[cma-l] BBC Charter Review - deadline today!

[Steve Buckley]

Dear all

If you haven't already done so, there is still time to respond today to the
BBC Charter Review. Note, for local TV and community radio in particular,
Question 12 of the consultation asks :

"Should some funding be made available to other providers to deliver public
service content?"

It's easy to complete the response form on line here:
https://www.research.net/r/bbconlineconsultation

Or email to:
BBCCharterReviewConsultation at culture.gov.uk

Below is what we have sent in from Sheffield Live! Feel free to copy or
adapt.

Best wishes

Steve

//
1.    How can the BBC’s public purposes be improved so there is more
clarity about what the BBC should achieve?
The BBC’s public purposes should distinguish between PSB content which the
BBC delivers directly and funding through the BBC to other providers of PSB
content, for example, the current arrangements with S4C and local digital
television programme services. The BBC is not best placed to directly
provide all types of PSB content. In particular local PSB content, and PSB
services for the nations and regions may be appropriately supported through
the BBC acting as a funder and/or purchaser of PSB content.

2.    Which elements of universality are most important for the BBC?
The most important elements of universality for the BBC are the provision
of UK-wide radio and television services that inform, educate and
entertain. Local content services, and services for the nations and regions
may be better supported by the BBC acting as a funder and/or purchaser of
PSB content.

3.    Should Charter Review formally establish a set of values for the BBC?
The core values of the BBC should be coded in the Charter

4.    Is the expansion of the BBC’s services justified in the context of
increased choice for audiences? Is the BBC crowding out commercial
competition and, if so, is this justified?
The public interest is best served by fostering a plurality of content,
channels and media ownership, including commercial and not-for-profit
providers outside of the BBC. A balance must therefore be struck between
the BBC’s provision of services of general and specialist interest and the
provision of a range and diversity of services by other providers. The BBC
should not introduce new services for delivery of local content where other
models of PSB content delivery may provide greater local ownership and
local accountability, such as local and community radio, TV and online
services.

5.    Where does the evidence suggest the BBC has a positive or negative
wider impact on the market?
The BBC has a largely positive impact on national standards and quality of
content however, at regional and local level, BBC services may have some
negative impact by reducing the viability of independent services which
could offer better models for local ownership, accountability and content
delivery. For local and regional services the BBC may better support PSB
content as a funder or content purchaser.

6.    What role should the BBC have in preparing for the future
technological landscape including in future radio switchover?
The BBC has played a central role to play in the development of new
technologies especially distribution platforms. It should continue to
maintain a leading role in broadcasting technologies while being mindful of
the need for BBC support for new platforms to be inclusive and available to
other content providers.

7.    How well is the BBC serving its national and international audiences?
The BBC serves its national and international audiences reasonably well
however it is less well placed to serve local and regional audiences. Local
TV and community radio, together with online providers of local media
content providers may be better placed to deliver PSB content to local
audiences.

8.    Does the BBC have the right genre mix across its services?
The BBC achieves a reasonably good genre mix however a great range and
diversity of content could be achieved by devoting more airtime to
independence production including local content producers.

9.    Is the BBC’s content sufficiently high quality and distinctive from
that of other broadcasters? What reforms could improve it?
BBC broadcast content is of a high quality and much of it is distinctive.
Local and regional content, however, could be better developed by the BBC
acting as a funder and/or purchaser of PSB content.

10.    How should the system of content production be improved through
reform of quotas or more radical options?
The independent production quota may contribute to diversity of content but
is open to manipulation by hiving off existing BBC units as independent
production companies. The purpose of independent production quotas should
be to support a dynamic independent production sector as a source of PSB
content. The local TV sector represents a new and vibrant network of
grass-roots production companies across the UK, delivering PSB content,
including local news, of a form and quantity never before seen in the UK.
The BBC should continue to nurture the development of these new local
content providers.
There is a strong case for the introduction of a quota requirement for
out-sourcing local news content from independent companies. Local TV is for
the first time in UK broadcasting history, capable of supplying content to
its own audiences and to BBC regional TV news programmes.  Community radio
could perform a similar role. A quota for the purchasing of local news from
such providers should be established and adopted throughout the UK to
support a range and diversity of local news content.

11.    How should we pay for the BBC and how should the licence fee be
modernised?
The licence fee remains the best system for funding the BBC.

12.    Should the level of funding for certain services or programmes be
protected? Should some funding be made available to other providers to
deliver public service content?
The funding arrangements for local television have demonstrated a
successful economic and content sharing partnership between the BBC and
independent local broadcasters which has provided a much needed stimulus to
local news provision. For many of the new local television channels this
arrangement has proved vital to the viability of providing a local
broadcast news service and has contributed to the wider goals of increasing
the range and diversity of PSB content available to local audiences.
There should be explicit acknowledgement in the BBC’s public purposes that
the BBC has a role not only in direct delivery but also in funding and
purchasing from other providers of PSB content, including but not limited
to news content. This is currently the case for S4C and local digital
television and these arrangements should continue to be protected through
agreement in the framework of the Charter renewal. It is not appropriate
for the BBC’s funding of other licensed broadcasting services to be left
solely to the discretion of the BBC. The current arrangement for S4C and
local television could be extended to community radio to support additional
supply of local news and other PSB content.

13.    Has the BBC been doing enough to deliver value for money? How could
it go further?
The BBC has taken significant steps to improve value for money including
removing some layers of management and relocating some of its operations to
Salford. The BBC could do more through funding and/or purchasing of local
content from independent producers, local TV and community radio, which are
mainly self-managed organisations without the costs of a centralised
management hierarchy.

14.    How should the BBC’s commercial operations, including BBC Worldwide,
be reformed?
Deliberately left blank – no answer submitted.

15.    How should the current model of governance and regulation for the
BBC be reformed?
There should be explicit acknowledgement in BBC governance arrangements of
the BBC role in funding and purchasing from other providers of PSB content,
including but not limited to news content, and that such arrangements
should respect other providers editorial independence and management
autonomy.

16.    How should Public Value Tests and Service Licences be reformed and
who should have the responsibility for making these decisions?
Deliberately left blank – no answer submitted.

17.    How could the BBC improve engagement with licence fee payers and the
industry through research, transparency and complaints handling?
Deliberately left blank – no answer submitted.

18.    How should the relationship between Parliament, Government, Ofcom,
the National Audit Office and the BBC work? What accountability structures
and expectations, including financial transparency and spending controls
should apply?
Deliberately left blank – no answer submitted.

19.    Should the existing approach of a 10-year Royal Charter and
Framework Agreement continue?
Yes. A 10-year cycle should continue.

20.    We'd really appreciate it if you could tell us a little but about
yourself. Please select the boxes that best describe you below.

Submitted on behalf of :
Sheffield Local Television Ltd (operating Sheffield Live TV, local TV
channel for Sheffield)
Commedia Sheffield (operating Sheffield Live! 93.2fm community radio)
Sheffield Community Media Ltd
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