We should identify areas where the audience experience will change, and where solutions may need to be developed with industry. Significant changes that should not be ignored include: the potential loss of a simple broadcast-TV-like no-sign-on user interface (UI); audience’s legal-right and functionality to home-record (9% of current viewing); and the need for universal broadband connectivity. Today’s open and competitive market provides a wide range of choice and distribution options to consumers and addresses the needs of most audiences. Any change, however, will place the experience some demographics rely on at risk. It is critical that all changes in the market are tracked, and the impact considered. Changes as simple as the loss of broadcast distribution systems in new MDUs, or the removal of key services from international television operating systems to more deliberate strategic pivots from broadcast to broadband could have a major impact to all of use. The sum of the parts of what may appear to be small changes may now prove significant and be difficult to reverse in the years ahead.
Issues arising from the interaction of the UK television market with international device, applications and service developments can only be resolved by going back to first principles with an audience and industry outcome perspective. This will ensure good outcomes for audiences and industry within these new and more complex system dynamics. We must all address the need for timely proposition pivots and planned product end-of-life (EOL) within the overall market lifecycle to protect all audience demographics. As a glimpse into our future, the chart below may be a useful indicator of emerging technologies that will have a disruptive impact on television over the next 10 years. UK audiences continue to enjoy a broad range of television services and benefit from both broadcast and IP distribution at scale. We must ensure that the needs of all audiences and viewing habits are taken care of with a particular focus on demographics that may be less attractive for the market to address commercially, such as the vulnerable.
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CAI Feedback Spring 2024
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