Public service media (PSM) holds a unique place in UK society. It provides trusted and accurate news, content that reflects the whole of the UK and brings audiences together. However, as audience consumption continues to move online, there are serious risks to the scale of the future provision of PSM content in light of the financial challenges facing PSBs.
Many of the recommendations we made in our last PSM review – small screen: big debate – have been adopted in the Media Act 2024. We welcome this vital regulatory reform, but the ongoing pace of change means it is imperative that we continue to assess what further reform might be needed to protect essential public service media for UK audiences.
This document sets out the terms of reference for our next review of public service media. The first phase of the review will explain how the PSBs have delivered for UK audiences over the last five years and explore the challenges to its provision over the next decade and beyond. The second phase will consider opportunities to support the future sustainability of public service media and the availability of high quality and accurate news that audiences can trust.
