Letter

There's a clear risk that the next generation will regard the BBC (and C4) as marginal tv providers, simply because of the routes they use to select what they watch - hence I've 'borrowed' this letter from behind The Times' paywall...

Sir, British public service broadcasting is one of this country’s crown jewels. It provides UK audiences with world-leading, British-produced content, supports our creative industries in achieving global success and generates billions for the UK economy. Current legislation, carefully nurtured by successive governments, ensures that high-quality British public service content can be quickly and easily found at the top of television electronic programme guides (EPGs).

But technology has changed the way people watch TV, especially among young viewers. Streaming sticks, smart TVs, tablets and smartphones can all bypass the EPGs, no longer providing prominence for public-service content.

In a world increasingly characterised by fake news and echo chambers, we believe it is important that future generations of British viewers should have continued fast and easy access to programmes and content they can trust and which reflect British voices and democratic values. This is why today we will be asking parliament and Ofcom to urgently update legislation to ensure that public-service content continues to be easily found by viewers, by whatever means they are watching.

Alex Mahon, chief executive, Channel 4; Tony Hall, director-general, BBC