Informed 09


Te NUJ has already formulated a


suggestion in its News Recovery Plan for how the BBC’s governance could be reformed. “Te BBC board and its chair should be chosen by an arms-length body, and there must be proper worker representation with at least 25% of board seats filled by BBC employees from non-management roles to champion public interest journalism without political interference,” Davison explained. “Te BBC does not belong to the


government or its board. It belongs to the people and to its workers. It should be accountable to - and shaped by - us.” Te issue of public broadcasting sustainability was highlighted by Ofcom in its Public Service Media Review, which was published on 21 July. At least every five years Ofcom is required to review the extent to which the PSB channels, taken together, have fulfilled the purposes of public service television broadcasting. Te regulator found that news on “endangered” public service media needs “stable and adequate funding” and recommended “public service content should be findable on YouTube” particularly news and children’s content. Ofcom has a six-point plan designed


to help public service media batle the tech platforms such as YouTube and also said PSBs “must forge ambitious strategic partnerships at scale”. It added: “Scale is critical for the public service broadcasters and other domestic broadcasters to connect with audiences and compete with global streaming platforms – who, in some cases, they depend on to reach viewers.” Netflix and Paramount Skydance’s bids


to buy Warner Bros Discovery focused government minds as the BBC competes on a global stage. How UK broadcasters will fare against the deep pockets of new tech titans such as YouTube has been exercising the minds of policy-makers and culture secretary Lisa Nandy in the run up to the green paper on the BBC’s Charter Review. Since the advent of streaming, British


PSBs now have global rivals who have created UK bases and fostered local relationships.


Te BBC has an advantage over other


broadcasters as it’s a worldwide brand with a following built up over the years through the power of its news brand – BBC News reaches 418 million viewers on average every week – and popular formats such as Top Gear and presenters such as David Atenborough. It can operate on a commercial footing outside the UK and its soſt power is well-documented. But the macro global media economy is not without its difficulties for the BBC and it requires resources. BBC World Service may help the foreign office combat disinformation and state propaganda, but its future funding is still uncertain. Te government provides around one-third of the money for BBC World Service with the rest coming from the BBC licence fee. But the Guardian revealed this summer that due to a cut in the government’s aid budget, World Service may have to make tens of millions of pounds worth of savings – potentially totalling £70m a year. How will that affect its ability to


operate in the face of threats? Recently lawyers for the World Service lodged a document with the UN asking its experts to condemn Iran’s conduct towards the BBC, particularly BBC News Persian, aſter the country tried to frame independent journalism as a form of terrorism and warfare. Te NUJ has urged the UN to condemn the Iranian state’s use of extreme language regarding the BBC’s reporting and the country’s justification of its unlawful actions towards the corporation’s staff and their families, some of whom have faced persecution and harassment. Tere is also the issue of BBC local radio. Te NUJ is concerned about plans by Ofcom to approve changes to the BBC’s operating licence covering its local radio commitments. In October, Ofcom opened a consultation on the BBC’s proposal


that, according to the regulator, “shared programming should not count towards its [BBC’s] local radio quota if broadcast between 6am and 2pm on weekdays - when more audiences are listening - while allowing shared programming outside this window to contribute to the quota.” Te BBC said it made the request due to financial pressures as it seeks to reach its savings target of £700 million by March 2028. Ofcom says it is minded to approve the change, but the NUJ has questioned if the local radio proposals will lead to further cuts and the erosion of truly local radio. Significant changes have already been made over recent years with more shared programmes and some presenters axed. What’s clear from all this is that the BBC and its Irish public service counterpart, RTÉ, face declining TV licence numbers and funds, with both organisations consistently the subject of comments about their ‘broken’ funding model and both governments yet to find an alternative system to keep their coffers lined. Last year the Irish government agreed a new hybrid funding model that will provide a level of certainty for RTÉ, giving the broadcaster a guaranteed €225m from both the licence fee and the exchequer this year, rising to €240m in 2026 and €260m in 2027. Meanwhile in Wales, the Wales


Executive Council (WEC) has been successful in securing funding from Creative Wales to host a conference on the state of the media and public interest journalism. Te event is scheduled for February and further details will be announced soon.


With the spotlight on the BBC for


adverse reasons, Charter Review will be crucial in establishing the lynchpin of the British Isles’ public service media landscape. In recent weeks NUJ members at the BBC have laid out their vision for an impartial, universally available and funded public broadcaster to ensure quality news provision, plus worker representation on the BBC board to protect against political interference.


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