What now for the BBC?

YOU can almost imagine the headlines as they had been read in the starchy tones of a BBC newsreader from years ago...

"AND here is today's news:

"BOING. The BBC's Board of Governors is to be abolished in one of the biggest shake-ups for years.

"BOING. It will be replaced by two bodies, a BBC Trust to represent the interests of the viewer, and an Executive Board to run the corporation day to day.

"BOING. The BBC will retain its Royal Charter and the licence fee will stay in place for the next ten years.

"BOING. But the corporation will be required to shift a 'significant degree' of its production away from London, and will have to provide more programmes for the regions...."

Those are the main proposals outlined in the Government's consultation green paper on the future of the BBC published yesterday.

But what do they mean? And will they make any difference to the programmes you watch?

Yes, probably. If not today or tomorrow, then soon.

The changes are intended to produce a BBC fit for the digital age. Culture secretary Tessa Jowell, who unveiled the green paper yesterday in the House of Commons, pointed out that in 1988, Britain had four TV channels. "Today, there are more than 400," she said.

Ironically, however, the proposals suggest a return to the more old-fashioned values of the BBC's recent past.

The price of the BBC keeping its charter and its licence fee would be a renewed emphasis on public service broadcasting. So there would be fewer cheap, populist programmes - such as makeover and reality shows - and a return to what the corporation does best. Quality programmes that inform, challenge and entertain.

Ms Jowell said yesterday research had revealed that while viewers generally liked and trusted the BBC, and wanted it to maintain its standards, they had concerns. These included:

The BBC did not listen to viewers enough

The quality was declining - with too many copycat programmes and not enough new, challenging TV. The BBC "should not play copycat, or chase ratings for ratings sake", Ms Jowell said.

The Government's proposals try to address both these problems. One reason for scrapping the Board of Governors and replacing it with two new bodies is to try to make it more accountable. It has long been thought a problem that the people who run the BBC - the Governors - also police the corporation and hold it to account.

Under the new proposals, one body, the BBC Trust, would monitor the activities of the BBC and ensure it fulfils its public service remit. The other, the Executive Board, would be responsible for the day-to-day running of the corporation.

Splitting these functions between two bodies would "provide much-needed daylight between two quite separate roles - running the BBC and making sure it is run well", Ms Jowell said yesterday.

But the change would also make the BBC more responsive, she insisted.

"Licence fee-payers need to know who is speaking up for them. They need to know exactly who is in charge, and they deserve to know how important decisions are made," she told the House of Commons.

So, the new BBC is going to be an open, accountable, listening BBC. It is also, however, going to be a quality BBC.

The key to that is going to be the licence fee. We may all like to grumble about it, the licence fee frees the BBC from the need to carry advertising or to engage in ratings wars with commercial TV channels, and that gives it the chance to try out new programmes and ideas.

The Government, Ms Jowell said, had considered a number of options for funding the BBC, and had also consulted the public.

Ultimately - perhaps after 2016, when the BBC will need to renew its charter once again - it may be necessary to consider some other form of funding, such as subscription for digital viewers.

But until then, the licence fee remains the best option, she said.

"Perhaps surprisingly, the licence fee retains a high degree of public support. And although not perfect, we believe it remains the fairest way to fund the BBC."

Among the other proposals contained in the green paper - which is only a consultation document - is a requirement for the BBC to shift a "significant degree" of its production away from London; and for it to play a big role in persuading the public to switch from analogue to digital TV.

"The BBC, like any public institution, needs to adapt if it is to serve its audiences and keep pace with changes in technology," Ms Jowell said.

"It's values, its global reach, its standards and its editorial independence from all-comers must be preserved. Our proposals, including keeping the licence fee and renewing the Charter for another ten years, will enable it to do just that."

But will they? We asked a few local people who are involved in the TV industry what they thought...

The insider

CHRIS Wood is a York-based TV producer and consultant who sat in on many of the Burns Committee seminars last year which drew up suggestions for the future of the BBC.

He welcomes the proposals - especially the emphasis on getting back to quality programming. There has been too much dumbing down, he says. Public service broadcasting - which is "for the betterment of society" - is what the BBC should be all about. "Everybody was getting so fed up with watching makeover shows on the BBC."

He believes the overall effect of the proposals will be to return the BBC to the organisation that was admired all over the world for its standards: a channel producing top quality drama, entertainment and informative programmes of a range and quality no other broadcaster can match.

The licence fee will be crucial - and Chris is a big supporter of it continuing.

Some people in the commercial media - including former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie, who is now chief executive of TalkSport's parent company the Wireless Group - believe the licence fee is unfair and should be scrapped.

Chris does not agree. The licence fee protects the BBC from having to worry about ratings, he says - and it is precisely because of that that the corporation can develop innovative new programmes that no other broadcaster would look at.

Programmes such as Little Britain, for example, which was "tested out" on BBC3 before finding a wider audience on BBC1.

If the licence fee were scrapped and the BBC was forced to resort to screening advertising to fund its programming, the commercial TV channels would pay the price. Such is the quality of the BBC that advertisers would desert rival channels and queue to advertise on the Beeb. "It would close the other channels down."

Chris's BBC likes: Blackpool, Little Britain, The Dragon's Den, BBC current affairs prorammes.

Chris's BBC dislikes: makeover shows, and annoying trailers promoting the BBC's own forthcoming programmes.

The TV editor

CHARLIE Phillips edits popular programmes such as The Lenny Henry Show for both the BBC and commercial TV from his home near York.

He is sceptical about whether scrapping the BBC's Board of Governors and replacing it with two new bodies will make the BBC more accountable and more responsive to viewers' wishes.

He is a fan, however, of the BBC keeping its licence fee. "I would think that across the whole of society, from the extremely wealthy to the extremely poor, people would agree that they probably get better value from their BBC licence fee than from anything else they can think of," he said.

He would like the BBC, under its new management structure, to give new shows more of a chance to establish themselves before being ditched. Too often, he says, new sitcoms or dramas are discontinued because the ratings figures were not as high as BBC bosses would like. But it can take a while for a new programme to grow an audience, he said.

"So I would like to see them put more effort into continuing new programmes."

Charlie does like the proposals to require a "significant degree of production" to take place outside of London - although the devil will be in the detail. "I think it is a great idea but I would like to know what the details of that particular commitment are," he said.

Charlie's BBC likes: Blackadder, The Good Life, Yes Minister.

Charlie's BBC dislikes: "The whole of the schedule this morning between 10am and 1pm." Which means makeover and antiques shows like Homes Under The Hammer, Houses Behaving Badly and Bargain Hunt.

The academic

DR ROB Edgar-Hunt is head of programme for film, theatre and TV at York St John College.

In theory, he backs the aims of the new green paper - although a lot is riding on the detail, he says.

He is another licence fee enthusiast. It is what makes the BBC unique, he says - and what allows it to produce such a variety and mix of programming, with specialist arts programmes reaching an audience of 250,000 going out on BBC4, for example, while on BBC 1 popular shows such as My Hero can reach an audience of millions.

He believes the licence fee represents good value. "You have to pay a great deal of money for something like Sky. What you get from the BBC for a relatively small amount of money is extremely good value."

Rob's BBC likes: Fawlty Towers, The Office, Alan Partridge.

Rob's BBC dislikes: My Family.

The green paper is a consultation document only. It can be viewed at www.bbccharterreview.org.uk To add your voice to the debate, email your views on the proposals to bbccharterreview@culture.gsi.gov.uk by May 31.

Updated: 10:57 Thursday, March 03, 2005