BBC just needs a short sharp shock - not hanging

Ben Bradshaw has got it wrong. The BBC does not need “Stronger regulation” it simple need to be held to its charter. Like most organisation of this size, it can become complacent over time mission creep sees it incrementally change direction and expand. A short sharp slap is all that is needed. This complacency and bench marking against other commercial broadcasters for “the going rate” means it does need to look at how much it pays its stars and executives. The alternative maybe that BBC needs to groom new and emerging talent. This is likely to be risky as some failure can be expected. Risk = cost, so all the savings will not translate to the same overall cost reduction. However in a “knowledge economy” this talent pool could generate multiple benefits for the entertainment world and the exchequer.

Without the BBC the use of the internet for video would not be as advanced commercially as it is. The iPlayer has shown that good software and good content lead to high audiences. The consultants that jump on the band wagon and show the growth of video don’t understand the current phenomenon. Catch up TV (which is what iPlayer is all about) has two things to note – not all programming is viewed. The most popular broadcast TV also equates to the most viewed on the internet (content is king). It also relies on consumer memory. Most viewed catch up content is a few hours or days old. Viewing drops off sharply over time as the marketing, promotion, trailers news etc effects around the programme fade.

Long tail stuff? No one truly belivies this yet. Digitising old films and tape is only part (and expensive) of the costs. You then need to market it to make people aware and that isn’t cheap and as yet the success is unproven, therefore risky and back to risk = cost.

Are commercial organisations going to digitise their archives and push them to the market, to find a model that the consumers want? What is stopping them now? BBC on the other hand with the charter remit of “availability” will eventually do this and if it’s successful and they get sufficient market share, watch Murdoch and all the others bleating on about how unfair it all is.

The BBC works, it works very well, it needs a pat on the back occasionally and occasionally a crack of the whip but it does not benefit from a dam good thrashing.