Culture secretary says Big Brother is 'public service'

Reality TV programmes such as Big Brother, Pop Idol and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Can be regarded as public service broadcasting, British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said today.

Ms Jowell admitted that she had voted in Big Brother in the past and would “probably” do so in the fifth series, which was beginning on Channel 4 today.

All terrestrial TV channels in Britain have a requirement to broadcast a certain proportion of public service programming, but critics frequently claim that they are stretching the definition of the term too far beyond the core public service areas of news, current affairs, arts and religion.

In an interview with GMTV’s Sunday Programme – to be broadcast this Sunday - Ms Jowell said that the popular reality shows were within “the broader remit” of public service broadcasting because they became a talking point for the whole country.

Ms Jowell said: “The point is that when Big Brother and Pop Idol or I’m a Celebrity reach their climax, then there really is a sense that they become a national talking point and I think that’s a good thing.

“I think that it’s perfectly legitimate to describe that within the broader remit of public service broadcasting.”

Ms Jowell agreed the reality shows were “addictive” viewing and said: “I’ve actually been quite keen on Big Brother. I’ve even been known to vote in the past. That bad!”

But she warned that viewers want a varied TV diet and will not put up with the schedules being packed with just one kind of programme.

“I think that if you get the schedules swamped by any single genre, then viewers will in time revolt,” she said.

“All the consultation that we’ve done and that (broadcasting regulator) Ofcom have done on public attitudes to public service broadcasting sends a very clear message that people want quality, they want range, they want diversity and they want news and current affairs broadcasting that they can trust.

“If you give them that diet, then they will keep on coming back for more.”