Through a new forum, the UK government will examine the future of linear TV broadcasting based on research published on Friday that shows some viewers may be excluded from the general shift to streaming.
Senior representatives from UK regulator Ofcom, TV broadcasters, infrastructure operators and organizations representing audiences will form a new working group, convened by Media Minister Stephanie Peacock.
It follows a report by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, led by the University of Exeter and a group of independent researchers, which looked at current UK television delivery and consumption trends.
The report found that 95% of households will have access to Internet TV by 2040, but 5%, or 1.5 million people, will still rely on traditional linear broadcasting by the same year unless the government intervenes. . This group is significantly older, has a lower socioeconomic status, and lives in rural communities.
“Streaming has revolutionized the television industry,” Peacock said. “Viewers have never had more choices about what to watch and how to access content. As streaming and live broadcasting continue to shift to online viewing, it’s important that no one is left behind. I want to make sure that as many people as possible can watch TV in a way that suits them.
The new forum will consider how all viewers – including older people and those without internet connectivity on their TVs – can continue to access British content as a wider audience comes online.
The group will consult with key stakeholders on how changing viewing habits and the growing audience watching shows on the Internet will affect the future of TV broadcasting. It will also focus on the pressure that traditional broadcast television places on delivering cost-effectively.
In Anders’ analysis Gul Hind, COO and director of TV, Richard Lindsay Davies, CEO of trade body Digital TV Group, and academic Catherine Johnson of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) College of Experts, three small Will head the working groups. The forum represents the TV sector, infrastructure and audience groups. They will meet separately to gather evidence and advance policy development ahead of the larger forum discussions.
The quarterly meeting of the forum is scheduled to begin later this month.
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