Review of broadcast regulation

In July 2025, we published our Public Service Media (PSM) review Transmission Critical, setting out our views on how industry, Government and Ofcom can support the future of PSM.

In the review, we recognised that the Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) – the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C – continue to play an important role in the UK through delivering universally accessible, trusted news and distinctive UK content that reflects the nation’s diversity. By informing audiences and holding institutions to account and offering cultural and sporting programming, the PSBs support democratic participation and social cohesion; without them, the UK would have less domestic content and face greater risks of social fragmentation and polarisation.

In Transmission Critical we recommended six key actions for PSBs, video sharing platforms (VSPs), social media, Government and Ofcom. One of these recommendations was that PSBs and VSPs like YouTube work together to ensure audiences can see and easily find PSM content, particularly trusted news and UK children’s programming that supports young audiences’ learning and development. A further central theme was the need for a modernised and streamlined regulatory framework that reflects the realities of a rapidly changing media market. We argued that reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens will be essential to maintain a healthy and thriving UK broadcasting sector and support the sustainability of the PSBs so they can continue to deliver for all audiences. We also underlined the importance of urgent clarity from Government on the future of TV distribution.

Developments since the publication of Transmission Critical underline the pace of change across the media sector and the significant ongoing financial and structural pressures faced by UK broadcasters. The BBC recently highlighted growing financial pressures linked to the need to redirect investment into digital-first services to better deliver for all audiences as well as rising costs and the constraints on traditional funding. It has recently announced a major cost-saving programme and announcements of substantial job cuts and service reductions. At the same time, commercial public service broadcasters have argued that the rapid transformation in how and where audiences view content has put significant strain on their revenues and as a result existing regulatory obligations are becoming harder to sustain. In response Channel 4 has continued to focus on cost control, revenue diversification and growth in digital advertising and streaming as part of its long-term transformation strategy, whilst in Scotland, changes have been made to STV licences to place its news operation on a more sustainable footing as it continues to invest in digital news provision. The sector has also seen increased consolidation as a response to these market pressures, including Sky agreeing terms to acquire ITV’s Media and Entertainment division and Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery.

Taken together, these developments highlight a sector that is increasingly focused on financial sustainability, operational efficiency, consolidation and digital transformation, while continuing to balance these priorities with the delivery of public service content. These developments have also reinforced the case for regulatory reform and highlighted the importance of ensuring that regulation supports innovation, investment and long-term sustainability. 

Following Transmission Critical, and mindful of these developments, we have been engaging with Government and stakeholders to progress our recommendations, particularly in relation to the streamlining of regulation and audiences’ ability to access PSM on the third-party platforms they are increasingly turning to.

Discoverability of PSM content on third-party platforms

Many of the trends we highlighted last year continue unabated: for example, YouTube viewing has grown fastest among older viewers and on the TV. The PSBs have taken further steps to engage audiences on third-party platforms, with recent initiatives including from the BBC signalling a broader shift towards platform-native content and distribution. We have commissioned new research and conducted a range of stakeholder engagement to better understand these changes and their implications for PSM content online. Our initial findings, set out here, suggest PSBs have established a meaningful presence on YouTube, particularly among younger audiences, and that PSB news brands remain among the largest news providers on the platform by reach. 

At the same time, our stakeholder engagement highlights both opportunities and challenges for PSM. Video-sharing and other social media platforms provide new ways to reach audiences and test and develop new strategies. However, they also intensify competition for attention and require providers to adapt to rapidly changing audience behaviours and platform environments. We will continue to build our evidence base through audience research and stakeholder engagement and deepen our understanding of how public service media is discovered and consumed online.

Review of Broadcast Regulation

In November 2025, we published a Call for Input seeking views on the priorities for regulatory reform and the future provision of PSM content. The responses we received varied in focus but demonstrated broad recognition that the current regulatory framework requires modernisation. Stakeholders highlighted opportunities to remove outdated requirements, simplify administrative processes and provide greater flexibility for broadcasters, while continuing to safeguard audiences and support the delivery of public service outcomes.

These responses are helping to shape our priorities both to changes we can make to the current regulatory framework and in our engagement with Government on longer-term legislative reform. Ultimately, our objective is to ensure that regulation remains proportionate, targeted and effective, focusing on outcomes rather than processes and avoiding requirements that no longer serve a clear public interest purpose. As audiences increasingly consume media across a range of digital platforms, we will assess whether existing obligations remain appropriate, whether there should be consistency across distribution methods, and where greater flexibility could help support investment in public service content, whilst maintaining strong protections for audiences and effective accountability of media providers.

The Government has recently published a Green Paper – Watch This Space – setting out a new strategic direction for UK Media, drawing on many of the recommendations from our PSM review and report on the future of TV distribution. Within this paper, Government confirmed its intention to switch off Digital Terrestrial television (DTT) either in 2034 or 2044 and acknowledged that, in the longer term, the regulatory framework is likely to need fundamental reform to reflect a wholly digital environment. The paper further raised the importance of reducing the administrative burden of regulation on businesses to promote innovation and growth, whilst maintaining strong protections for audiences and effective accountability of media providers.

We welcome the Government’s Green Paper and are working with it to develop proposals in areas that may need legislative changes. This could include in relation to how the licensing system works, who is subject to content standards and accessibility requirements, and how this regulation works in practice. It may also include measures to support the long-term provision of PSM content, particularly after the current licences expire at the end of 2034. These are all areas highlighted by stakeholders in response to our Call for Input and where there is a clear case that reform is needed.

There are other areas where we can make some changes to our regulation without the need for legislation, to address some of the concerns raised by stakeholders, notably our rules on advertising and commercial references. We intend to publish a consultation on proposed changes to these rules by the end of March 2027. There are likely to be other areas where the administrative burden on media providers can be reduced. We will continue to develop our thinking in these areas and consult on any changes we propose in due course.

Our aim is to deliver a regulatory framework that is simpler, more flexible and is better matched to how audiences now watch and listen to content. We will act where we can under our existing powers, advise Government where legislation is needed, and continue working with industry and audiences to support a strong future for public service media.

What next

We are committed to continuing our work in this area in order to ensure a sustainable PSM and UK broadcasting sector which continues to serve UK audiences. As such we will:

• Continue working with Government to develop proposals for legislative reform;
• Publish a consultation on proposed changes to advertising, sponsorship and product placement rules by the end of March 2027;
• Continue engaging with stakeholders to ensure that any proposed changes support audiences and a sustainable PSM and UK broadcasting sector;
• Continue to strengthen our evidence base, including improving audience measurement, deepening our understanding of the factors that drive visibility and engagement and undertaking further research into audience expectations and attitudes towards online content.