UK’s Culture, Media and Sport committee calls for changes to Media Bill

The UK’s Culture, Media and Sport committee has urged obligations on smart TVs, firesticks and set-top boxes to ensure public service broadcasters (PSBs) are prominent on their platforms should be strengthened.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the Media Bill, which is aimed at protecting UK PSBs such as the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4, S4C and Channel, called for PSBs to be given ‘significant’ rather than ‘appropriate’ prominence in listings and searches for content on connected devices so that content delivered by PSBs is always carried and easy to find. It comes following feedback from broadcasters such as Channel 4 and S4C to change the wording of ‘appropriate’, leaving no room for ambiguity.

The committee also highlighted that the bill neglects other devices such as mobile phones, where the delivery of TV is not necessarily the core function of the device and that only devices such as smart TVs and set-top boxes are in scope.

Other recommendations included to ensure a new Video-on-Demand code which is aimed at ensuring TV-like content provided by streaming services such as Netflix is subject to similar standards imposed on traditional broadcasters is applied to all VoD platforms and not just those with large UK audiences.

The report explained that extending the code to all VoD platforms rather than imposing a tiered approach makes it less “complicated to discern which were important ones and which were not” and would provide a more “consistent experience” for subscribers.

Listed Events

On listed events such as the FA Cup Final and the Wimbledon Championship, the Committee shared concerns of the bill’s legislation that subscription-based broadcasters are not permitted to show exclusive live coverage unless the rights have also been made available to free-to-air broadcasters that reach 95% of the population. They claimed the 95% of population requirement may prove to be difficult for PSBs themselves to meet, with changing viewing habits. The MPs proposed “in view of the key role that PSBs play in distributing content which is both distinctively British and of interest to British audiences, to use the Media Bill to limit the broadcasting of listed events to PSBs and remove the 95% requirement.”

The reported also called for the bill to be used to close a loophole that allows an unregulated streaming service to buy the rights for a listed event and put them behind a paywall.

Elsewhere, the committee demanded that current obligations placed on PSBs to provide programming in topics such as religion, international matters and science are retained. The Bill as currently drafted keeps a requirement to provide news and current affairs, but removes genres such as a religion, international matters and science. The MPs argued the removal of such areas could “lead to a considerable reduction in content” in those areas.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee, said: “Our Public Service Broadcasters play a central role in enriching our culture, society and democracy and this Bill is critical to ensuring they continue to thrive. With significant legislation like this coming along only once in a generation, it is vital the Government gets it right. Our proposed changes to the Bill will ensure it is proportionate, future-proofed in a world of shifting viewing habits and rapid technological change, and most importantly in the very best interests of viewers and listeners. It is vital that the Government prioritises the legislation in the upcoming fourth session of this Parliament”.

“We welcome the Select Committee’s detailed and comprehensive report. The Media Bill is urgent to enable great British content to thrive in a globally competitive marketplace. The BBC must deliver for UK audiences, which is why we welcome the recommendations on significant prominence and ensuring the biggest sporting events are freely available to all,” added Tim Davie, BBC director-general.