The Stage

Burnham criticises “safe” TV

Published Friday 26 September 2008 at 17:40 by Matthew Hemley

Culture secretary Andy Burnham has criticised the television industry for broadcasting “tried and tested” programmes instead of taking risks and giving new talent a chance.

In a speech to the Royal Television Society today, he said television had lost its confidence because of competition from the internet and was in danger of allowing the internet of becoming the place where new talent is found.

“I detect a tendency towards safety first and the tried and tested, and away from innovation, risk taking and new talent. TV is in danger of ceding to the internet as the place where new talent is found,” he said.

Burnham added: “Television at its best has traditionally operated as a showcase for new talent, catapulting the new names into the spotlight.”

Burnham’s speech comes a day after Ofcom published the second phase of its review into public service broadcasting, which warned that public funding of between £330 million and £420 million will be required by the broadcasting industry by 2012 in order to ensure audiences can enjoy the same content on television that they have today.

The media regulator said £185 million of this amount could be raised by “existing regulatory assets”, such as reserved spectrum, leaving a funding gap of around £145 million to £235 million.

It is now consulting on possible measures to address this, including three new proposed models for the future of public service broadcasting in the UK.

Funding of this, however, will be decided by the government.

Addressing this, Burnham said the government and Ofcom will be “working on a twin track approach”, with the government delivering its decisions and the process to implement them early in the new year.

“I think it is right that we should be stepping up the pace in the interests of viewers and the whole of the television industry,” he said.