Culture minister Sir Chris Bryant has said he wants a “massive production budget” for creating TV and films in the UK to remain part of the purpose of the BBC licence fee.
The Government will consider funding options to support the broadcaster’s long-term future when it reviews the BBC’s current Royal Charter, which will end in 2027.
Sir Chris spoke about how the sector needs support, when he appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday for their British film and high-end television inquiry.
Sir Chris said: “I don’t know where we’ll end up with the BBC Charter review, that’s not my area of responsibility, but I’ve always thought of the £3.75 billion of the licence fee as a massive production budget.
“And wherever we end up with (it), I want us to have a massive production budget for making television, not just high-end television incidentally, also unscripted and a whole series of other formats and movies, in the UK.”
He said he wants British production companies to be able to obtain more of their IP (intellectual property) when they are making deals with streamers.
“I do want the streamers to come here. Tom Cruise has made massive investments in the UK,” he added.
“But I also want us to have a system where a British production company is commissioned by others to make something that where the IP, or some of the IP, remains with the production company. I kind of want a bit of both.”
The BBC licence fee, which the Government has committed to increasing in line with inflation each year until 2027, is to rise to £174.50 in April.
British Film Institute (BFI) chairwoman Jay Hunt agreed that she feels British public service broadcasters (PSBs) can successfully coexist with streaming giants like Netflix and Apple TV+.
“There is an emerging thesis that the only television that speaks to British audiences is made by public service broadcasters.
“I’ve spent most of my career in public service television and extraordinary programming is coming out of the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, the whole time, but it is also now coming out of inward investment.
“And I’m not saying that in a party-free way, but if you look at shows like Slow Horses, or Rivals on Disney, or the multi-award winning Baby Reindeer, whatever your perspective on that show, or even what Amazon have done in reenergising the non-scripted sector with a show like Clarkson’s Farm, Paramount with The Crow Girl, there is great British content being made beyond the PSBs as well.”
She said the “entire ecosystem” needs to be fuelled for the British industry to continue to be successful.
“I look at where we are internationally. We are twice the size of the second biggest production sector in Europe, which is Spain,” she said.
“So we are in a great place. It will not continue to be a great place if we don’t understand the complexity of that market and support people in navigating it.”
She also warned the British film and TV industry about “very protectionist language around Hollywood” from the new Donald Trump administration in the US.
She said her “biggest concern” is that the industry becomes “complacent about the high watermark” it has reached, after production spend in the UK hit £4.2 billion in 2023.
“I look across the landscape at a challenging regulatory environment coming in in Europe, and immediately from the new US administration some very protectionist language around Hollywood as well,” she added.
“And I think one of the reasons the BFI has an important role to play is drawing attention to where those challenges are, and to make it crystal clear that the growth trajectory will not continue unless we invest in and support the sector.”