House of Commons DCMS Committee: Future of Public Broadcasting 16.vi.20 online

[DracoM]

House of Commons

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee



Evidence session: The future of Public Service Broadcasting



Tuesday 16 June, 09.30

Watch session LIVE

Please note there is no access to Parliament
Session will have remote participation by witnesses and Committee members


BBC and Channel 4 senior executives face questions on the future of public service broadcasting

The first hearing of the inquiry into the future of public service broadcasting will hear from senior executives from the BBC and Channel on how the broadcasters have responded to the Covid-19 crisis and what impact it has had. Financial measures announced by Channel 4 as a result of the outbreak and delayed changes to the age-related BBC TV licence fee concessions will also be considered. MPs will also focus on the inquiry’s wider remit on funding, content, and regulation against a backdrop of increased competition from digital, subscription and streaming services.

Witnesses at 9.30am:

Clare Sumner CBE, Director of Policy, BBC
James Purnell, Director of Radio and Education, BBC


At approx. 10.30

Alex Mahon, Chief Executive, Channel 4

[DracoM]

News just released by DCMS: 2.vii.2020.

DCMS Committee Chair response to BBC announcement on 450 jobs cuts in English regional TV news, current affairs, local radio and online news
DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight MP said:
“For the BBC to make the regions bear the brunt of 450 job cuts is devastating news. Just two weeks ago BBC executive James Purnell told us that the broadcaster was strongly committed to local and regional journalism. This decision is a strange way of demonstrating that commitment.

“It is also at odds with what he told us about plans for the BBC to do more outside London and the south-east on local and regional services with journalism and political programmes singled out.

“As a public service broadcaster the corporation has a clear mandate to serve audiences in our regions and meet their expectations for a licence-fee funded quality regional news service. Today’s announcement appears to put that expectation in some doubt.”

[Serial_Apologist]

News just released by DCMS: 2.vii.2020.

DCMS Committee Chair response to BBC announcement on 450 jobs cuts in English regional TV news, current affairs, local radio and online news
DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight MP said:
“For the BBC to make the regions bear the brunt of 450 job cuts is devastating news. Just two weeks ago BBC executive James Purnell told us that the broadcaster was strongly committed to local and regional journalism. This decision is a strange way of demonstrating that commitment.

“It is also at odds with what he told us about plans for the BBC to do more outside London and the south-east on local and regional services with journalism and political programmes singled out.

“As a public service broadcaster the corporation has a clear mandate to serve audiences in our regions and meet their expectations for a licence-fee funded quality regional news service. Today’s announcement appears to put that expectation in some doubt.”

Depressing, although not really part of my expectations for the BBC to change: they're probably not yet used to having moved oop north. We're getting inured to this kind of disappointment.

[DracoM]

[LMcD]

Notwithstanding its presence in Salford, the BBC is clearly just as Metrocentric as ever.