BSC Director Criticises BBC Programming

Director of the Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC), Paul Bolt, has reportedly criticised the BBC for showing too many programmes that are “humdrum, over-familiar and formulaic”.

In today’s Financial Times, Bolt criticises a number of BBC programmes including police drama, Mersey Beat and hospital series, Holby City, saying: “One begins to wonder what really is the point of the BBC bringing this to us. Lets have something a bit different.”

Bolt, who is being tipped to take charge of content at the new communications regulator Ofcom, goes on to suggest that the BBC, in its bid to compete with commercial rivals for higher ratings, risks undermining support for the licence fee.

His comments will add to the controversy surrounding the BBC’s increasingly populist approach to programming and its apparent determination to compete with ITV for peak-time audiences. However, a spokesperson for the BSC was quick to point out that Bolt’s views were his own and in no way reflect those of the BSC.

She said: “Mr Bolt was not seeking to criticise the BBC, he was simply pointing out that a big part of the BBC’s remit as a publicly funded broadcaster is to lead the field in original programming. He was praising the BBC for what it is good at but was suggesting that there are some things that it could do better.”

Bolt is also understood to have rather controversially suggested that some of the BBC’s digital channels, including BBC3 and BBC4, should no longer be funded by licence fee payers, but should be paid for by subscribers.

BBC: 0208 743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk BSC: 020 7233 0544 www.bsc.org.uk

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