Louis Theroux has said that the future of the BBC is under threat because of some rightwing media outlets wanting a “Brexit from the licence fee”.
The documentarian and presenter said he feared for the future of the BBC and said it was up to the public to fight for the broadcaster, adding: “It’s possible that the licence fee is on a managed decline … There is vested interest, lobbying and active campaigning for a Brexit from the licence fee.”
Theroux, who made his name working closely with the BBC but now has his own production company and has taken his podcast to Spotify, said: “It’s up to us to spread the word to advocate the idea of public service broadcasting.”
Delivering the annual James MacTaggart memorial lecture at the Edinburgh television festival on Wednesday night, Theroux warned that the BBC and other broadcasters were in a “no-win” situation of trying to avoid offence and were in danger of avoiding important subjects in an attempt to play it safe.
He said: “From working so many years at the BBC, and still making programmes for the BBC, I see all too well the no-win situation it often finds itself in. Trying to anticipate the latest volleys of criticisms. Stampeded by this or that interest group. Avoiding offence.”
Reflecting on his speech on Thursday, Theroux said he was a fan of streaming platforms such as Netflix but added that they did not offer substantial news coverage.
There is deep anxiety over the future of traditional broadcasters at British television industry’s annual get together in Edinburgh.
Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer, told the event that the industry was on a cliff edge and remained too fixated on the audiences who watched traditional live television broadcasts.
“Any broadcaster who obsesses about linear ratings risks going the way of Kodak or Blockbuster – great brands that failed to notice that the ground was shifting. These are seismic moments and we intend to be on the right side of that shift,” he said.
Channel 4’s traditional live television audience has declined, which Katz attributed to the broadcaster having a younger audience than BBC One and ITV.
One in five Britons no longer watch any traditional television broadcasts, with older generations streaming in greater numbers.
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, told the event that the broadcaster was aiming to make fewer programmes but of higher quality, amid years of deep budget cuts. “Making fewer hours is a good thing in today’s market,” she said. “Quality’s important, creative ambition’s important, and it’s what audiences want.”
She said she now thought about the iPlayer streaming service more than her broadcast outlets. In response to Theroux, she said the BBC was still able to take risks in the content it made, citing a forthcoming drama featuring Steve Coogan playing the paedophile presenter Jimmy Savile that will be broadcast in the autumn.
Moore, who also oversees the BBC’s audio output, also reflected on the presenter Ken Bruce leaving Radio 2 this year, which led to the station losing a million listeners.
She said the departure of high-profile stars was “not the great panic everyone” seemed to think it was because it created opportunities for new faces. “When people move on to commercial competitors it’s impossible for the BBC to compete with some of the sums they’re being offered,” Moore said. “There’s a moment when talent feels they want to move on for other incentives.
“I think it’s important we’re a place that moves with the times and gives opportunities to new people.”
