Governance and democratic oversight – Public service without public legitimacy The collapse in PSM funding and investment is closely linked to the total absence of genuine democratic account­ability for how the UK’s PSBs or Ofcom are run. ITV and Channel 5 are private companies with limited PSM obligations, yet both persistently lobby to reduce these while keeping their benefits as designated PSBs. 11 Ofcom’s preference for supporting the interests of broadcasters, rather than defending the interests of citizens, is a long-running consequence of its founding purpose as a pro-competition regulator. 12 The governance arrangements for the publicly-owned Channel 4 and S4C are no more transparent or democratic. Channel 4’s non-executive directors are appointed by Ofcom in agreement with the UK Government, which also appoints the Chair of Ofcom. Lord Michael Grade, the cur­rent Chair of Ofcom, is a former TV executive and member of the House of Lords. He previously sat as an unelected Conservative legislator before being appointed to Ofcom under Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Chair of S4C and its non-executive Board members are all appointed by the UK government: neither the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) nor the devolved Welsh Government holds any oversight powers for the Welsh-language chan­nel. 13 The BBC’s Royal Charter, which serves as the BBC’s consti­tution, states the BBC“must be independent in all matters … particularly as regards editorial and creative decisions”. 14 In reality, the BBC has always been subordinate to state and political influence, primarily through government pow­ers to set the terms of the Royal Charter, determine its lev­el of public funding, and appoint key figures to the BBC Board. 15 The 2019-24 Conservative government engaged in a sus ­tained campaign against the BBC through politicised appointments and funding. In 2021 it appointed Richard Sharp, a Conservative Party mega-donor and right-wing think-tank director, as BBC Chair. This followed a lengthy ‘air war’ with government figures teasing arch-Conservative candidates to rein in the BBC’s perceived left-wing bias. 16 An anonymous BBC source emphasised the Chair’s impor­tance as a conduit for opaque government influence, say­ing of Sharp“whatever you think of bankers, he is very cli­ent-friendly, and our biggest client is the government”. 17 Sharp stood down as BBC Chair in April 2023 after a report found financial conflicts of interest with the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had appointed him to the post. 18 The government also appointed Robbie Gibb – a former spin doctor for Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May – as a non-executive BBC director. Non-executives hold only an advisory role, but Gibb has been repeatedly accused of interfering in BBC news output. A former BBC news gran­dee described Gibb as“an active agent of the Conservative Party” who had censored critical reporting of the Conserva­tive government. 19 Gibb is also allegedly involved with BBC efforts to alter its news and drama output to placate the insurgent right-wing party Reform UK, whose senior figures (including its leader Nigel Farage) have pledged to scrap the TV licence fee. 20 In 2022 the Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced a two-year freeze to the TV licence fee, which amounted to a projected£2.2bn loss in BBC income by 2027. Dorries claimed this licence fee deal“will be the last”, seemingly confirming government plans to end BBC public funding via the TV licence. 21 In 2024 the government fur ­11  The Guardian,‘Ofcom“could not stop ITV and Channel 5 cutting PSB programming”’, 2 September 2011. 12  Livingstone, S., Lunt, P. and Miller, L.(2007) Citizens, consumers and the citizen-consumer: articulating the citizen interest in media and communications regulation in Discourse& Communication 1(1):63-89. 13  In 2023 an independent expert panel, commissioned by the Welsh Government, investigated methods for devolving broadcasting powers to Wales. However, in 2025, the Welsh Government declined to proceed with implementing its recommendations. 14  UK Government(2016) Royal Charter for the continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Cm 9365, pg. 4. 15  Mills, T.(2020) The BBC: Myth of a public service. Verso: London; Curran, J. and Seaton, J.(2025) Power Without Responsibility, 9th Edition. Routledge: London. 16  Chivers, T.(2021) The Cosy Politics of the BBC Chair. Tribune Magazine, 16 January 2021. 17  Quoted in The Guardian,‘Richard Sharp: BBC chair may be a Tory donor but it could be far worse’, 7 January 2021. 18  BBC News,‘BBC Chairman resigns over report into appointment’, 28 April 2023. 19  The Guardian,‘Emily Maitlis says“active Tory party agent” shaping BBC news output’, 24 August 2022. 20  Byline Times,‘BBC bosses drawing up plans to win over Reform voters by changing news and drama output’, 9 June 2025. 21  The Guardian,‘BBC funding“up for discussion”, says Nadine Dorries, as licence fee frozen’, 17 January 2022. At the Cliff-Edge: Public Service Broadcasting in the United Kingdom 5