Tomorrow the British television industry will gather at RTS London under the banner United in Change – If Not Now, When?
It's a timely theme. Few would dispute that our industry is navigating one of the most significant periods of change in its history. Viewing continues to shift online as audiences seek greater choice and flexibility. Global streamers and video-sharing platforms compete for attention, talent and investment. National broadcasters face rising costs and growing pressure on established business models.
While the challenges are real and urgent, I don’t share the gloomy view of some that public service broadcasters will disappear altogether. Nor do I think we can risk complacency about the forces reshaping television.
Let’s not forget that PSBs remain central to British viewing habits. Trusted by millions and unrivalled in the breadth of content they provide, they also have a cultural impact and public value that few media organisations in the world can match. And of course they underpin the UK’s production sector, powering 85% of original British content and 70% of the investment.
In creating programmes by British companies for British audiences, PSB investment supports jobs, production companies and creative talent across the UK. A healthy PSB system is necessary for a healthy creative economy.
Our collective history shows that our industry thrives most in the face of major technological change when it acts together. Competition between the UK’s PSBs has long driven creativity and innovation, but co-operation has delivered the resilience needed to benefit from change.
Indeed, some of the most transformative developments in British broadcasting came from a shared recognition that collective action brings greater value than going it alone. When digital television arrived, the PSBs united behind Freeview to create a free alternative to pay television and help millions of households make the transition from analogue to digital.
Today's challenge is different, but the principle is the same.
As television rapidly moves online, PSBs know that the best response is to work together. Freely is a shared streaming proposition designed to ensure audiences can continue to enjoy free, familiar access to free-to-view content in the internet age.
Freely is not Project Kangaroo reborn, but it shares the same spirit. Like Freeview before it, it brings PSB content together in a single experience, with British shows prominent for British audiences.
Collaboration works - just over two years after launch, Freely has over two million users and is set to be the main TV platform in 10.5 million homes by 2034. At a time when audiences have more choice than ever, this demonstrates the continuing relevance and appeal of a
collective approach and a destination for British content. And that by combining forces, PSBs can drive salience, prominence and relevance.
Crucially, that matters not just for broadcasters but for the wider creative economy. The more successful that public service content is in reaching audiences, the more confidence there is to commission, invest and take creative risks, supporting a vibrant and internationally competitive production sector.
As we look ahead to the future of TV, we should embrace change rather than simply defend existing models. The vast majority of households are already equipped for a more internet-based future. 95% of homes pay for broadband, 85% of TV sets are connected to the internet and 90% of households already watch some or all of their television online.
The question is no longer whether television will continue moving in this direction. It is how we manage that transition in a way that protects universality, gives viewers the best possible experience and provides public service broadcasters with the best opportunity to thrive.
The future of British broadcasting and the UK's production sector will not be secured by nostalgia, nor by any one broadcaster acting alone. It will be shaped through continued innovation, strategic partnerships, a supportive policy environment and a shared commitment to ensuring that public service content remains prominent, accessible and relevant for future generations.
If we are truly united in change, then the best chapter of public service broadcasting can still be ahead of us.