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Lords Back Licence Fee
22/11/05: The debate over the BBC charter was given a fresh twist this month when the House of Lords Select Committee, chaired by Lord (Norman) Fowler, issued its report on 1 November. Whilst not attacking the whole concept of marketised broadcasting and its main advocate, OFCOM, the report makes some points that are the same as some in evidence given by the CPBF to the Committee.Like the CPBF, it calls for the Charter to be replaced by an Act of Parliament.
This would make the whole process more transparent and relatively more accountable. We want the licence fee to continue to 2017, so does the Committee. It wants limits on inflation plus increases. While we don't want increases to rocket, we do want the BBC to be in a position to compete with its rivals who will be raking in profit at a rate which is likely to outstrip even modest inflation plus increases.
Like the CPBF the report rejects using the Licence fee to fund digital roll out. This will hit low income families, and create amunition for Murdoch and his like to attack the BBC. You can guess what a future Sun headline would be like :'BBC Licence Fee Hike!'. No explanation would be given to the effect that the Licence Fee would be funding the infrastructure that the commercial sector wants developed. In fact it is the commercial sector that should pay for roll out, not the licence fee payers.
Now is the time to write to your MP about these issues. See this website for more details, or get copies of our pamphlet (Keep Broadcasting Public - download a PDF below) and circulate it around your friends, trade union and community group.
This is too important and issue to be left to the Lords, Murdoch or the government. We must act to put pressure on our MPs to get a sensible settlement for the BBC and to push back the boundaries of commercialism in UK mass communications.
LINKSKeep Broadcasting Public
Last modified: Tuesday, November 22, 2005
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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
Conference to press for stronger BBC
Pressure on the BBC
White Paper delayed
Digital TV campaign and the Midlands MPs
Lords slam Government's charter plans
Campaign rejects call for licence-fee to fund digital switch-over
Keep Broadcasting Public - revised and updated
Jowell confirms digital switchover timetable
Happy fiftieth for ITV?
BBC governance proposals are non-negotiable
Switch to digital threatens Public Service
NUJ calls on BBC bosses to give back bonuses
The BBC After The Strike
Robin Aitkin and the biased BBC
NEWS FROM THE USA: Inspiring Conference
CPBF Response to Green Paper
MAKE THE MEDIA AN ELECTION ISSUE
BBC Cuts
PLATFORM - Replacing the BBC Licence Fee
EU Commission gets tough
Latest from BBC Charter Review team
What the CPBF told the Lords and the DCMS
NUJ to oppose job cut plans at divisional level negotiations
BBC proposes framework for detailed negotiations
Ofcom publishes Charter Renewal response
Staff unions invited to talks with BBC at ACAS
BBC strike a huge success
84% vote yes for strike over BBC job cuts
NUJ announces date for BBC strike
May's BBC Charter Review report is out
