Bectu responds to BBC Charter Renewal launch

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs responding to the BBC Charter Renewal launch said: “We welcome the publication of the green paper and the consultation, and Bectu is pleased to be engaging constructively with government at this critical moment for the BBC. Charter renewal comes as the organisation faces intense pressure at home and abroad, alongside the search for a new Director General.

“The focus on sustainable and fair funding is right, in order to future-proof the BBC, however the licence fee remains, in our view, the best way to fund the BBC. Any proposed change must not undermine the BBC’s ability to deliver distinctive, original content or reduce it to just another streaming service.

“We strongly welcome the green paper’s recognition of the BBC as the heart of the UK’s creative ecosystem, and its emphasis on skills and growth. However, current plans to outsource significant parts of the BBC’s work are clearly at odds with this. Any such plans should be scrapped, or at the very least paused, until the Charter process is complete and a new Director General is in post.

“It is also positive to see acknowledgement of the cultural issues that have plagued the BBC. Appointing a board member with specific responsibility is a start, but transparency and trust are essential. There must be no place in the BBC board for political appointees. Staff must have confidence that systems work and that their voices will be heard. We welcome the commitment to CIISA and urge the BBC to require full CIISA compliance from all contractors, so no worker experiences a repeat of recent events on MasterChef.

“The BBC and its staff are the beating heart of the UK’s creative industries. That must be central to every decision taken as part of the new Charter, and it will guide Bectu’s response to this consultation.”