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Article: Digital may mean TV channels lose public service role
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- May 10, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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THE CONCEPT of public service broadcasting, one of the
cornerstones of British television, is to be redefined in a massive
public consultation exercise.
The Independent Television Commission (ITC), the broadcasting
regulator, will use "people's juries", public meetings and interviews
with key industry figures to determine how public service
broadcasting should work - and whether the public still wants it.
Thirty per cent of homes now have multi-channel facilities. Unlike
the BBC and ITV, there is no onus on digital or cable channels to
provide any public service programming.
Current affairs, children's programmes, religion and news are not
necessarily commercially successful. The ...