The Government's proposals for a digital Britain hit the headlines this week. Supporters of the BBC were appalled by plans to share television licence funds with other broadcasters as well as the BBC, which has been the exclusive beneficiary of the fee for 80 years.
Supporters of the idea of sharing the licence fee argue it would avoid the BBC regaining the monopoly of public service news it enjoyed until ITV was created in 1955. ITV is now an almost entirely commercial broadcaster, while Channel 4's disastrous ventures in recent years have left it in a parlous financial state. Sharing the licence fee would subsidise competitive regional news services on ITV and Channel 4.
I'm sceptical about this. The licence fee, while unpopular with many, is easily understood. It's the way we fund the BBC, one of Britain's greatest cultural assets, and a world media leader. Who would decide how much of the fee should go to other media companies? What would be the criteria for deciding who gets what?
That said, the BBC is far from perfect, even in regional news. During our holiday in Dorset in early June, we watched the corporation's Spotlight south west news bulletins on BBC Breakfast. I was amazed that the same reports were played repeatedly during the programme. True, few will watch Breakfast from start to finish. But many will watch for an hour or so as they get the family ready for their day. And how could Spotlight on Breakfast have missed this terrific story: the discovery of the bodies of 50 iron age warriors on the site of Weymouth's controversial relief road? A road rushed through approvals so it could speed visitors to the 2012 Olympics sailing events at Portland. The warriors appear to have been massacred by the Romans as they seized Maiden Castle. Sky News covered it. But not, it appears, the public service BBC.
Hello Rob.
BBC Spotlight did report this story. I remember seeing it on the 6.30 programme.
It may simply be that network picked it up a day after Spotlight had already run it.
Network (BBC National News) and the regions work together but are autonomous.
For instance with the Plymouth nursery story, that breaks via BBC South West, by the time the networks are giving it large amounts of airtime, BBC South West may be treating the story differently, (its audience will already be familiar the initial details).
I can't confirm whether Spotlight breakfast bulletins featured the grave story on the day, (as I can't see the running order), but it definitely made it to the 6.30 programme.
I would say the BBC regions work really hard to ensure their first to report what happens in their patch.
And generally this is the case most of time.
Scott
Posted by: Scott Roberts | June 19, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Hi Scott
Thanks for the informed comment. I suspected the evening Spotlight bulletins would have covered the story. I just think the BBC is really missing a trick with the regional Breakfast bulletins. By the way, I'm a big fan of BBC Radio - good luck at Radio Devon!
Posted by: Rob Skinner | June 23, 2009 at 09:59 PM