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Threats to the BBC
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'We like to make sure we always have one review [of the BBC] in process and two pending,' Bill Bush, special adviser to the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, said in January 2003. The gloating tone of this remark suggests something of the gulf between theory and practice in the relationship between government and the BBC.
In theory, the BBC is meant to operate independently from government, yet it is often when the BBC applies the policies laid down by government as part of Charter renewal that the reverse happens.
In 1994, as part of Charter renewal, the Conservative government required the BBC to expand into new media, to generate commercial revenue and build a presence in global markets. The BBC did this, and provoked fierce attacks from its commercial rivals, who then lobbied the Labour government, citing competition law, to charge the BBC with unfair trading, abuse of licence fee money, and distorting the market.
The result has been a string of reviews: BBC Online, BBC News 24, BBC3, the children's channels, and so on. Also there has been an escalation in government intervention in the operations of the BBC. As Georgina Born points out in her excellent book, Uncertain Vision, 'government instruction dictated BBC policies, which provoked competitors' hostility, which in turn elicited government sanctions against the BBC.'
Now we have another in the string of reviews running up to the Green Paper on the BBC Charter promised early in 2005, the report by the independent panel, chaired by Lord Burns. The report states that it wants to help ensure a 'strong and independent ' BBC but its proposals, if implemented, would have the opposite effect. It proposes another review of the BBC's funding and structure half way through the next Charter renewal in 2012, a move towards subscription, close monitoring of the BBC's remit by an independent body, and a sharper focus on distinctive public service programmes.
Meanwhile within the BBC there is turmoil over a series of major changes being proposed by Director General Mark Thompson around job cuts, boosting the amount of programming made by independent producers, and moving parts of the BBC's out of London. Again the government is interfering, with Tessa Jowell enthusiastically supporting an increase in independent production, a policy which will do great damage to the BBC's programme making capacity.
The government's interference in the BBC, vividly demonstrated in the events around the death of David Kelly, is part of a broader pattern of unacceptable intrusion into the operations of the organisation.
It is absolutely vital that policies to enhance the BBC's regulation and independence, and to push back the influence of government in its day-today workings, are pursued. The problem is, as Georgina Born points out, the government's drive 'to curb the BBC seem fuelled as much by its ideological discomfort with a creative and powerful public sector, and its insalubrious political interest in appeasing Murdoch's press.'
Last modified: Saturday, December 25, 2004
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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.
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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
Government Policy
BBC Conference
IFJ condemns BBC threat to public service
Journalism and Trust
Save Public Broadcasting
The future of non-commercial local radio & tv
BBC Charter review hearings
DCMS review of BBC digital radio published
Is Wife Swap a public service programme?
Public Service Broadcasting Campaign: E-activism site launched
A new framework for Public Service Broadcasting
THE BBC’S FUTURE
Fox censured by Ofcom
ITV Franchise Fees Review
BBC Charter Renewal Debate - Winning a voice for licence fee payers
The Graf report on BBC Online
BBC CHARTER REVIEW (July 2004)
More from Ofcom
New Ofcom documents
CPBF Response to Ofcom Review of Public Service Broadcasting, Phase 1 – Is Television Special?
Defending Public Service Broadcasting
The danger of top-slicing
Campbell’s alter ego
Without Comment
Privatising spin
Submission to the DCMS on the Review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.
Backing the BBC
Where is liberalisation taking the British media?
DON’T BE COWED: The BBC after Hutton
GCHQ whistleblower gagged.
A Spin Free Regime for Blair?
