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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/may/12/bbc-white-paper-key-points-john-whittingdale
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| BBC white paper: key points at a glance | BBC white paper: key points at a glance |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Star salaries | Star salaries |
| The public has a right to know what the highest earners are paid out of the licence fee. Will have to publish names of all employees and freelancers paid more than £450,000 in “broad bands”. | The public has a right to know what the highest earners are paid out of the licence fee. Will have to publish names of all employees and freelancers paid more than £450,000 in “broad bands”. |
| Distinctiveness | |
| An explicit requirement that its output must be “distinctive, high quality and impartial”. Whittingdale said he is “emphatically not saying that the BBC should not be popular” but popularity should “not [be] the primary measure of success”. | |
| TV | |
| BBC1 “could have greater levels of creative ambition”. Likes Strictly Come Dancing and War and Peace less keen on daytime schedule staples such as Bargain Hunt, now into series 43. Should be more current affairs, music and arts on BBC2, less entertainment. | |
| Radio | |
| Radio 1 and Radio 2 could show “even greater levels of ambition … while still remaining channels of broad public appeal”. Higher overlap with commercial rivals than BBC figures suggest. | |
| Online | |
| Welcomed BBC plans to make online services “more distinctive and to reduce magazine-style content”. Its focus should be on “rigorous, impartial analysis of important news events and current affairs”. | |
| Governance | Governance |
| New charter will abolish the trust and create a new unitary board for the BBC responsible for governing the BBC in the public interest. “At least 50% of the appointments [will be] made by the BBC itself”. Ofcom will become the BBC’s regulator “with power to investigate any aspect of BBC services ... a strong regulator alongside a strong BBC”. | |
| Related: BBC must become more accountable, says John Whittingdale | |
| Funding | Funding |
| “There is no perfect model but licence fee remains most appropriate model for next charter period. We will increase the licence fee in line with inflation to 2021/22 when there will be a new settlement.” The iPlayer loophole will be closed so on-demand viewers will need a TV licence like everyone else. | “There is no perfect model but licence fee remains most appropriate model for next charter period. We will increase the licence fee in line with inflation to 2021/22 when there will be a new settlement.” The iPlayer loophole will be closed so on-demand viewers will need a TV licence like everyone else. |
| Pay-TV BBC | Pay-TV BBC |
| BBC will also investigate new subscription offerings but it will be for the “BBC to set the scope of these plans” which will feed into the next charter review process. They will be for “additional services” not currently provided by the BBC | BBC will also investigate new subscription offerings but it will be for the “BBC to set the scope of these plans” which will feed into the next charter review process. They will be for “additional services” not currently provided by the BBC |
| Diversity | Diversity |
| The BBC will be required to give greater focus to under-served audiences, including black, Asian and minority ethnic viewers, and in the nations and regions. “We want BBC to be the leading broadcaster in addressing diversity issues,” said Whittingdale with diversity enshrined in the new charter. | The BBC will be required to give greater focus to under-served audiences, including black, Asian and minority ethnic viewers, and in the nations and regions. “We want BBC to be the leading broadcaster in addressing diversity issues,” said Whittingdale with diversity enshrined in the new charter. |
| Transparency | Transparency |
| The National Audit Office, which already investigates various aspects of the BBC, will be given a wide-ranging role as the corporation’s official auditor. | The National Audit Office, which already investigates various aspects of the BBC, will be given a wide-ranging role as the corporation’s official auditor. |
| Who makes what? | Who makes what? |
| The BBC will allow independent producers to bid to make 100% of its output outside of its news programmes (currently they are limited to 50%) including returnable series such as EastEnders. Gives approval to the BBC’s moves to turn its in-house production department into newly commercial BBC Studios. | |
| Commercial rivals | |
| “The BBC needs to move from a mindset of seeing other media players as rivals ... to one that seeks to work in partnership.” Rival broadcasters will be able to bid for a £20m pot to make public service programmes such as children’s TV, on a trial basis. | |
| Charter length | |
| The charter will be extended to 11 years to remove it from the political electoral cycle with a “mid term review” to check its progress. | |
| World Service | World Service |
| “We’ll protect the BBC World Service funding for five years plus an extra £289m of government funding available over this spending review period.” | |
| Read the white paper in full |