BBC director-general calls for updated regulation

BBC director-general Tony Hall has called for streamers and broadcasters to face the same regulation and highlighted what he says is the greater reach of the “pubcaster” compared with online rivals like Netflix, C21Media reports. He said the BBC must adapt to on-demand viewing habits, highlighting its plans to allow programming to be available via OTT service iPlayer for 12 months rather than 30 days at present. He also defended the role of public broadcasters, saying: “The goals and values that define public service media have become more relevant, more important, not less.” Hall also claimed regulation must be updated to reflect the growth of streamers and OTT viewing, adding that UK regulator Ofcom itself has “pointed out” discrepancies as “the same programme can be regulated in half a dozen different ways in the UK, depending on who’s hosting it”. He added that while the TV landscape “has changed beyond all recognition over the past decade”, regulation “has stayed largely the same”. The BBC chief, who has become a regular critic of US-based streamers over the past 18 months, also questioned whether Netflix or Amazon would commit to UK programming in the same way the BBC does. He further highlighted the greater reach of the BBC compared with the world’s biggest streamer, which doesn’t reveal viewing figures. Read more

• Monday, 18 March 2019