licence fee

The BBC funding dilemma

Two men and a woman sit and talk on a panel discussion behind a table

Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has said that nothing is off the table as the Government grapples with one of British broadcasting’s biggest questions: how to fund the BBC as the future of the licence fee comes into sharp focus in the run-up to renewal of the BBC’s royal charter, which expires in 2027. The BBC Director-General, Tim Davie, said in May: “We are not asking for the status quo. We want modernisation and reform. But in doing so, we must safeguard universality.

The Future of BBC Funding

Ahead of the renewal of the BBC’s Royal Charter, former BBC Director General Lord Tony Hall, ex-Sky COO and Chair of a number of Boards, Mike Darcey, Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, and media economist Mark Oliver discuss the future of BBC funding.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie on Freely and future-proofing the BBC

BBC director-general Tim Davie sits in a chair and gestures with his hand

Another week, another BBC media storm. As allegations of rape and other forms of sexual abuse emerged against Russell Brand, a former Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music presenter who resigned in 2008 following a prank phone call to actor Andrew Sachs, the BBC’s Director-­General, Tim Davie, once again found himself having to defend the corporation’s culture.

John Whittingdale: BBC licence fee not settled yet

John Whittingdale

The level of threat the BBC is under in the run-up to Charter Renewal is in danger of being exaggerated, former BBC Director-General Greg Dyke told Radio 4’s The Media Show.

Dyke was part of a panel discussing the future of the broadcaster, and added that it would be a “terrible mistake” for the BBC to stop making popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Chris Bryant calls BBC Trust a 'busted flush' at RTS event

The BBC Trust "has proved itself a busted flush" as increasingly fractious charter renewal negotiations between the Government and the BBC gather pace.

Shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport Chris Bryant MP told a packed RTS event Tuesday evening that the public broadcaster's regulator had markedly failed in its duty to protect the interests of licence fee payers since the UK general election. 

 

Paxman and Stewart agree to disagree over the 2015 election coverage

Jeremy Paxman and Alastair Stewart at RTS legends Lunch in May 2015

The two seasoned broadcasters offered different perspectives on the recent general election to their interviewer, Media Show presenter Steve Hewlett.

"Monumentally dull" was the verdict of the erstwhile Newsnight attack dog on the campaign in which pollsters, pundits and politicians were all convinced would lead to another hung Parliament.

Paxman opined that TV networks had devoted so much attention to opinion polls because it was a "monumentally dull" campaign.