A panel of enemies to review the BBC
mainThis is alarming.
The Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has named eight people who will ‘work closely with the government over the renewal of the BBC’s charter.’
They include former heads of ITN, Classic FM and Channel 5 – all vociferous commercial competitors of the BBC – the head of Ofcom, which wants to abolish the BBC’s governance system, and four additional market enemies.
Not one person on the panel is sympathetic to the BBC’s mission.
Bad beeb times ahead.
At least this may shatter the naïve and illusory perception that the BBC could be reasonably described as ‘neutral’; for an explanation of the BBC’s disturbingly biased governance-structure and of BBC failings, see:
https://markdoran.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/bbc-trussed/
Since the BBC will only ever ask for more cash to do what it wishes to do (and then is likely to spend it on increasing layers of expensive management instead), it makes good sense to ask a panel of industry experts – who by the nature of the industry are reasonably likely to have worked for people other than the BBC – to advise. I’m sure their equivalents in the BC won’t be shy to report their own views in response, so overall all the experts will be heard. Sounds like a good thing.
Except that those sympathetic to the original broad remit of the BBC are not included in the review, and so the panel is unbalanced and clearly formed with one intention in mind.