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Unveiling its once-in-a-decade review, the government said a
new governing body would be created to oversee the BBC, and the
salaries of its best-paid employees would be made public to
improve transparency and address concerns that Britain's biggest
player in TV, radio and online news stifles rivals.
But the government avoided more extreme measures such as
allowing ministers to tell the BBC what to air during prime-time
TV periods such as Saturday nights, or forcing it to hand over
some of its income, derived from a levy paid by nearly every
household, to other commercial broadcasters.
"The BBC is one of the country's greatest institutions. It is
our overriding aim to ensure that the BBC continues to thrive in
a media landscape that has changed beyond recognition since the
last charter review 10 years ago," Culture Secretary John
Whittingdale told parliament.
The BBC's extensive services, estimated to reach 97 percent of
Britons each week, are funded by a guaranteed income of 3.7
billion pounds ($5.35 billion) from a license fee imposed on all
TV-watching homes.
It is fiercely resistant to any change that it says would make
it less popular with the public who pay for it.
Critics, however, say it is a bloated organization that swamps
commercial rivals, for example in providing free and extensive
online news and information, meaning many commercial groups
struggle to charge for their content.
Others have said its news coverage is politically biased,
although critics disagree as to whether it is biased to the
right or to the left.
"There has been a big debate about the future of the BBC," BBC
Director-General Tony Hall said. "Searching questions have been
asked about its role and its place in the UK. That’s right and
healthy, and I welcome that debate."
Whittingdale said the BBC Trust, its governing body, would be
replaced with a new unitary board which would still allow the
corporation to appoint a majority of members to ensure
independence.
External regulation will be handed to Ofcom, the communications
watchdog which oversees commercial broadcasters, he said.
(Editing by Stephen Addison)
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