Broadcast isn't my area, but from where we stand in scripted film and TV, the future is in independently funded productions. As in, not bankrolled by the usual big Hollywood (which is imploding very quickly) and UK players and traditional funding sources. There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to revitalize the UK's independent film industry, there are some extremely promising routes to investment and audience generating tools being proposed behind closed doors.
The other problem has been that in order to get a film greenlit by the traditional sources (the national film funds and major broadcasters), all kinds of inclusivity boxes need to be ticked, while also favouring ideas that are more 'socio-realist', 'kitchen sink' or have political 'ideas' rather than simply telling a story that is more personal to the majority of storytellers, and as well intentioned as the executives at these companies and organizations are, they rule out a number of films from actually getting made (partly because not every Head of Department, director or producer hails from a minority background and not all filmmakers want to make their films too grounded in reality, so their films are not favoured for funding), especially the kinds of films that are more commercially minded and stand a better chance of bringing in healthier profits and ROI.
There's room for everything in this industry, and I say that as someone who does belong to a diversity, but the traditional funding sources only want to fund the same kinds of films, and that is just not healthy for the industry. More options for funding are coming available through private investors overseas, but people have to be looking in the right places for it rather than joining the same old queue for BFI lottery funding and the like.
Films are being funded and greenlit, but the usual routes to getting that funding are no longer viable for most producers, which threatens their livelihoods and in turn the livelihoods of others in the industry. A lot of producers in the industry are not aware of the more viable avenues, so less British films are being made unfortunately.
Crowdfunding is not always effective, and not sustainable as an option to fund most creators full budgets (it rarely happens).
