New Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright warns BBC risks being dwarfed by YouTube if it fails to modernise

THE BBC risks being dwarfed by YouTube if it fails to modernise, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has warned.

He said more young people now recognise the online video platform than the public broadcaster.

In his first public speech in his new role, Mr Wright told the Edinburgh TV Festival that a new swathe of channels and content creators had “transformed the landscape”.

And he said traditional media outlets must spread its staff more evenly across the UK instead of being “clustered” in London.

He welcomed Channel 4’ s upcoming move outside of the capital and encouraged other broadcasters to follow suit.

Piling pressure on the BBC to rerform, he said: “Young people now recognise the name YouTube more than they recognise the name of the BBC. In these changing times, we have to look at what our broadcasters have to do to thrive.”

Mr Wright added: “In a fast-changing media environment, it is more important than ever for broadcasters to reach out and reflect the UK as a whole.

“A media that is clustered in the capital can’t possibly reflect and represent the rich and diverse tapestry that is the United Kingdom.”

Mr Wright praised TV shows Planet Earth, The Great British Bake Off and Love Island for uniting viewers and creating “truly national moments”.

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