How the BBC will fulfill its remit as global streaming giants encroach — with BBC iPlayer's Kerensa Samanidis

The BBC is at a critical moment as it looks to negotiate with the government over the renewal of its charter.

This month, it published its response to the government’s consultation in which it highlighted the quote “need for radical reforms to its independence”.

Preserving the status quo, the Corporation argued, will quote “not be enough to deliver a BBC that remains recognisable to audiences nor brings benefits to UK society and beyond.”

Chiefly, the current funding model quote “cannot maintain the BBC’s public service mission for the future”, they argued.

The Corporation is indeed facing a number of headwinds: it is losing an estimated £1bn pounds per year in potential license fee revenue as people evade required payments or forego TV ownership.

A lack of funding has necessitated controversial cuts in recent years to a number of BBC services, most notably the World Service, which has seen a 21% drop in budget since 2021.

It all comes as the Beeb is looking to hire a replacement for outgoing director-general Tim Davie. The aptly-named Matt Brittin, who led Google’s EMEA business for a decade, has been tightly linked to the opening.

Amid it all, The Media Leader hosted the 15th annual Connected TV World Summit in London last week to discuss the future of TV business and TV technology.

At the event, Kerensa Samanidis, the general manager of BBC iPlayer, sat down with Jack Benjamin to discuss the future of iPlayer.

The pair spoke about the challenges faced by the BBC as it seeks to compete with global streaming giants, whether the BBC would look to partner with other public-service broadcasters on distribution, and the importance of producing distinctly British content for British audiences.

Highlights:

1:57: Will iPlayer open up to other public-service broadcasters?

4:03: How iPlayer matches up to global streaming giants by being "all things to all people"

9:10: Remaining prominent

11:11: Considering distribution partnerships: Netflix, YouTube, and cannibalisation concerns

16:23: How the BBC's range extends beyond entertainment and drama

Related articles:

‘Be careful who you put in your bed’: Broadcasters urged to partner with platforms cautiously

How a butterfly flapping its wings led to a tornado at the BBC

BBC must remain ad-free and become more distinctive, Radiocentre analysis says

Why advertisers need a strong BBC more than ever

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