EU

Getting clarity on what Brexit will mean for the UK audio-visual (AV) sector is, at this stage, a near impossibility. What is clear is that the past three years of Brexit politicking have been accompanied by a huge amount of contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit.

Add to that the continued strength of TV and film production in the UK, thanks largely to a skilled talent pool, UK tax breaks and significant investment from the likes of Disney, Netflix and Sky, and the consensus is that the sector is well placed to withstand any fallout from Britain leaving the EU.

Lord Mandelson, a self-confessed “heartbroken European”, set the tone of this debate. Unpicking 40 years of EU membership was complicated, to say the least. He declared: “Brexit is the most complex policy exercise mounted in peace time. Transitioning Britain out of its current merger with 27 other economies is a massive task and it is going to take many years.” 

The advice of the former Labour cabinet minister and European commissioner boiled down to this: “What you as an industry must first do is take a view on what outcome best serves your needs”. 

Sir Paul Nurse delighted his large audience with a passionate defence of science as a revolutionary force that can transform our lives, when he delivered this year’s Royal Television Society and Institution of Engineering and Technology Joint Public Lecture at the British Museum.

In a wide-ranging speech, the Nobel Prize-winning geneticist discussed the approach to science in the media, government and education. And – in advance of the EU referendum – gave strong backing from the scientific community for staying in Europe.

The show lampoons the political communication and social media industry, mocking both In and Out EU-referendum campaigners, as well as the Donald Trump media team and the media team at the Kremlin.

Jack Dee and Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) form part of a stellar cast and play part of the pro-Europe ‘Unity Unit’ in Conservative HQ.

The Nobel Prize-winning geneticist, who was delivering this year’s Royal Television Society/Institution of Engineering and Technology public lecture, argued that the mass media, including television, has to be “highly responsible” in its reporting.

“The [media] needs to avoid sensationalism, to be careful about so-called balance when certain opinions have little evidential support or are potentially highly flawed, to avoid mystification and properly explain what can be difficult topics,” he said.

The UK’s successful independent television produc­tion sector is having its own European Union “referendum” several months early.

John McVay, Chief Executive of Pact, which represents more than 450 indies, has sent out “voting” messages to gauge the attitude of his member companies. These make a major contribution to the estimated £1.28bn of international programme sales and associated services earned by the UK each year.

From a television business point of view, indies have been asked whether the UK should stay in or get out.