Chime Communications Boss Backs BBC Break-Up
Chime Communications chairman Lord Tim Bell has given his support to David Elstein’s controversial proposals to break-up the BBC and abolish its licence fee.
Bell, who is one of the best known figures in the UK communications industry, has backed wide-ranging plans for BBC funding to be transferred to a special public broadcasting authority that would finance the Corporation out of taxation and subscriptions.
Speaking at ISBA’s annual conference, he said: “I cannot find it in my heart to believe that the BBC should go on being funded by a hypothecated tax. It is an old fashioned, tired organisation that exists in the dark ages and should have been cast off long ago.”
He added: “The BBC charter should be renewed on a strictly technical basis with a very clear objective of doing exactly what David Elstein proposed in his report, in which he proposed a progressive transfer of BBC television from a licence fee to a subscription based payment system.”
Bell also gave his support to a range of other proposals put forward earlier this month by the Broadcasting Policy Group. They include abolishing the BBC’s board of governors, selling off its commercial division, divesting its production operations and splitting television from radio (see Tory Report Calls For Reduction Of BBC Licence Fee).
However, BT chairman, Sir Christopher Bland, was less enthusiastic about the prospect of dismantling the BBC. He said: “When all is said and done the BBC is a wonderful organisation that produces great programmes and we tinker with it at our peril.”
Earlier this month Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, dismissed the proposals, warning they would lead to a weak and insignificant BBC, rather than the strong and independent Corporation that the Government’s policies were designed to achieve (see Government Dismisses Plans To Abolish BBC Licence Fee).
She said: “We are pursuing a Charter Review that is genuinely open, so to that extent we will accept the Elstein Report as a contribution to the debate. However, its prescription is for a weak, small BBC and we do not believe that is what the British people want.”
Advertisers are keen to see the BBC reigned in and are calling for its public service remit to be tightened. However, the abolition of the license fee could prove dangerous for commercial broadcasters, which are wary of increased competition for advertising revenue.
ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk
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