The document summarizes a report on public service broadcasting funding models and performance internationally. It finds that the UK has one of the highest levels of public funding per capita for public broadcasters. UK public broadcasters also perform well in terms of audience share relative to funding. While broadcasters with multi-year funding agreements tend to receive more public money, this does not necessarily lead to better audience outcomes. The document benchmarks UK public broadcasters' investments in online and multi-platform services.
3. Overview
Public service broadcasters (PSBs) in many Western countries have come
under increasing financial pressures in recent years.
Fiscal retrenchment
Pressures to invest in new plaPorm content and distribu/on
Abrupt and severe ad recession
Migra/on of audiences and ad spending to Internet and mobile plaPorms
Examine the interna/onal posi/on of UK PSBs in terms of public‐funding
levels and value for money in terms of audience performance.
Review PSB funding models in Western countries and their impact on
audience performance.
Consider the effect that the tenure of government‐funding contracts has
on overall public funding levels and value‐for‐money outcomes.
Benchmark UK PSBs’ level of investment in online and mul/‐plaPorm
services.
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7. Value for money: overall audience producHvity
UK PSBs also display above‐average value for money in
terms of overall audience produc;vity
Number of naHonal viewers per £m of total
turnover (public funding + commercial revenues**), 2009
In 2009, UK PSBs (BBC +
C4 + S4C) generated
6,642 viewers per million
pounds of total turnover
– including public and
commercial revenues.
Source: Nordicity compila/on based on public reports and audience data from
EurodataTV Worldwide
* Includes es/mates for autonomous region broadcasters
** Excludes BBC’s revenues outside of UK public services expenditures 7
14. Summary
The UK has one of the highest rates of PSB funding per capita; and
has, up un/l recently, maintained the real value of this funding.
UK PSBs display strong value‐for‐money, in terms of audience
performance in rela/on to public funding, and overall audience
produc,vity.
The public funding of UK PSBs is consistent with their capacity for
accessing ad revenues.
PSBs with access to ad revenues do not realise higher audience
performance.
PSBs with mul/‐year funding are able to secure more funding per
capita, but do not necessarily deliver beger audience produc/vity.
UK PSBs are amongst the largest investors in online and mul/‐
plaPorm services.
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15. Notes on data
PSBs are defined as broadcasters owned by a na/onal or regional
government or elected assembly, regardless of revenue sources.
All financial and opera/ng data sourced from public financial reports
published by public broadcasters on their websites. Audience data
sourced from EurodataTV Worldwide, One Television Year in the World
2010.
All financial data converted to Pounds Sterling based on purchasing
power parity (PPP) exchange rates.
Sta/s/cs for UK include BBC (domes/c opera/ons), Channel 4 and S4C.
BBC World Service and the interna/onal services in other countries (e.g.,
Radio‐France Interna/onale and Deutsche Welle) are excluded.
Public funding includes TV/radio licence fees and other government
funding.
UK sta/s/cs for 2009 correspond to 2009‐10 fiscal year (ending April
2010).
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