New British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy made her first appearance in front of the House of Commons committee shadowing her department today. Ahead of that, told The Guardian that British TV has a “major problem” with diversity and that this was driving people to streaming services.
“We’re seeing people leaving TV to go to either streaming [services] or online and that in itself is really dangerous, not just for the TV industry but for the country, because it’s atomising,” she said. The culture secretary added:
I really think that TV won’t survive unless it addresses this question.
She is undoubtedly right that the TV industry is too middle-class and white. The stats are not wholly reliable, but they are illustrative. And shocking. Just 8% in the TV industry define themselves as working class, while a shameful 3% of TV directors come from a black background. Furthermore, streaming services and the broader online ecosystem do undoubtedly have the capacity to offer more varied content.
This is all part of a serious conversation that the creative industries should be having. However, the idea that diversity is what is killing TV is, quite frankly, nonsense.
Lisa Nandy Thinks Streaming is “Atomising”
Firstly, streaming IS TV. That Lisa Nandy cannot see that is very worrying.
Secondly, a wide range of technological and societal changes have led to the decline of linear and traditional TV. These include better broadband and huge investment from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Apple. Lisa Nandy calls it “atomising”, and the modern media landscape is certainly fractured, but for most us it us it is simply “being able to watch what you want when you want.”
Our expectations have changed, and we do not need to rely on content from just a small number of providers any more.
We also do not watch TV just to see ourselves reflected back. Not many of us our sub-postmasters, but “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office” did pretty well. We’re mostly not cops either, but “Happy Valley” was popular. I could go on…
The British TV industry is also well-regarded around the world. This includes both the content and off-screen skills like special effects. For years, British shows broadcast on traditional outlets and streamers have performed well at the Emmys, for instance.
Appearing in front of the CMS committee today, Nandy discussed the battle between Streamers and Public Service Broadcasters over sports rights. She didn’t say much that was conclusive, but this will be key moving forward. I find it hard to believe that the existing Crown Jewels regime will hold for much longer.
Lisa Nandy has only been in her new job for a few months. It was not a role she expected to be in. The person lined up for it, Thangam Debbonaire, was one of the few Labour politicians to lose their seat at the 2024 General Election. However, her comments in the papers and in the select committee do not suggest someone on top of their brief.
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