Director says government too ‘terrified’ of Trump to protect UK TV

Director and screenwriter Peter Kosminsky has said the UK government is too worried about “poking the US presidential bear” to protect British TV storytelling.

Speaking to Hollywood-based news outlet Deadline, Kosminsky said the government should implement a levy that forces services, including Netflix, to pay a 5% revenue levy to go towards a cultural fund supporting local high-end TV production.

But he added the government “isn’t brave enough to introduce such an idea”.

“They seem to be so terrified of poking the US presidential bear that my fear is they would rather see UK public service broadcaster high-end TV production go to the wall – leaving us with an unbroken diet of streamers’ high-end television in the UK – than face the prospect of countermeasures from the White House,” the BAFTA-winning director said.

A 5% revenue levy has also been backed by the government’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee as part of its ongoing inquiry into British film and high-end television. 

In January, Arts Minister Chris Bryant said there are currently no plans to introduce such a levy.

According to Deadline’s report, Netflix warned that it would hike prices if a levy were introduced. The company said levies “diminish competitiveness and penalise audiences who ultimately bear the increased costs”.