their own logics.

It is believed that the logics of public service broadcasting that were defined in chapter one; universalism, diversity and pluralism, and citizenry and cultural maintenance provided by PSBs at low costs, “cannot and will not be sufficiently served by the commercial market” (Bardoel & d’Haenens 337). These logics in part can be served by commercial providers but through a profit motive that sees commercial enterprises adopt differing stances towards what is public value and the social and cultural priorities of a nation (BBC 2004a). Rather than operating with profit motives in mind, PSBs maintain the basic supply motive. The basic supply motive according to Holtz-Bacha provides content that is varied and comprehensive of all formats, that can be delivered through a proliferation of distribution channels that encompasses the classical PSB’s mandate to offer information, education and entertainment, without the desire for financial gain. Were commercial competitors to cater for all interests by offering mass-appeal content, they would lose their freedom and independence in programming decisions that are guided by the profit motive (2000: 110-111). Therefore, commercial providers are not willing to forgo the profit motive or consistently provide content that has high editorial standards, invests in quality, supports for democracy, and disseminates public information that contributes to the free marketplace of ideas and underpins democratic participation (Garnham, 2000; Hoffmann-Riem, 1996).

Digitalization increased the competitive pressures on PSBs as new media platforms could target niche audiences and offer interactivity to engage viewership (Bardoel &d’Haenens 2008). Technological changes have meant that content can be accessed and consumed anywhere, anytime, on any device. PSBs have to compete against a plethora of distribution channels and platforms. Where ITV was once the biggest competitor the BBC now resides in a universe dominated by Apple, Amazon, Google and Netflix. PSBs have been losing footholds in the media solar-system and have had to compete with direct competition from the global media marketplace in which competition is as fierce as ever (Annual Plan 2019/2020: 6). Competition for viewership includes Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV+, Facebook Watch, IGTV, YouTube Red, WarnerMedia, Hulu (due to be released internationally late 2019 at the time of writing), Amazon Prime and Spotify. PSBs need to adapt to the changing needs of their audiences and be able to keep pace with global competitors. This is further evidence of the tensions for PSBs that oscillate between two missions; the need to attract viewers and the need to remain as a country’s trusted voice, providing accurate news and information and making sure all views are heard in the public debate. PSBs output must continue to adhere to its mission

(24)

24 and public service that contributes to its distinctiveness in an era of fake news and disinformation. “It is our duty to provide trusted, impartial news and information about the UK and the world. This has never been more needed than in an era defined by the proliferation of false information and the search for trusted, accurate facts and deeper understanding” (7). The distinctiveness of PSBs aims to juggle multiple platforms and time frames but maintain its core values and identity amongst a world of disinformation. Bardoel & d’Haenens believe that brand-building and trust across media and platforms will become more important than ever (6). This is a battle between culture and commerce. It is between the licence fee model, the advertising revenue model and the subscription models. The big players of internet distributed television have substantial programming budgets, which deliver high quality programmes for audiences. In turn this drives up the costs of producing content. In 2017 the content budget for Netflix was £6.9billion compared to the BBC budget of £1.3billion for UK-originated content (Ofcom 2017, The BBC Annual Plan 2019:13). There is a worry of unaffordability, arising from the need to compete against the large production of budgets of online portals such as DisneyTV and Netflix. In the multichannel era surplus from commercial revenues squeezed PSBs in the competitive market that led to further anxieties for them. There was concern that spending on the traditional lower-audience public service content provided by PSBs would be drained into budgets for mass appeal entertainment (Avery 1993:23). This content would lose some of its credibility to provide trusted, educational and informative programming. Yet, in the multiplatform era competing against online portals, this fear has not come into fruition. According to Ofcom, audience satisfaction is running high as viewers continue to rely on the core strengths and logics of public service broadcasting. That is, news that viewers can trust, a service that reflects their nations and regions, a full diversity of British cultures, and high-quality soaps and drama. Regarding these characteristics between 2008 and 2014 there was a 10% rise in satisfaction from 69% to 79%, proving that PSBs can continue to deliver their remit and legitimize their existence (Ofcom 2018:4). In Scandinavian countries 80% of the population still put great confidence and trust in public service radio and television to deliver the remit to “educate, inform, entertain” (Carlsson 2014).

2.3 Generation Game

How to engage multiple viewer generations is a pressing problem for the legitimization of PSBs. What is the role of younger generations as viewers and listeners? Ulla Carlsson’s speech at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Knowledge Exchange in 2014 elaborated on the challenges to democracy and the young in relation to public service media (PSM).

(25)

25 The need to win the hearts and minds of the young has become increasingly important; it is repeated like a mantra over the decades. At times it has been seen as absolutely crucial even to the future of public service [broadcasting] media... The younger generation of today is presumed to consist of sophisticated and competent media users – they pick, choose and interact from an enormously rich selection of media and communication platforms. And media companies devote a lot of energy to analysing young people’s preferences - and many times their efforts fail (Carlsson 2014 EBU).

Indeed, shifting viewer habits have seen broadcasted linear viewing decline as online and on demand service compete with PSBs for audience attention. In this decline the most effected viewership group has been younger generations. Ofcom reports between 2010 and 2017 a decline in the linear viewing habits of year olds. The report showed that 34% of 16-34-year olds watched linear television as internet distributed television supplemented the need to engage with traditional PSBs. 66% of teenagers are likely to watch programmes and content online compared with 34% of adults. This pressure on PSBs highlights the need to develop a defence in order to withstand the attack of the multiplatform era. Younger generations are shifting their attention away from PSBs and the diminishing reach of PSBs to young people drives the success of other forms of accessing content. In response to the role younger generations have to play as viewers, listeners and engagers of public service content Rupert Murdoch referred to them as “digital natives” (Bennet 2008).

Even though younger generations are at the forefront of future legitimizations of public service broadcasting, older generations are also part of citizenry that need to become accommodated with the digital landscape. Ofcom also detailed this as another area of concern as there is an anxiety that older generations satisfaction with the public broadcasting system is waning (Ofcom 2015). An early example of multiplatform strategies to drive the inclusion of diverse generational groups, aimed primarily at older generations was detailed by Bennet in his analysis of the interactive television service provided by the BBC during the 60th_anniversary

of D-day and Dunkirk (Bennet 2008). Bennet in taking the dichotomy of Rupert Murdoch analysed the inclusion of the young ‘digital natives’ with the older generations as ‘digital immigrants.’ Bennet believed that the multiplatform elements provided a fostering approach to build a sense of community between generations amongst digital Britain. The BBC forged the relevance of ‘bringing the past to life’ to building digital Britain by entwining digital natives and immigrants (287). As well as this, the democratic portals that entwined digital natives and

(26)

26 immigrants helped to re-articulate and re-mediate universalism as a logic of public service broadcasting and foregrounded the BBC’s role in defining the national (282, 284). Nevertheless, this strategy to mould digital Britain was implemented in 2004 and as statistical trends in the viewing habits of older generations shows their engagement with PSBs has been gradually declining. Viewership engagement traditionally increased with age but this trend is now slowing (Ofcom 2015:11 figure 5). A combination of the declining trend of age-related viewing habits to engage with PSBs as we get older and 66% of ‘digital natives’ migrating to internet distributed television and content, further emphasises the anxieties of PSBs. How do PSBs continue to herd the complexity and multiplicity of the generation game to legitimize its existence in the multiplatform era?

Furthermore, there has also been a wane in the brand awareness of PSBs. Brand awareness of public service content providers amongst young people aged 12-15 in 2017 was at 82% for the BBC, for providers of other content and competition of PSBs saw YouTube at 94% and Netflix at 87%. YouTube and Netflix now lead the way for brand awareness of content providers (Ofcom 2017). Differentiation of PSBs amongst the commercial competition is necessary for PSBs to find innovative ways in order to engage with all generations. Branding is an important factor for companies fighting in a competitive market. It enables a company to provide a standardised quality and an instrument for developing loyalty that facilitates differentiation between competitors (Picard 2008). Even so, branding is a commodifying tool and as Lowe and Palokangas believe, the challenge of PSBs are to ensure the core logics of public service broadcasting - that are rooted in a unique non-profit heritage - can align with the commodified framework of branding (2010). This is attuned to the assurances that BBC and PSBs as brands can deliver trustworthy and reliable content and of course maintain the remit to “educate, inform, entertain”. Alongside this remit, the logics detailed in chapter one must also face the challenge described by Lowe and Palokangas. Commodification threatens the logics of universalism, diversity and pluralism, and citizenry and the effective maintenance of culture and this threat will be rifer than ever, if the branding of PSBs does not resist the multiplatform era’s pressures to commodify their logics.

2.4 Attack on the Bridge of Social Cohesion

The growing battlefield that PSBs now reside in has also led to the individualisation of society and in turn to shifts in viewing habits, fragmented audience viewing, and the struggle with creating societal cohesion and the promotion of democratic values. Jacka argues the impotency of arguments for PSBs and realising democracy as defeat in the digital age where citizenship

(27)

27 is a choice people can make for themselves without the need of PSBs providing a special role in relation to education and democracy (Jacka 2003:9). Where PSBs sought with their mission to promote an ideal democracy that was formed through the cohesion of social participation and cultural identity, now in the multiplatform environment further shifts in the behaviour of the public has put this mission at risk. Citizens can now put together an identity from the available choices, patterns and opportunities on offer in the semisophere and the mediasphere (Hartley 1999:178). In further quoting Hartley, Jacka draws the reader’s attention to citizenship that “is no longer simply a matter of a social contract between state and subject, no longer even a matter of acculturation to the heritage of a given community; DIY citizenship is a choice people can make for themselves” (2003:9; 1999:178). This DIY citizenship is formed through the available choices now in the media marketplace as audiences have increased interactivity and connectivity to mediated content. New platforms and ways of accessing content such as the penetration of smartphones into the media market and faster broadband connections have seen engagement with internet distributed television and on demand services rise from 39% to 76% over the past five years (Ofcom 2018:9). Therefore, in order to adhere to the logic of bridging and social cohesion, PSBs across Europe have experimented with new ways to legitimize their connection with a civil society that is relying less and less on traditional institutions for representation only. PSBs must also target individuals and their movements by having new ways of accountability and transparency with citizens and society (Bardoel & d’Haenens 2008:341). It is a challenging dilemma, where PSBs fight for bridging and social cohesion, the promotion of diversity and the emancipation of disenfranchised groups against the back drop of a fragmented public sphere. Finding ways to unravel this juxtaposition proves a point of focus for strategizing the defence against the attack of the multiplatform era.

2.5 The BBC Manifesto, planning the defence

The mission to educate, inform and entertain is almost 100 years old and according to audience research conducted by the BBC, the mission of PSBs continues to be highly relevant to the British public. The BBC posts annual manifestos published by Tony Hall the Director General. The current 2019 and 2020 manifesto addresses many of the pressures that PSBs face in the multiplatform era. The plan explains how the BBC will continue to reinvent public service broadcasting for a new generation and legitimize itself against competition of the commercial media marketplace (The BBC Annual Report 2019). The plan outlines the legitimization of public service broadcasting by detailing core objectives, reflections on the past year and key information on competition. As is indicated in the report, content output is marked by the

(28)

28 confidence to do things others simply would not do throughout the whole of the BBC and its distribution channels (8). In other words, PSBs provide the basic supply motive and adhere to the logics of public service broadcasting that are not in line with the missions of commercial broadcasters. Within this report new projects, endeavours and initiatives set to validate the logics of public service broadcasting in the multiplatform era.

The core objectives of the annual report are detailed as; a central commitment to bold and creative programme making, innovation in delivering services, impartial journalism in a rapidly changing world, and how the BBC intends to make itself a more diverse and better place to work. The latter hoping to reflect the diversity within the BBC into its content. Throughout the report there are key references to PSBs maintaining their core logics and the formation of an ideal democracy. For example, commitments to reinventing the BBC in order to adhere to providing a universal service, both geographically, and programme and audience accessibility to new generations that can be educated, informed and entertained. To deliver these aims the BBC will focus on core priorities of creativity as well as expanding BBC iPlayer’s functionality and capabilities, BBC Sounds, trust and impartiality in news and making the BBC the best place to work (7).

According to the BBC more than half of British people watch TV or films while in bed and nearly a fifth watch whilst commuting. The public access and consumption of news related content is primarily realised through smartphones. For example, 61% of people read the news in bed, 45% whilst commuting and 35% whilst in the bathroom. These trends demonstrate how PSBs must operate in the multiplatform era through utilizing different technologies. Yet despite pressures on linear television viewing habits, 17 million viewers tuned in to legacy TV to watch the finale of Bodyguard. Furthermore, demonstrating success in maintaining a strong position in the multiplatform and broadcasting market Killing Eve received 45million requests to view on iPlayer, a show which transitioned from a BBC Three online channel to BBC Two. Interactions with the BBC reach 44million a day – more than 90% of the adult population, proving how pluralist and universal the BBC is in enhancing citizenship (Tony Hall, Director General BBC).

In terms of the remit of universalism, the BBC intends to make public service broadcasting even more reachable to all members of society and making sure that the hardest demographics to reach maintain interactions with the services of the BBC. To appeal to younger generations taking creative risks for the BBC is important. Constantly innovating and refreshing content across all genres and platforms is an intelligent way to continue to legitimize

Public Service Broadcasting in the Multiplatform Era The Role and Legitimization of the BBC as a public service broadcaster in the Multiplatform era

Contents