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Government under fire over alleged BBC licence fee talks with News Corp
Guardian
DATELINE: 27/10/11
The government has been urged to look again at the BBC's funding and reveal the extent to which it was discussed with News Corporation before last year's shotgun licence fee settlement. John McDonnell MP claimed there were "undue influences from the Murdoch empire" in the hastily agreed settlement that saw the licence fee frozen for six years and the corporation take on a greater financial burden, including the BBC World Service.
Asked to provide evidence to back up his claims, McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington in west London, said: "That's one of the issues we have been raising with ministers.
"It would be helpful if ministers could publish the information about the number of times that they met with the Murdoch empire to discuss the licence fee itself.
"Up until now we have not received any detailed information from them about the times that they met with Murdoch and the times they discussed the licence fee settlement."
McDonnell said James Murdoch, the under-fire deputy chief operating officer at News Corporation, had made it "quite clear" that he wanted a reduced licence fee so that News Corporation could "exploit and develop their own empire at the expense of the BBC".
Culture minister Ed Vaizey, responding to McDonnell in a Westminster Hall debate about the future of BBC local radio on Wednesday, said: "I have never discussed the licence fee with Rupert Murdoch or the Murdoch empire.
"Funnily enough the most influential discussion I had was with the Guardian Media Group [publisher of MediaGuardian.co.uk] who complained about the size of the BBC website."
McDonnell responded: "To be frank I think those discussions around the BBC licence fee that took place with News International were above the honourable member's pay grade."
Shadow culture minister Helen Goodman said she hoped Vaizey would not "wash his hands" of the £700m programme of cuts being driven through at the BBC, with the loss of 2,000 jobs, as a result of last year's funding agreement.
She said the growth in inflation since the deal was struck in October last year meant the licence fee was being eroded even faster than anticipated.
"Since the chancellor of the exchequer has not kept inflation under control we can all work out the cuts are going to be much larger. Does he not see there is a case for readdressing the size of the licence fee?"
But Vaizey described the settlement as a "good deal" for the BBC. "There is not a single other media group in the country that has certainty of funding going to 20116/17. That is an enormous luxury."
MPs accused him of being "lighthearted" about their concerns for local radio – Vaizey used one reply to come up with a jingle for BBC Radio Oxford – and former Labour culture minister Ben Bradshaw said he was acting like a cheerleader for the corporation.
"With due respect to the minister his speech could have been written by BBC management," said Bradshaw.
"My job is to be a candid friend of the BBC, I don't apologise for supporting it," said Vaizey.
"It is certainly not my job to tell the BBC what to do, it would be quite wrong for a minister to tell the BBC to close down a particular service or save a particular service. That is a job for BBC management."© 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday, October 27, 2011
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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.
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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.
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DATELINE: 1/3/13
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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
'future Of The BBC...'
Unions to ballot members at the BBC
BBC cuts – the chickens come home to roost
BBC is risking irreparable damage to 'the best journalism in the world'
The BBC is not part of the problem raised by Hackgate
Supporters speak out against the closure of BBC World Service radio in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe
BBC – getting its capitulation in first
Union members at the BBC are still willing to fight to defend pensions
Licence fee for 'wasteful' BBC will be cut
BBC Trust rejects 6 Music closure but the campaign goes on
BBC 'failing to provide alternative to commercialised US children's programmes'
Fighting the BBC cuts gets parliamentary support
BBC cuts - make your voice heard
NUJ pledges to fight BBC cuts package
BBC announcement is capitulation to Murdoch
Minister gets the message over licence fee
Dyke in BBC 'conspiracy' claim
BBC's future: a welcome dose of reality
Is BBC News online "next in line" for Conservative cuts?
Keeping Broadcasting Public
Keep Broadcasting Public - Victoria Brittain
Keep broadcasting public - Brendan Barber
Keep broadcasting public - Dr. Georgina Born
A view from the Guardian
Keep Broadcasting Public - observer's report
Keep broadcasting public - Tom O'Malley
Keep broadcasting public - James Purnell MP
BBC Conference Warns Against Complacency
Green Paper, white in parts
Ofcom's remedy is not ours...
Conference presentations can now be read here...
