Ofcom also suggests sharing revenue from the BBC's licence fee with other providers, while looking to the web to attract new audiences
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Public service broadcasters should consider delivering more news services online, forge partnerships with search engines and look to experiments by local newspapers for inspiration to increase the reach of their content, the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has said.
In its second review of public service broadcasting, Ofcom also suggested splitting the BBC's licence fee with other broadcasters, as a means of funding more programme production and fostering competition between providers.
The review urged public service broadcasters not to create their own search engines to deliver 'pluraity' of programming, as these would be 'unlikely to deliver value for money' when compared to the commercial investment already made in existing search and navigation services.
"[P]artnerships with existing search and navigation providers could help them [broadcasters] ensure they are able to give the prominence desired by their users to online public service content, whatever its source," the report said.
The report suggested broadcasters should consider using online services to deliver factual programming, such as news content, and children's programming.
The BBC already carries a substantial amount of its news broadcasts online, streaming News 24 on its news pages and by making news programmes available through iPlayer.
Such services, or digital channels, could help broadcasters better achieve a plurality of content, which is increasingly in demand by viewers, the report said.
"When it comes to news, they [the audience] are in no doubt about the virtues of competition," stated the review.
"[P]ublic service content providers will need to use a wide range of platforms, to meet different audiences' needs in more targeted ways," it added later.
"Research indicates that the internet is not currently seen by viewers as a substitute for nations and regions provision on broadcast television, and local video content remains an emerging and to some extent unpredictable sector.
"Nevertheless, there is real potential to develop new online services which meet the needs of citizens in the nations, regions and localities of the UK in new ways."
The review went on to say that elements of online experiments by other local news providers, such as Trinity Mirror's use of geotagging, could be adapted by broadcasters to 'improve the relevance of local journalism provided it can develop a sustainable commercial model.'
While recommending more broadcast content be placed online, the review said broadcasters should remain aware that not all audiences have access to the internet and people are more likely to discover public service content on television than online.
