Convergence Think Tank

This morning, I was at the first DCMS/BERR Convergence Think Tank which is looking at what will happen after Digital Switchover in 2012. By then, the BBC licence fee will be under close scrutiny, as TV as we know it will have changed forever.

It was fascinating - with a panel and audience from the top of the media, broadcast and telco sectors. It was kicked off by Andy Burnham, who outlined the Government committment to open markets, protecting users and universal access. I was particularly struck by his emphasis on digital inclusion and the power of radio.

There were contributions from Ed Richards, (OfCOM), Mark Thompson (BBC), as well as speakers from BT, Orange, Virgin Media, Credit Suisse, Warwick Business School and others. Themes that came out were the poor capacity of broadband in the UK, which is acting as a brake on convergence, which was linked to discussion about the unsustainable business model for telcos. There was much discussion of charging content producers to carry their content - with a pointed comment from Virgin Media about the amount of network traffic created by the success of the BBC iPlayer. Mark Thompson was on simlar form on the BBC Internet blog.

All the talks will be online later ...

What it means for our sector, I'm not quite sure. Certainly when the Tate is an online braodcaster, and videoconferencing can move seamlessly into narrowcasting, these things will become relevant. As content becomes more local and personalised, our sector has much to offer, perhaps bringing new production techniques. But will this spread beyond the largest cultural sector organsiations? More braincells needed on this one!