The public arts

At a press conference at the Hay Festival this week, broadcaster-comedienne Sandi Toksvig began with a wistful reminiscence of what arts broadcasting used to be like when she started out. ‘You could have an idea, go and see your editor, and they’d say okay, let’s do it’ she explained. ‘Now, you go to, ahem, certain broadcasters, and they say, okay Sandi, good news, we can have your idea up and running in three years.’ Three years? The alternative to this is – well, what, exactly? The BBC may be dutifully putting out quality arts programmes on their hinterland digital channels (you can pretty much forget going to BBC2 for the arts anymore) but ITV, as their axing of the South Bank Show show proves, have decisively relinquished any commitment to providing a mainstream British television audience with the arts; they’re also slashing drama budgets and will presumably be stuffing schedules with yet more cheap-as-chips reality TV and ‘talent’ shows in their stead.