A sense of urgency pervaded the conference hall stage as Richard Lindsay-Davies, head of the Digital TV Group (DTG), described the current state of the television industry as a pivotal moment. According to him, traditional broadcasters face a challenge that will either secure their future in the digital age or relegate them to history, while YouTube and other tech giants completely dominate the market.
According to experts, the coming decade will define broadcasting more profoundly than any transformation since the inception of television itself. The transition to IP technologies (Internet Protocol) is not merely a technical exchange of cables for the internet, but a complete “rewiring” of the entire industry. Lindsay-Davies, during the 'Television's Great Rewiring' panel, emphasized that if television does not stake its claim in a future defined by software and data, it risks losing touch with viewers.
If broadcasters do not seize the opportunity to transition to IP, they risk having their market share completely devoured by the YouTube platform.
End of the Divide Between Broadcasting and IP
Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of Technology and Innovation at EBU, sharply rejected the perception of television broadcasting and internet protocol as two opposing poles at the conference. According to him, such polarization contradicts the laws of physics and the logic of modern distribution. He described a fundamental paradigm shift: from the historical 'one-to-many' model, through the current 'many-to-many' social media ecosystem, to a future 'many-to-one' model.
In this new arrangement, personalized services revolve around the specific citizen. Broadcasters must prepare for 2034, which many European regulators cite as the deadline for the potential shutdown of DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television). To maintain relevance, it is necessary to master the interface between the user and the “engine” that serves them, which includes integrating AI and personal assistants directly under broadcasters' control.
North American Path and Threat to Journalism
While Europe is moving towards pure IP, North America is paving the way for a hybrid ATSC 3.0 model. Rebecca Hanson, NABA CEO, explained that this standard combines the reliability of traditional broadcasting with internet personalization. However, the path to its adoption is fraught with obstacles that complicate broadcasters' market position.
Key issues for the adoption of new standards in the US and Canada include:
Manufacturer control — mobile device manufacturers restrict access to receiving chips.
Regulatory deadlock — the US FCC refuses to set a sunset date for the older ATSC 1.0 standard.
Spectrum erosion — ongoing spectrum auctions continually remove frequencies needed for broadcasting.
Generative AI tools reduce click-through rates to news websites by up to 47 percent and threaten the credibility of media brands.
Hanson also warned against the destructive impact of artificial intelligence on journalism. According to her, AI “steals” content without payment and creates summaries that deter viewers from visiting original sources. She emphasized that whoever controls the artificial intelligence layer will gain control over the entire market. It is therefore crucial for media to actively defend their intellectual property against misuse by large technology companies.
Investing in Own Data and Intelligence
The solution for public and commercial media should not be passive use of external technologies, but the building of proprietary AI layers. Antonio Arcidiacono called for investments in internal data structures, rather than handing them over to “Big Tech” companies. According to him, the cards are being reshuffled right now, and coordinated action is the only path to success.
“A once-in-a-lifetime shot to reshape TV”
Richard Lindsay‑Davies, CEO, Digital TV Group (DTG)
New Formats and Digital Future
In the UK, the modernization of broadcasting towards IP is already in full swing. Lindsay-Davies believes that AI will fundamentally transform everything from content creation to user interfaces. He anticipates the emergence of formats that we cannot yet imagine today, and entirely new commercial opportunities brought about by AI-curated content. The biggest risk for the sector, according to him, is a lack of courage and “small thinking” in planning the transformation.
The path to a data-driven future is inevitable. The industry now faces a challenging process of coordinated transition, which must be efficient and effectively communicated to the public. The goal is to reach a moment that Lindsay-Davies likens to a “Moon landing” for the television industry, where television becomes a full and dominant part of the digital age.
Richard Lindsay-Davies
CEO, Digital Television Group (DTG)
Richard Lindsay-Davies is the CEO of the Digital TV Group (DTG), the independent UK research and technology organization for television and media.
Appointed by the government to chair the Future of UK TV Infrastructure Working Group, which led to the recently published Media Green Paper, Richard has led discussions bringing together broadcasters, manufacturers, ISPs, platforms, and technology providers to explore the practical implications of how TV might evolve over the coming decades.
This role, however, is not separate from his day job. It is a continuation of it.
Richard has spent more than 30 years working at board level in the television and technology sectors, helping the sector navigate periods of profound technological change. He has built a reputation for bringing together organizations with opposing priorities to address practical challenges in ways that deliver real-world results.
He has been recognized internationally for his contributions to the industry, including an Emmy Award and being named RTS Leader of the Year 2024.
At a time when the future of television threatens to be reduced to simplistic headlines about “turn-offs”, Richard brings a rare combination of technical knowledge, commercial understanding, and practical experience in building industry-wide consensus.