BBC Chairman Samir Shah outlines vision and priorities

The BBC “is a very British success story,” new chairman Samir Shah said Tuesday in Leeds, England, in his first public speech, setting out his vision for the future of British public broadcasting and his priorities for the BBC .

But given the rise of streaming, the chief executive also warned: “The battle is on.” He continued: “Action must be taken now to future-proof the public service broadcasters, otherwise our very British success story will be part of our happy past .”

“Look at everything, it’s fantastic, isn’t it? Is that a good thing? Of course it is,” Shah began. “I assume many of you have a few subscriptions. I definitely do. Out of Slow horses To Stranger Thingsfrom Champions League football to Test match cricket… My free time has been infinitely enriched by the opportunities now available to me.”

Shah said of public broadcasters: “Of course we should embrace and embrace the exciting possibilities of the on-demand world. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to shape the choices people have in this new media landscape in ways that benefit the common good.”

He made a strong case for easy access to public broadcasters on any platform and made it clear to the UK government and regulator Ofcom that the implementation of the new media law plays a prominent role and that it is a forward-looking regulatory approach.

“We need a regulatory system that enables Ofcom to support us and help us thrive in this rapidly changing world. Public broadcasters need to be able to be more agile, flexible and faster,” he said, pointing to the speed of regulatory processes that often leaves the BBC behind while Netflix, Disney or Amazon can move forward.

His third goal is to protect the base: “As chairman, I will work with the public broadcasters and talk to the government about what more can be done to ensure that the tax system and the political environment not only benefits the big players, “but also promotes training and skills for the whole sector, in every part of the UK”

The 72-year-old questioned the “point of near-constant government scrutiny of the BBC” and said no other country has something like this. “Public broadcasters are at the center of our social and cultural life and are worth fighting for.”

He gave three reasons – economic, social and cultural – why public broadcasters are so important: “[They have] has been crucial to the growth of our world-class creative sector. Moreover, they back it up,” Shah said. He added on social media: “From Channel 4’s mission to give voice to marginalized communities and Radio 4’s ‘Everyday Story of Rural People’, The archersto ITVs Coronation StreetPublic broadcasters have long reflected British society in all its diversity.”

“And thirdly, culturally: public broadcasters have always shaped and influenced the national debate. Not least by bringing the nation together as a people sharing a collective experience, be it in outrage – that Mr. Bates versus the Post Officein joy – at Andy Murray’s victory at Wimbledon, or in sadness – at the death of Her Majesty the Queen.”

Shah also launched a permanent BBC charter, bringing the corporation into line with other institutions such as the Bank of England and UK Sport. The current system means the BBC’s Royal Charter is renewed every ten years and is expected to expire in 2027.

He also made a thinly veiled reference to the Huw Edwards scandal after the former BBC broadcaster was convicted of child sex offenses: “Of course there have been and are concerns about unacceptable behavior at the BBC. I and the BBC board take this matter very seriously and are determined to stamp out abuses of power. We’ve made significant progress in recent years – and certainly much better progress since I began my career in television 30 years ago. However, there is still a feeling that powerful people “get away scot-free”.