Bectu calls for focus on workforce as Government sets new strategic direction for UK media

Bectu has submitted its response to the Government’s Media Green Paper consultation, calling for workforce sustainability to be placed at the centre of the debate on the future of UK television and media.

We have welcomed the consultation’s focus on public service media, trusted news, prominence and the transition to new technologies. However, there needs to be a greater focus on the impact of these changes on the workers who create and deliver our world-leading UK content. Growing insecurity across the sector, driven by commissioning slowdowns, broadcaster cuts and industry restructuring, as well as the increasing pressures associated with platform-first and short-form content production must be addressed.

Public service media should be understood as critical creative infrastructure, supporting jobs, skills, independent production, regional economies and the wider creative ecosystem. Bectu calls on Government to strengthen public service media, protect the discoverability of trusted news and UK content online, support workforce retention and skills development, and ensure that media policy aligns with wider work on AI transparency and the protection of creative value.

Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, said:

“The future of UK media depends not only on audiences, platforms and technology, but on the skilled workforce that creates the content audiences value. Public service media remains a cornerstone of our creative economy and plays a vital role in supporting trusted news, regional production, skills development and creative risk-taking.

“As the Government considers the future of television and media, it must ensure that workforce sustainability, media plurality and support for public service content remain at the heart of any reforms.”

Bectu’s response also warns against the risks of increased consolidation within the media sector, argues for stronger prominence protections in an increasingly platform-dominated environment, and stresses that any transition to IPTV must be gradual, accessible and guided by the principle of universality.

You can read the full submission here.