 |  | |
 Greg Dyke, BBC Director General
Sarah Nelson looks into some of the issues facing the BBC in the lead up to the publication of Lord Hutton's report.
The Hutton report will be published at what could not be a more sensitive time for the BBC.
The process of reviewing the Corporation's charter has begun and the Government has made it clear it wants to consider what the scale and size of the BBC should be before its charter is renewed for another ten years.
Ministers say they want a strong and independent BBC, but criticism, for example about the way the BBC is governed or managed, could pave the way for sweeping changes.
Ministers aren't giving any clues as to what sort of BBC they'd like to see in the future and they are asking the public for their views before they decide.
They have set up a number of reviews into aspects of the BBC's operations which will also feed into the debate.
The BBC's commercial rivals want the review to consider a number of changes. For example, rather than the BBC collecting all of the licence fee, a proportion could be used to fund other broadcasters or independents making public service programmes.
Another idea would be for a much tighter remit for individual BBC services.
Channel Four's Barry Cox, a friend of the Prime Minister who has advised the Government on Digital Services, says that has been very successful in the case of BBC Three and should be applied elsewhere.
He also wants the licence fee to go and the BBC to be paid for by subscription though he admits that’s a little way off (the technology is not yet widely available and its more likely to be an issue in the next Charter Renewal).
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell has made it clear she will look at other options but, unless there is an alternative, the licence fee will probably continue.
In power, Labour has already been generous in its settlement to the BBC, linking the licence fee to inflation plus, but that too could change.
There could also be pressure on the Corporation to offer no new services, but instead to start scaling back.
The area where most believe Hutton will have the biggest impact though is on the regulation of the BBC. Currently that’s the preserve of the Board of Governors, which has to guard the BBC's independence.
ITV's former Director of Programmes David Liddiment says this dual role presented difficulties in the row over Dr Kelly and there should be changes if the system is to have public confidence.
He wants the Board of Governors to be beefed up, with its own secretariat so it can be seen to be more effective.
Others though wonder if the new broadcasting regulator OFCOM should take over this function, bringing the BBC in line with the rest of the industry.
Click here to listen to the key reports and interviews broadcast by the Today programme in the lead up to Lord Hutton's report.
Return to our Hutton Report navigation page.
 Back to Reports Homepage
| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
