BBC’s Tony Hall: “We Need to Reinvent iPlayer”

LONDON: Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC, has put out a call to reinvent the iPlayer, which must make a “leap from a catch-up service to a must-visit destination in its own right.”

“Our goal, even in the face of rapid growth by our competitors, is for iPlayer to be the number one online TV service in the U.K.,” Hall said in a speech to BBC staff in Birmingham. “That will mean doubling our reach and quadrupling the time each person spends on it every week. And we want to do it by 2020. That’s tough, but I know we can do it.”

Hall said that personalization is a major priority and that he wants to explore what technologies such as voice recognition and virtual reality can offer.

Another key priority outlined by Hall is for the BBC to be much more ambitious globally. “Today, thanks to you, we punch well above our weight worldwide. And, as one of the country’s most valuable exports, we help the U.K. punch above its weight too.

“I believe that right now in the post-Brexit world, the country needs us more than ever and we need to do more than ever for Britain.”

The launch of BBC Studios, he said, is a good step toward revolutionizing the way programs are sourced and made. “Yes, it means a degree of risk, with the contesting of current programs, but it is also an incredible opportunity. And there’s one announcement we’ll be making very shortly that will highlight just how great that opportunity is. In both radio and television, we need to own intellectual property rights for the future. I don’t want us ever to become a publisher-broadcaster. I’m convinced that Studios is the only way we will secure our future as one of the very best program-makers in the world.”

In addition to being “brilliant at making high-quality, distinctive British programs,” the organization must also be “truly brilliant at exporting them across the globe,” Hall said. “That’s why we need BBC Worldwide to thrive as a strategic partner for BBC Studios, making the very most of our global reach. My challenge to Worldwide is to look again at how we best grow our business to deliver more returns back to BBC public service—to reinvest in yet more great British programs and services.”