Many may be unfamiliar with ‘Auntie Beeb,’ but’ the television channel BBC America is trying to shed its ‘matronly’ garb in order to impress American audiences.’
In the world of television programming, ‘content is king,’ CEO of BBC Worldwide John Smith said to an audience of more than 60 people at a lecture to discuss BBC’s programming strategy for the American market.’
Surrounded by the marble walls at Boston law firm K&L Gates, members of the British American Business Council of New England nibbled cheese and sipped wine as they listened to Smith explain BBC’s plans to break into the American market.
In order to enter into the ‘fabulously lucrative’ American market, Smith said, BBC is focusing on generating original content for all ages, people and cultures.
Smith said BBC is working to overcome the uptight Mr. Darcy reputation that has caused the nickname ‘Auntie Beeb’ to stick.
‘It was dubbed ‘Auntie’ to reflect the matronly role of the corporation,’ Smith said.’ ‘Of [BBC] telling Britain what’s good for it.’
The rest of the world still associates BBC with ‘an English gent’ in a bowler hat,’ Smith said.’
In the UK, television production is funded by public license fees of about $200, Smith said. The BBC is a public service in the UK, but foreign markets are another story altogether.’
America is a top priority market for the BBC and foreign media companies, he said.’
BBC America’s new programming schedule aims at a younger audience that watches more television, Smith said. BBC America has doubled its audience and’ decreased its average age by 10 years, he said.
BBC co-produced the ‘phenomenal hit’ Planet Earth with the Discovery Channel. Planet Earth is a bestseller TV-based DVD, but many people did not know BBC was involved.
Tim Foley, a graphic designer and BABC member, said that Smith and BBC are not succeeding’ in making the channel hip.
‘A lot of the shows I have seen I like, like The Office [the original U.K.] and Monty Python,’ Foley said. ‘But I can still only think of the BBC as the stodgy, gentleman in the bowler hat.’
Michael Mulcahy, a finance broker from Ireland, approved of the channel’s dusty reputation.’
‘I like the old stuff,’ he said, ‘I guess it doesn’t suit American senses.’
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