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White Paper Weakens BBC’s Independence
DATELINE: 14/3/06
Reacting to the publication today (14 March) of the BBC Charter Review White Paper, the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom welcomed the government’s commitment to continue funding the BBC through the licence fee. However it criticised the proposals to increase the role of broadcasting regulator Ofcom in the BBC’s governance and operations.
“As a result of intense lobbying by commercial media groups the White Paper makes significant concessions which will weaken the BBC’s independence,” Campaign spokesperson Granville Williams said.
“The White Paper increases the power of commercial and new media groups to challenge initiatives by the BBC and undermine its ability to develop innovative projects. It does this by proposing a significant extension of the role of Ofcom in the BBC’s operations.”
The CPBF, a long established media reform organisation, believes that Ofcom represents the interests of commercial broadcasters and new media, not the licence holders. Giving Ofcom a role in market impact assessments for new ventures, and even pilots, the Campaign argues, will inevitably allow the commercial media groups greater scope to continue to lobby against new ventures by the BBC.
The composition of the BBC Trust will not represent licence holders either. It will monitor and vet new plans by the BBC for programming and services in terms of ‘public value tests’ - an exercise designed to ensure they do not have an impact on commercial rivals.
There has been an intense lobbying by industry groups such as the internet association group (BIPA), commercial radio (CRCA) and other media groups which argue that the BBC is too big, and the licence fee an unfair subsidy which distorts the market and stifles their business. Their arguments and ideas have clearly influenced the final shape of the White Paper.
The CPBF is also concerned about the use of the licence fee to assist C4 through digital switchover and to provide digital terrestrial capability. “Clearly C4 has a public service remit which needs to be protected but this proposal represents a form of ‘top-slicing’”, Granville Williams commented.
Together with the TUC and Federation of Entertainment Unions the CPBF is organising a major conference in London on April 1 at which the full impact of the White Paper proposals will be discussed. Full details from www.cpbf.org.uk
Contact details: Granville Williams 01977 646580
Last modified: Thursday, March 16, 2006
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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
Register now for Keep Broadcasting Public
White Paper leaks
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Purnell to address campaign’s ‘Keep Broadcasting Public’ conference
‘Keep Broadcasting Public’ Conference: Minister to present new BBC Charter
BBC White Paper: Why The Delay?
Lords back licence fee
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Lords Back Licence Fee
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Pressure on the BBC
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Campaign rejects call for licence-fee to fund digital switch-over
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