BBC Studios boss Mark Linsey arguably has one of the most difficult jobs at the BBC. The creation of a separate production arm for the corporation, which sometime next year will become a commercial subsidiary, is a leap into the unknown.
As Linsey tells the Guardian in this week’s Media interview, even as a commercial entity, Studios will still be driven by the overarching goals of the BBC. That will make competing with the likes of ITV Studios and Endemol Shine – neither constrained by the same obligations – significantly more challenging.
Balancing the need to stay in the black and keep making great shows against the concerns of an industry that will be on the lookout for any negative impact on their interests or an unfair advantage is a tall order.
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