[cma-l] Where Next

[Trevor Lockwood]

Hello
I posted a copy of my blog: http://www.trevorlockwood.com/future/next-bbc/ in various places.
It is meant to be a serious contribution. Your questionnaire exemplifies all that is wrong with BBC thinking. You've come up with some ideas - which may or may not be good. You assume they are all that need to be considered and create a questionnaire designed to exclude anything else, and to allow you to point to the 'most selected as good' responses to justify your approach.
Interestingly, you do not plan to publish these public responses. In most case government and local councils do make responses available because they add depth to the discussions.

As someone closely involved with community media for many years I'm disappointed that you have failed to even mention tyhe contribution of the 300 FM licensed stations. Such contact as we've had over the years has been confined to 'what can we give, for nothing, to the BBC,' whereas we'd hoped you'd regard community media as a great clearing house for talent, interest and 'real' news.
Too many BBC jobs at stake to risk involvement?
Trevor Lockwood
www.trevorlockwood.com



 
The BBC has an enviable reputation. The
underlying principles of its constitution are: 
	* To be independent from outside interests and arrangements which could undermine editorial integrity.
	* Not endorse or appear to endorse any other organisation, its products, activities, services, views or opinions.
	* Not give undue prominence to commercial products or services.
	* No product placement in programmes.
	* On-air and online credits must be clearly editorially justified.
	* They must never include a link on a public service website or within the editorial content of a commercial site, in return for cash, services or any other consideration in kind.
	* Finally they must not unduly promote BBC commercial products or BBC-related commercial products and services on our public service outlets.
The BBC provides plenty to comment
upon, we could all moan and groan, and I intend to carry on doing so.
Healthy, well-meant criticism that is properly considered is vital to
maintain the vibrancy and integrity of the this unique organisation.
Grant Shapps, Conservative Party
Chairman, is threatening that the BBC Licence Fee will be taken away,
or given in part to private sharks, if the BBC doesn't sort itself
out. I'm not sure if Shapps believes he should be listened to as he
has an HND in business and finance, and has run a web-based media
company. The rationale behind his threats is very weak, and will not
stand up to serious scrutiny.
It may be better if we all took an
interest. The governance of the BBC is both strange and largely
unworkable. The licence fee brings in a constant source of revenue,
yet fee-payers have very little say in the products they receive. Two
15-minute programmes a week, one on the radio, one on the TV, are
hardly sufficient. Particularly so when producers never accept
criticism, tending instead to denigrate and dismiss the questioners.
Could we look at the role of the
lice-fee payer? Should they become shareholders of the BBC? Is there
a structure that will allow every British citizen (and that will need
to be defined) the right to share ownership, and just one share at
that?
This is not to argue for lowest common
denominator productions – the USA provide enough of such rubbish to
keep centuries of morons satisfied. Yet we do need better access to
the seats of power.
There's an initiative under way right
now, if you can find it. I'll help, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/whoweare/wherenext/ In the second paragraph Get Involved you'll see a link to complete
our online survey. On that page you will be shown the following:
Click
here to launch the online survey and share your thoughts
on some of the various proposals.
	1. At the end of each section there will be an opportunity for you to save your response if you prefer to return to it at another time while the feedback form is open.
	2. If you represent an organisation and would prefer to send a separate response, you can send your submission by e-mail to: wherenext at bbc.co.uk.
	3. Or if more convenient, you can send your feedback by post to: BBC Where Next Feedback, B5232, The Mill, Burn Lane, Hexham, NE46 3RU.
That all sounds very good. There are
sections that promise to deal with: 
	* Services: Making our television channels, radio stations and digital services work better so everyone gets the value from them they deserve
	* Digital access: Making improvements to BBC iPlayer and making the BBC more personal and tailored to you so you can discover more of the things you love.
	* Creativity: Bringing the best of British creativity to everyone by being world-class in Drama, News, Music, Arts and Education
At that point you can breathe a sigh of
relief. It is now clear that action will be taken, and you can play
your part.
Except for one sentence on that opening
page which says:
We now want to give you the
opportunity help shape this by letting us know what you think about
the plans we’ve outlined. 
Start the survey and the significance
of that statement becomes clear. 'They' have decided and this survey
is so that you can endorse the decisions made.
There is no space for criticism. You
are asked to rate 1-5 but then asked to tell which of the new ideas
you really want to see.
As a past Director of the Community
Media Forum Europe, of the Community Media Association and having
started community radio stations I was keen to suggest that we adopt
the system used in France where community stations each receive a
modicum of state funding, and are welcomed as invaluable contributors
to the media community. No chance.
Instead I'm asked to make a choice:
Help BBC One stays the nation’s favourite, by: 
	1. Investing in new programmes in drama 
	2. Investing in family entertainment programmes
	* An enhanced focus for BBC Four: 
	1. Make it more of a channel that covers a range of different types of programme to include more new history and science and live performances from major arts institutions as well as continuing to provide the high quality programming it currently offers
	* Use technology to make the channels more relevant for you: 
	1. Launch a BBC One +1 channel, showing all the content from BBC One an hour later*. 
	2. Launch BBC ‘Connected Red Button’ service across more platforms (currently only available in Virgin homes). BBC Connected Red Button brings TV, Radio and online together all on one screen – the TV - and enhances the enjoyment of programmes by, for example, enabling you to watch programmes from BBC children’s channels, BBC Three and BBC Four any time even if the channel is off-air, or providing more streams, clips and content from your favourite sporting events.
	* Continue to bring people together for big events: 
	1. Building on the expertise and technology developed during the London 2012 Olympics, we will bring you a new live, digital experience for even more events across the BBC, combining the best video, audio, text and stats, alongside the BBC’s world class digital journalism, to audiences across TV, computer, mobile and tablet 
	2. Offering a richer, more social, mobile, personal experience for the big festivals, sporting events, landmark television moments and major news events
Which, if any, of these Services plans appeal to you personally? And,
Is there anything else you want to say
about the full range of ideas we’ve outlined in the Services part of our new strategy?
Thinking outside of the box is not
allowed. You cannot easily comment about the limited range of talent
who are allowed to broadcast. The same old faces can be relied upon.
Don't mention repeated shows at prime times. I think the best was
Dad's Army (now about 40 years old) shown at 8pm on Christmas Eve.
There's no space here to ask what the myriad number of managers
really contribute to the BBC, nor is there any way in which we may
ask how much money the BBC gets from selling programmes (which we
paid for). Perhaps lice-fee payers could obtain a discount from
revenues earned instead of producers spending the cash flying all
over the world to film a presenter walking into the haze along a
mountain-top.
Shapps is an opportunist, to be
dismissed out of hand because he is a politician, and his arguments
are, at best, fatuous. We all know what he is up to. The BBC has been
known to criticise the political system, and so must be removed.
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