News on "endangered" public service media needs "stable and adequate funding" says Ofcom
Regulator's PSM review also recommends "public service content should be findable on YouTube".
Ofcom has recommended that news on "endangered" traditional public service media (PSM) is one of the genres that needs additional public funding from government.
In its review of PSM - published today along with its research into news consumption in the UK - the regulator also said that public service broadcasters should “work urgently with YouTube, to ensure that PSM content is prominent and easy to find on the platforms”, which it said is, “particularly important for news and children’s content.”
Ofcom said it believes, “there is a strong case for Government to legislate to enable the change” and it is a priority.
As part of a six-point plan it has drawn up to help PSM survive in the face of competition from platforms such as YouTube, it also called for, “stable and adequate funding to sustain a broad range of PSM content, including news and children’s” and said: "Additional public funding will be necessary to support specific genres, as advocated for by industry, is for the Government to consider. We recommend that priority be given to socially valuable but commercially less viable genres, such as news, local news and children’s content."
It also said, “broadcasters and online platforms must invest in media literacy” as they are “essential for using, understanding and navigating digital services, and for critically engaging with news and other content.”
Ofcom suggested too that PSM firms, “must forge ambitious strategic partnerships at scale”, explaining: “Scale is critical for the public service broadcasters and other domestic broadcasters to connect with audiences and compete with global streaming platforms – who, in some cases, they depend on to reach viewers. Competition and plurality need to be preserved, but broadcasters must be more ambitious in pursuing strategic and technological partnerships.”
In addition the regulator is launching a “fundamental review” of its regulation of broadcast TV and radio and looking for, “input from stakeholders about the priority areas for reforming regulation and supporting the future provision of PSM content”. It will begin a call for evidence this autumn and said it is also “working with Government on its BBC Charter review which will play a central role in supporting the future of PSM.”
Ofcom’s research found that consumption of online news continues to edge further ahead of broadcast TV news and that viewers now spend less than half of their viewing at home on traditional linear TV channels. Fewer than half (48%) of 16-24-year-olds tune into broadcast TV in an average week, with younger children spending more time watching YouTube.
Ofcom broadcasting and media group director Cristina Nicolotti Squires said:
“Public service media is stitched into the cultural fabric of UK society. It starts conversations, educates and informs, and brings us together in moments of national importance. But in a world dominated by global streaming platforms, public service media risks becoming an endangered species, and time is running out to intervene to protect it.”
Meanwhile, Ofcom also revealed its latest research on news consumption. The key findings include:
- Almost all adults watch, listen to or read news in some form (96%), though the way news is accessed continues to evolve. Reach of online news (70%) is on a par with TV, including on-demand (68%) and much higher than linear broadcast TV channels (63%)
- BBC continues to be the most-widely accessed provider of news in the UK, reaching 67% of all adults - followed by Meta (39%), Google and ITV (both 34%)
- Trusted and accurate news from PSBs continues to be highly-rated
- Six out of ten UK adults claim to use some form of online platform (social media, search engine or news aggregator) for their news, with Meta (39%) and Google (34%) the most commonly used
- For those using apps and websites for their news, BBC Online (59%) has the highest claimed use, followed by Sky News (21%), the Guardian (20%) and Daily Mail (14%)
- Facebook continues to be the most-used social media service for news (30% of UK adults), with TikTok now reaching 11% of UK adults, up from just 1% in 2020
- Three-quarters of 16-24-year-olds use social media to access news. The BBC (across its own services on TV, radio and online) has highest reach of any news provider for youngsters (39%) but TikTok (31%), YouTube (30%), Instagram (24%) and Facebook (21%) are the most-used individual access points for news for this age group
- 12-15-year-olds rate traditional platforms more highly than online sources but trust in news on social media is rising among this age group, with a significant increase from last year (45% in 2024, 52% in 2025)