BBC Changes Announced – To Allow Multi-Media Future

National Heritage Secretary Virginia Bottomley yesterday announced a new BBC Charter and Agreement, and also announced that the BBC’s transmission service is to be privatised. This is expected to bring in around £100m for the BBC.

The new Charter and Agreement are designed to “allow the BBC to meet the broadcasting challenges of the 21st Century”. The main principles of the new Charter are; a clarification of the BBC’s responsibilities for impartiality and for taste and decency and clear arrangements whereby the BBC can develop commercial services alongside its licence-fee funded services, “so it can meet the challenges of the developing international multi-media market”.

This is the first time there has been a distinction drawn between the BBC’s public services and its commercial services. Virginia Bottomley commented, “The BBC is recognised as the cornerstone of British broadcasting. This places a responsibility on the BBC to ensure that standards are maintained in a multi-media future.” The government is keen to establish digital terrestrial television in the UK; the sale of the BBC’s transmitter network means the BBC will be able to invest the expected £100m profit into the new digital technology. The owner of the privatised BBC transmitters would be able to apply for the digital multiplexes which will be offered for the new digital terrestrial television services, although the government made clear that all bids will be subject to the normal operation of competition law.

Department of National Heritage: 0171 270 3000