Credit: Yui Mok / PA Archive
The recently-published White Paper, A BBC for the future: a broadcaster of distinction, outlines the government’s intentions regarding the BBC Charter – charter renewal being the moment when governments can legitimately change the terms under which the otherwise independent BBC operates.
While acknowledging that the UK benefits enormously from the BBC’s continuing excellence and contribution, the White Paper enumerates the BBC’s many problems during the last charter period – including high remuneration for retiring executives and star performers, the focus on highly-rated popular programmes over ‘distinctive’ programming and the unsuccessful Digital Media Initiative (£100 million).
