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Green paper is good in parts, says CPBF
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom statement on Government Green Paper
The CPBF gives the charter renewal Green Paper a mixed reception, welcoming the preservation of the licence fee and the renewal of the Charter itself, while expressing concern that the reforms to BBC governance may be no more than cosmetic and that the exact formulation of the BBC's remit set out in the Green Paper may threaten the corporation's traditional broad appeal.The CPBF welcomes two key proposals in the BBC's Royal Charter review A Strong BBC, independent of government, published by the DCMS on 2 March 2005.
* we welcome the proposal to continue funding the BBC by the licence fee and
* we welcome the proposal to renew the Royal Charter
These two commitments clearly mark the end of some of the most damaging policy proposals - 'top-slicing' the licence fee or moving to a subscription model - which have circulated in earlier discussions on the BBC's future.
* The Green Paper makes a number of strong arguments for the key role of the BBC as a broadcaster, as a key vehicle for pushing through the adoption of digitial television and a range of other activities online and in education. These are a welcome confirmation of the case put forward by the BBC in their own submission of the range and variety of its work in Building Public Value
However we are concerned about other proposals in the Green Paper.
* The CPBF was critical about the existing role of the BBC governors, especially around their response to the Hutton report, but also about the process of appointment to the Board, The CPBF considered the appointment process to be undemocratic and unrepresentative. Members of the proposed BBC Trust will be appointed by the same process as before. We believe alternative models for making appointments to the Trust more representative should be considered.
* We are also concerned about a number of proposals in the Green Paper which will have the effect of narrowing the BBC's ability to appeal across a range of programming to UK audiences. In particular the BBC's mission is narrowly drawn and the danger is that it becomes a niche broadcaster delivering programmes which commercial broadcasters either do not want to or cannot make.
There is a clear strategy by commercial media groups to insist that the licence fee should not be used to provide programmes and services which could be provided commercially. We think the Green Paper proposals, if implemented, will put in place controls over the BBC's ability to respond creatively and imaginatively to both technological change but also in developing new programming ideas. There is a great danger that the BBC is assigned, under these proposals, to delivering programming which diminishes its range, reach and popularity. In other words the proposals could be a seen as poisoned chalice which weaken the BBC in the future.
Last modified: Monday, March 14, 2005
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Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Public Service Broadcasting
BBC governors to go, its public service role to stay
Conference to defend Public Service Broadcasting
Governance of the BBC: Social Market Foundation event
2005 crucial year for public service broadcasting
BBC - How it must change
BBC Charter Review Monthly report - No.4 (August 2004)
Welcome
