British Broadcasting Challenge: for us, by us, about us

Westminster media professors Jean Seaton and Steve Barnett, along with CAMRI Doctoral Researcher Christopher Day, are part of a group that has just launched a major campaign to protect Public Service Broadcasting and begin an open debate about its contribution to the UK and how it can be improved. The campaign – called “British Broadcasting Challenge” – was prompted by concern that various initiatives were being considered by government behind closed doors, as part of a “PSB panel” established by the Secretary of State Oliver Dowden. As part of its launch, the campaign wrote an open letter to Mr Dowden for which it secured signatures from over 120 high profile names across the arts, media and politics. These included such luminaries as Hilary Mantel, Steve Coogan, David Harewood, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Michael Sheen and Meera Syal.

A launch event last Thursday featured contributions from Armando Iannucci and Frank Cottrell-Boyce, amongst others. Further events are planned during the year. The campaign’s website, which hots the open letter and supportive arguments around PSB, can be viewed on the British Broadcasting Challenge website.

As part of the launch of this new initiative, Jean Seaton has been interviewed on BBC Breakfast Time and Times Radio and featured in the Financial Times. Steven Barnett has been interviewed for Radio 5 Live and Belgian TV, and has featured in the Guardian.

Image: British Broadcasting Challenge