Birt Claims Risk Of Digital ‘Underclass’

BBC director general John Birt has expressed concern that the advent of digital and pay-per-view television will cause a massive divide in the television viewing population, with the UK’s national identity and culture being harmed. Birt, speaking at the European Tele-Visual Conference in Birmingham, commented: “we will see the emergence of the information rich and the information poor”.

The fears voiced were coupled with a call for the Government to prevent “the world of jeans, trainers and the baseball cap” advancing inexorably, as he claimed that viewing costs would multiply. The veiled attack on Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB (well-versed in charging viewers and the strongest contender to be the earliest digital broadcaster) focused on the need to have “a flourishing public service sector in each EU member country”. Birt stressed that ‘universality’ was central to the public service broadcast tradition.

On a more optimistic note Birt revealed the BBC was close behind the likes of BSkyB in launching its own digital TV service, although this may leave him open to calls for the BBC to justify using licence payers’ money for a service which many may not be able to access.

Rupert Murdoch, however, then launched a scathing attack on the BBC. He described it as an “unhealthy concentration” of power which was unfairly favoured by regulators and politicians. Murdoch also said that his rivals propagated myths about the power of News International while ignoring the fact that the BBC is the biggest media owner in the UK. As to his relationship with Tony Blair, Murdoch said only “I’m a supporter.”