Why advertisers need a strong BBC more than ever
by David Price, Managing Director, The Grove Media
It was a coup; there is systematic bias; the corporation is in crisis; trust and reputation have been severely damaged; the BBC needs a complete rethink….
These are just some of the comments swirling around the media since the shock resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness.
The editing together of different sections of Trump’s speech was a terrible error of judgment. No question. And, as some have been at pains to point out, it didn’t need to happen – there are other recorded comments out there to assert the case against Trump. An admission of fault and an apology as soon as the error was discovered could have averted this crisis. But that didn’t happen (of course), and with the resignations of the director general and CEO of News, all hell has let loose.
Accusations of bias at the BBC have persisted for decades. And over the past few days, these have come thick and fast from both the right and the left.
Accompanying these are the murmurings of ‘dark political forces’ at play, intent on destabilising the BBC. The Lib Dems are now calling for the removal of Boris Johnson’s appointee, Robbie Gibb, from the board. And of course, we have the no small matter of Trump’s $1bn lawsuit.
So, once again, the BBC is in an existential crisis – and this time it’s far worse than before. But the BBC will survive. It has to. And for a broadcaster that takes no advertising, it’s needed more than ever by advertisers.
Been questioning the value of the BBC since the scandal erupted? Well, let’s look at why it’s so important for our industry. And it goes way beyond the points made in the 1980s ad with John Cleese et al, that’s resurfaced on social over the past few days. https://youtu.be/UsdtyuSmoXs
We need a strong, globally admired state broadcaster
The BBC is the UK’s lead public sector broadcaster. PSBs are the historical backbone of UK linear TV, accounting for 55% of TV adspend. PSBs collectively invest around £3bn annually in content from UK independent production companies (Ofcom), and the BBC’s individual investment is consistently cited as the largest share of this.
The BBC is also arguably the UK’s premier global brand. While this may sound like a grandiose statement, I think we sometimes forget that the BBC has set the industry standards in news, drama, light entertainment, sport, and so on, and, as such, has played a critical role in creating quality environments for advertising. We must preserve this vital global brand and stand up to politically motivated threats (and competition) from overseas.
We need a BBC fuelling streamers with amazing content
The BBC is the single biggest investor in original UK content and continually fuels streaming services with exceptional programming: ‘Line of Duty,’ ‘Fleabag,’ ‘Planet Earth’… the list is endless.
In 2024/25, the BBC invested over £1.6 billion in original UK television content. Not only that, but 99% of the BBC’s original content is made in the UK.
Advertisers lose all this at their peril.
We need a BBC that spearheads truth in journalism
The BBC is a leader in quality journalism that advertisers rely on: 80% people trust the information from the BBC and the PSBs (Ofcom).
The newspaper industry has rightly pushed the importance of trusted, independent journalism, but the BBC should be right at the front of the queue for this one. Let’s face it, the BBC’s news teams consistently break stories that fuel all the other platforms – the recent illegal immigrant/minimart revelation is a case in point.
We need a BBC leading the way in human-led AI
Since the early days of broadcasting, the BBC has innovated with technology while preserving public service values.
BBC.com became the gold standard for news and information websites, again, pioneering work that has benefited advertisers around the world. And the corporation can continue to innovate – it has a real and important opportunity to be a leader in responsible AI and personalisation.
We need a BBC with the strategic vision to champion UK media
The BBC does need to change to regain its trust and authority and to have a vibrant and certain future. A good start would be a non-BBC woman at the helm. Like others, Ray Snoddy is tipping Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon for the role.
But as part of that change, we should preserve the BBC’s funding model to safeguard its independence and the role that it plays. Former DG of the BBC, Tony Hall, has argued for a reformed licence that is fairer, with poorer people paying less for public service broadcasting, and the better off paying more. This won’t be popular with everyone, but it could be a way forward.
The BBC both leads and reflects true diversity and creativity, and the strategic vision that Tim Davie set out still holds true:
- A builder of social capital
- A truth-seeking institution
- A champion of British storytelling
- A convener of national conversation
Still asking “What has the BBC ever given us?” Well, in this time of flag-waving and debates about what it means to be patriotic, I can think of few other truer demonstrations of patriotism than supporting one of our most important national institutions.
This article originally appeared in The Media Leader UK, link below.
https://uk.themedialeader.com/why-advertisers-need-a-strong-bbc-more-than-ever
