New U.K. Channel To Be Added Source of Revenue For PBS Operations, Content
A new channel that offers PBS programming in Great Britain will feed back funding to its U.S. component. The intent of PBS UK, which launched this week, is to expand distribution for programming and offer content to a larger audience, said Jan McNamara, PBS spokeswoman. However, the net proceeds earned by PBS through PBS UK “will be invested back into PBS’ domestic operations and content,” she said. Some industry professionals and supporters of funding said adding new revenue sources is imperative, though public broadcasting also needs government funding.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
"Generally, one thing people agree on is public broadcasting needs to look at their model and see what makes sense in today’s market,” said an aide to Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., chair of the House Public Broadcasting Caucus. Blumenauer’s office doesn’t know a great deal about the U.K. venture, he said in an interview. But “if they think that’s going to help them increase revenue and invest more in local programming and stations, then that’s good for them.” The industry understands the importance of diversifying sources of income, said Steve Volstad, spokesman for UNC-TV, Research Triangle Park, N.C.: “It’s a good thing as long as it doesn’t end up competing with the local stations.”
Federal funding is the foundation of public broadcasting’s mission in education, public affairs and other essential services in communities across America, said Patrick Butler, president of the Association of Public Television Stations. “The fact that PBS programming has worldwide appeal is evidence of its quality and value, and the fact that PBS is committed to reinvesting the proceeds from international distribution in still more high-quality programming is evidence of public television’s commitment to serving the American people as effectively and efficiently as possible."
PBS UK is operating as a commercial channel. “Outside of the United States, PBS is not classified as a public broadcaster,” McNamara said. The channel is carried on Virgin Media and Sky TV. The agreement gives Virgin the right to offer PBS content across its TV On Demand services, Virgin said. PBS UK is a joint venture between David Lyons, a philanthropist, and PBS Distribution (PBSd), a partnership between WGBH Boston and PBS (PBR Aug 26 p3). PBSd licenses programs in the international marketplace and engages in the distribution of video and download-to-own/rent content, PBS said.
So far, all content will consist of programs that are shown in the U.S. “We see ourselves as the British curators of PBS’s amazing library, selecting the best and most appealing shows for our U.K. viewers,” said Richard Kingsbury, general manager. “It’s more cost-effective to make the most of the PBS archive,” he said in an interview. He selected shows like NOVA, Frontline and American Experience for the new channel. The shows aren’t known brands in the U.K., but the subject matter would interest U.K. viewers, he said: “The history programs, the science programs and historical figures would have more of a resonance over here."
Unlike the programming in the U.S., children’s content will not have a large presence on PBS UK, PBS UK said. The children’s market in the U.K. is already well served, said a PBS UK spokeswoman. There are no plans for commissions from independent producers in the U.K., she added. Another difference is that some genres, like drama, will not be available due to licensing issues.
Kingsbury plans to build the reputation of the channel though its programming. “The priority is to get the channel sustainable on a commercial basis so it can be here in the long run,” he said. “Right now, that’s more important than any creative ambition.” PBS said it’s open to opportunities to distribute programming in other countries, but has no plans to launch elsewhere.