Government Reveals Public Opinion On BBC
The department for culture media and sport has published a report on public opinion of the BBC, revealing that the Corporation is still held in high esteem, but that two thirds of the public support the licence fee being dropped.
The Government’s What You Said About the BBC report summarises views collated during a major public consultation on the future of the broadcaster carried out from December 2003 to March 2004. The report also reflects the results of wide-ranging survey research.
The consultation findings will contribute to the BBC’s forthcoming charter review, along with research and submissions from commercial broadcasters, the Government and the BBC itself.
The latest research found that the public values the BBC across a wide range of areas, with an overall satisfaction rating of 75%. The BBC is also valued as a trailblazer, setting standards for other broadcasters to follow, with this strength intrinsically linked to its public funding. However, the report states that there was “marked”, albeit not universal, perception amongst its focus groups and consultation responses that the Corporation’s programmes have declined in quality.
The report concluded that the public would like a more accountable BBC, with the organisation as a whole being answerable to licence fee payers. Similarly there was a consensus that the BBC should be less accountable to Government or Parliament for what it delivers, with only 9% of those raising the issue of accountability believing that the Government should be responsible for holding the BBC to account.
Commenting on the findings culture secretary Tessa Jowell said: “The BBC holds a unique place in British public life. That is why it is essential that members of the public – as shareholders through the licence fee – have been given the chance to have a say in its future. The results are illuminating.”
She added: “What You Said About the BBC contains both high praise and trenchant criticism. Most people indicated that they hold the BBC in high esteem. But there are concerns among a significant minority about a perceived decline in quality. One clear message that does come through is that the public wants a strong BBC, independent of Government. As I have repeatedly said, this is the only certain outcome of the Charter Review.”
It appears that issues over programme quality are already high on the BBC’s list of concerns, with the Corporation’s board of governors ordering a wide-ranging investigation into BBC One’s peak time schedules last week. The move came amid growing public concern over programme quality and criticism of its increasingly populist approach to scheduling (see Governors Order Investigation Into BBC One Programming).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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