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How can traditional British television survive the US streamers

www.bbc.com

How can traditional British television survive the US streamers

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/64004969

"We're in danger of having no public service broadcasting within a decade, certainly within 20 years," he says. "We don't have a strategy for their survival. It's that serious. The regulators need to start thinking about it."

Do we want a future where European media is dominated by US streamers like Netflix and YouTube, and European broadcasters are a shadow of their former selves or have even ceased to exist?

9 comments

  • Ask France, maybe? The French 'exception culturelle' law is doing a lot of work to protect local/French productions (and not just TV) against US dominance. Not always for the best mind you, but that's another question ;)

    • The devil is in the details, but the general idea could be useful.

  • As much as i support boycotting american products: what is even a reason for me to need broadcasters? Free TV is such ad ridden garbage, I would never want to go back to that.

    To me and many people I know a TV itself is a pretty pointless accessory. At most a big screen for console/games. Only my parents generation uses the TV ever evening in my experience.

    Generally curious, this sounds like a cry to protect something unnecessary in its current form. It needs to adapt to nowadays needs, not cry for regulatory changes to restrict competitors imo. (That said, I would have no problems regulating American data collection more and harsher, but as a topic on its own)

    Edit: no I did not read the article at the time of writing this comment ..

    • British TV doesn’t have too many adverts, I don’t think. At least not compared to other countries. It helps that we have the BBC because if any of the other channels push their luck they know you can just watch something on the BBC channels without any adverts at all.

      I remember being in American and watching a sitcom; they showed a 30 second intro skit and then they showed the opening credits, then went straight into the first ad break. I don’t think it went five minutes without ade.

    • TV is such ad ridden garbage, I would never want to go back to that.

      We have not owned a TV since the 00s (and my spouse and I are well into in our 50s, so you know how old we're compared to your parents) but when I think 'ad ridden garbage' my first thought goes to YT, not tv which would come second (without an ad-blocker, how many ads are there with each single video on YT?)

      Generally curious, this sounds like a cry to protect something unnecessary in its current form. It needs to adapt to nowadays needs, not cry for regulatory changes to restrict competitors imo.

      i've not read the paper but, imho, that's exactly what the US want us to think. Which I call bullshit.

      EU creators can't compete on equal terms with the USA, that's why they need all the legal help we can give them. Then, and only then, the EU audience will be able to decide if those EU productions are worth their time and money, or not.

      And, once again, not just for TV/Movies. It's valid for all creators.

      There is almost nothing our governments here in France have done in the last 3 or 4 decades I would consider smart. The 'exception culturelle' is surely one of those smart decision. One I will support (and it doesn't matter if I like, or not, what most people are creating under its umbrella... which for the most part... I don't like). And I would not be surprised to finally see the US openly put a lot of pressure (with Trump and is tariffs war, for example) to force the EU to get rid of any semblance of cultural protectionism so 'the poor US industry would at last be able to 'freely' compete against our 'unfairly protected' local creators'. Or some shit along that line.

      I would like for us to stay diverse and not become a second-class wannabe US consumers (not even citizens). But I could be wrong, obviously, and maybe that would be amazing to eat the same cultural production the US as feasted upon?

      • my first thought goes to YT, not tv which would come second (without an ad-blocker, how many ads are there with each single video on YT?)

        Oh i completely agree with you and hate it whenever i get in contact with YT. It's just not the first thing to think about for me as I try not to use it in the first place ^^. I generally can't understand how people use the internet without ad blockers, it's obnoxious and easy to forget if one has all devices properly setup to block that crap.

        I would like for us to stay diverse and not become a second-class wannabe US consumers (not even citizens). But I could be wrong, obviously, and maybe that would be amazing to eat the same cultural production the US as feasted upon?

        I also agree with your sentiment. My statement was based on the vibe I got, á la "we don't want to change we just want to keep it as is and be protected by rules". I just meant that the whole TV thing needs to evolve. That dows not mean everything should adopt the US way, but they can't expect people to just keep sitting at home and watch TV when it just doesn't keep up.

        Unfortunately many alternatives for many people are only Netflix and the likes..but I would just love if Europe would at least try to beat them with alternatives and not just stick with what we know and ban the evil US.

        I should also take a few min to read the article...

9 comments