ABSTRACT
Television in the UK is dominated by three major broadcasters, the BBC, ITV and BSkyB. Of these, the largest in revenue terms is the satellite broadcaster BSkyB. This is an industry which is subject to a relatively rapid rate of change. At the time of writing, the BBC is preparing for the renewal of its charter at the end of 2006 and the ITV network is moving from a federal structure of many independent companies towards a single, global company. Satellite broadcasting has, over the past decade, moved from a subsidiary player to one of immense significance – at least in commercial terms. In addition, the government is actively pursuing a policy of moving away from analogue delivery of television services to an all-digital system with a target date of 2010 for what is described as analogue switch-off. The BBC is charged with a responsibility for Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) though it is not, of course, the sole provider of such programming. The ITV network is obliged under the terms of its licences to provide a minimum number of programming hours across a wide range of genres, many of which, such as coverage of the arts, religion or local news and current affairs programmes, are unquestionably of a public service nature. There is, however, no clear definition of what public service broadcasting actually is, let alone a legal definition. It is generally agreed to revolve around the provision of high quality, diverse programming for a range of interests and audiences, with an agenda that is not constrained by commercial pressures or the demands for consistently high ratings success. The rather unsatisfactory definition of PSB raises as many questions as it answers. The huge increase in competition brought about by the proliferation of broadcast outlets has put ITV under great commercial pressure so that the regulator OFCOM is considering relaxing some of the public service obliga-
tions of the network when the licences are renewed in 2006. Such commercial pressures, together with the absence of a satisfactory definition of public service broadcasting have led to a major review. The Communication Act required OFCOM to carry out a review of public service broadcasting and to provide recommendations for maintaining and strengthening the quality of PSB television.
