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BBC cuts – campaign for the alternative
Frances Balfour
DATELINE: 12/7/12
The BBC, in the document 'Delivering Quality First', outlined the cuts necessitated by the freezing of the licence fee until 2017 and the imposition of £340 millions worth of new responsibilities. In response The Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) – which comprises BECTU, Equity, the Musicians Union, the NUJ, the Professional Footballers Association, Unite and the Writers' Guild - held a meeting at the House of Commons on 10 July, hosted by John McDonnell MP, to launch their alternative proposals to the BBC cuts.
The FEU has produced a excellent booklet entitled "BBC Cuts, There is an alternative", which gives a clear exposition of the background to the current crisis, describes the already devastating effect of the cuts, the social impact of the cuts, and outlines the economic impact on the national economy.It proposes alternatives, which are: Prioritise spending on core content; The licence fee should not be used for the government's pet projects; BBC money should be spent properly; BSkyB should pay a fair price for carrying BBC content.It also includes a postcard to send to the incoming Director General, George Entwistle, requesting an urgent review of the Delivering Quality First programme and asking that he request the government to review the licence fee settlement.The booklet can be downloaded, with the postcard, at: www.nuj.org.uk/bbc_alternative.html or at: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2293
Last modified: Friday, July 13, 2012
Previous public service broadcasting stories
BBC cuts - there is an alternative
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BBC wins right to broadcast prisoner interview
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Unions reach agreement with the BBC who plan U-turn over local radio cuts
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Notices
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 cuts - there is an alternative
BBC unions say high-handed BBC managers could provoke Jubilee strike
BBC wins right to broadcast prisoner interview
Delivering Quality First
Unions reach agreement with the BBC who plan U-turn over local radio cuts
Open Letter about Ofcom report to the Secretary of State on PSB obligations on Channels 3 & 5
BBC 'cheap programming' scandal exposed
Committee says new BBC Chairman has "much to get to grips with"
ITV profits boosted by advertising revenue recovery
BBC seeks extra £400m in savings
Television licence fee to be frozen for next six years
BBC staff deliver massive mandate for action on pensions
Why Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) matters
Plea to relax rules for election TV debates
Cameron's 'pro-BBC' claim fails to stand up to scrutiny
Tory links to Murdoch under scrutiny
NUJ shock at ITV bid decisions
BBC capitulation paves way for Murdoch web charge
Red Bee Media's planned cuts to redundancy pay provoke industrial action ballot
BBC research into lesbian, gay and bisexual portrayal 'welcomed'
Court tells Sky to cut ITV stake
Media firms bid for ITV bulletins
Campaigning organisation to continue fight for BBC
BBC sees off plan to use licence fee for regional news on commercial channels
Top-slicing: Kaufman decries 'stupid' legislation
Briefing on Product Placement
TV broadcasting in Northern Ireland under threat
New report shows we can bridge broadcasting funding gap
EU parliament hosts battle on future of public broadcasting
Troubled ITV cuts jobs and costs
