The broadcasting regulator has accused the BBC of being too reliant on reruns of old films and sitcoms during peak viewing hours.
Ofcom, which became the BBC's first external regulator on 3rd April 2017, has told the national broadcaster that it must ensure that nine-in-ten BBC One and Two peak time programmes are "original productions for UK audiences". Peak time is defined as between the hours of 6 pm and 10.30 pm.
The regulator hinted that BBC viewers were growing tired of having to endure multiple repeats of the same old programmes. It is a bit of a TV Licensing Blog joke that whenever the BBC is stuck for programming it just sticks in a battered old tape of Dad's Army or Bargain Hunt.
The new rules are also designed to force the BBC to do more to reflect the entire UK, after licence fee payers in some parts of the country complained that they didn't feel properly represented.
Kevin Bakhurst, Ofcom Content Group Director, said: "We want to make sure the BBC does the best it can to make British-made programmes that properly represent Britain. Viewers are clear they want to see new programmes that reflect their lives and interests."
The regulator has also said that the BBC must also ensure that 400 hours of programming on CBBC and 100 hours on CBeebies are made in the UK for UK audiences. Additionally, the BBC will have to commission a greater proportion of programming in the nations and regions, ensuring that it spends as much cash in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as licence-fee payers put in.
A BBC spokesman described the new rules as "tough" and "challenging".
"We will now get on with meeting those requirements", he added.
It looks like the party is over at the BBC. For the first time in its very chequered history, it now looks as if the BBC is going to have to work for its money instead of just leeching off the licence fee payer.
That will definitely not sit comfortably with a lot of the BBC hierarchy.
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But the BBC are still leeching off the commercial broadcasters. Why should people have to fund the BBC before they can watch live TV from ITV, Sky, CNN etc.
ReplyDeleteThe encryption of BBC TV signals would solve that issue.
Encryption of TV signals is not a trivial problem. The infrastructure to ensure that only authorised users can decrypt it is mindboggling in its complexity.
ReplyDeleteWas encryption a missed chance with the analog/digital chance over we ask though the BBC could become an advert funded operation like that other broadcasting disaster we own namely channel 4
ReplyDelete