UK public service broadcasters (PSBs) are facing a critical period, with the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV experiencing deep job cuts and financial strain. This comes as they contend with the significant resources of US digital rivals like Netflix and YouTube.
Channel 4's new chief executive, Priya Dogra, announced earlier this month that 28% of its staff are to be cut. This marks the largest round of redundancies in the broadcaster's 43-year history, attributed to a slump in advertising and stretched finances.
The BBC's new director general, Matt Brittin, is implementing up to 2,000 job cuts. He is also attempting to negotiate a dramatic overhaul of the licence fee funding model with the government to secure the BBC's long-term future. Licence fee income has reportedly fallen by 38% in real terms since 2010.
ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall has indicated that a £1.6bn sale of its broadcasting arm to Sky is the only way for the company to survive. This follows a previous £800m-plus plan to create a streaming "national champion" to compete with US streamers.
Collaboration among UK PSBs is reportedly increasing, with the BBC in talks to enable Channel 4 content to run with ads on the iPlayer. Channel 4 also recently secured a contract to sell TV and digital ads for Paramount UK properties, including Channel 5.