David Elstein, founding Chief Executive of Channel 5, on BBC mutualisation, funding models, PSB content, and tax breaks

Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

David Elstein was the head of programming at BskyB, the director of programmes at Thames Television, before launching Channel 5 as its chief executive in 1997. Since then, he has chaired innumerable boards and organisations including the British Screen Advisory Council and Open Democracy. David was part of the last Conservative government's inquiry into the BBC’s future funding model, which was later scrapped by Labour.

In this episode, we discuss the idea of ‘mutualisation’ of the BBC, the effects of government policies on public service broadcasting, funding models, access and content concerns, BBC efficiency, and the “fantasy economics” in BBC annual reports. We also examine the impact of tax breaks on the UK’s creative industries.

“Instead of funding public service content, we've funded high end content made for the American producers in our studios. We are now kind of contract labour for Warner Brothers, Paramount and Fox. I mean, it's mad.”

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