Threat to PBS having ‘chilling’ effect on international non-fiction, says BBC’s Jack Bootle

DOC/FEST: Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw all federal funding from US public broadcasters PBS and NPR is “like watching a friend get beaten up” and is having a ‘chilling’ effect on global unscripted commissioning, according to the BBC’s head of specialist factual Jack Bootle.

Jack Bootle

Trump’s bid to claw back US$1.1bn in funding from PBS, NPR and their affiliate stations is part of his “rescission” bill, which aims to withdraw around US$9.4bn in total funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting. The bill was passed by a narrow margin of 214 to 212 in the House of Representatives earlier this month and now moves to the Senate later this summer.

Speaking at Sheffield Doc/Fest on Friday, Bootle said this was not only “catastrophic” news for public broadcasting in the US but was also causing big issues for factual producers and broadcasters around the world.

“It’s a really scary time for public service broadcasting internationally, and the BBC needs to be taking more risks rather than less,” Bootle said.

“We’ve all been watching with real alarm what’s playing out in the US with PBS and NPR. It has yet to go to the Senate where it may be killed or diluted but if it passes unchecked PBS will instantly lose all of their federal funding which is 50% of their total. That is of course a catastrophe for them and very sad for PBS.

“Beyond PBS it’s not good news for the wider global industry, particularly in factual. PBS are great coproduction partners, less money for PBS means less money to go around and that’s not good news right now.”

Bootle said that beyond the financial impact of the situation he is also concerned about the effect it is having on attitudes from public service broadcasters around the world who are perhaps being cowed into playing it safe by increasing right-wing voices to their output. He encouraged the BBC’s fellow PSBs around the world to step up to the challenge.

“Beyond just the financials what I have noticed from some of our public service cousins in other countries is a real chilling effect on commissioning,” he said.

“People talk about what’s happening to PBS as like watching a friend get beaten up. That can lead to you shrinking, becoming smaller, becoming safer, not making trouble. That’s the opposite of what we need to do right now. We need to rise to the occasion and take the risks that our friends can’t take.”