For a while back in 1998, our editor and all of us staff were worried. The BBC was launching a magazine against us, using the Tomorrow’s World (TW) brand. And in those days, the BBC enjoyed free marketing time at the end of their programme, reaching millions of potential magazine buyers. We were worried about what it would do to our sales.
Since then, I have had mixed feelings about the BBC — and if you too have ever had the BBC or its licensees up against you, you will know what I mean. Specialist magazines once feared that free marketing, before the rules were changed. Murdoch, when asked, resented his satellite TV having to compete with what amounted to a taxpayer funded model. Decades later, local journalism now fears the BBC stamping over their patches.
Some media, on the right especially, don’t like the BBC — but that’s about perceived bias. And the BBC gets some stick from the left too. If you’re being criticised by both sides, then you’re probably doing something right, as B2B magazines also understand. Despite ridicule from populist leaders and their tech giant friends, the BBC remains one of the most trusted media brands in the world. I am glad it’s there in the age of fake news and misinformation.
Journalists, editors and publishers alike can appreciate the BBC’s quality and impartiality but still be irritated in their own ways.
A sarcastic tweet I saw from one trade magazine investigative journalist sums up one such annoyance for trade journalists: “Dear BBC TV, when you want to ring up demanding all my contacts that I’ve spent years building up and a chunk of my time ... don’t feel you have to say ‘please’ or anything. It’s my honour just to be here to serve you, oh great BBC.” Or words to that effect.
However, on the much bigger plus side, like many of my generation and above, I was brought up with the BBC: as a child watching Attenborough’s Life on Earth; a teenager discovering alternative comedy with The Young Ones; or as an adult media professional, tuning into the Today programme to hear what still often sets the day’s news agenda.
But, have you noticed it’s clips like those of half a century ago that fill out those ‘save the license fee’ video compilations on social media? OK, Fawlty Towers was great but so was Father Ted. I remember Channel 4’s Tube when the BBC was still struggling with TOTP. In drama, the BBC once had Play for Today and numerous costume dramas, but in a new century, the streaming services were setting the drama pace. Even in TV news, the BBC is up against excellent offerings from ITN, C4, Sky and others.
“What about...”, I hear you cry. There’s plenty of good worth keeping. But there seems also to be a lot from detective serials to quiz programmes that would be just at home elsewhere.
A new generation is growing up who barely watch linear TV anymore. Older people are now watching catch-up but the youngest generations are watching snippets online on their mobiles. Their link with the brand is much, much looser.
I think the BBC is worth the license fee but a new model for a new media landscape with new technologies is inevitable. The BBC is in a good place with a strong pedigree and won’t be short of possible funding models — too many options to go into here.
But the BBC first needs to work out what it is for, which is a call increasingly heard across the political spectrum. Then come the choices about what it should offer, how and where.
What should it focus on?
Should it be for news, original investigative documentaries and analysis — it’s a strength worth playing to. What about sport: does it need to be bidding up broadcast rights? What about entertainment? Perhaps it should focus on innovation and nurturing new talent; let the established go elsewhere for a high salary. I like Graham Norton, but a few ads in the middle wouldn’t hurt (yes, I know it’s all ads anyway).
Radio is a tiny part of the license fee but also a strength that no one else does quite the same. Commercial radio creates too many hard to fill gaps. And if you’ve ever listened to public-funded radio in the US, you’ll know it’s well-intentioned but forever struggling to even stay on air. A shadow of BBC radio.
Media tech is a BBC strength too. iPlayer was a great innovation. And it’s with innovation — technical and creative — that BBC excels. It sometimes makes blockbusters that it manages to sell internationally, thereby raising funds not reliant on the public. Innovate, grow, excel, sell, move on. Take more risks even, with new talent, tech, formats, channels and ideas.
The BBC helps to set a standard, especially in journalism, but it can bring other good things. The right BBC coverage can spark interest and passions about stuff that help to sell a few more magazines. It can even grow a market.
Our German publisher had never heard of TW and couldn’t really understand what our fuss was about — let alone what a British institution it was. He thought the TW launch might help us. He may have been right. Free marketing from the BBC sent readers into the newsagents. Many of them bought our magazine instead. Our sales went up. Thanks to the BBC.
TW magazine lasted less than a year and when it closed, BBC Worldwide said: “With BBC Tomorrow’s World Magazine, we had hoped to attract more people into the science magazine market, as we have done very successfully in other markets.”
In time, our own magazine, Focus, changed hands several times until eventually ending up as BBC Science Focus. So, the BBC got the science magazine it had always wanted. And very good it still is too.
This article was first published in InPublishing magazine. If you would like to be added to the free mailing list to receive the magazine, please register here.
