Mar
3
Category: 
A few thoughts on the BBC’s strategic review:
‘Being efficient and offering better value for money’ is a very subjective principle.
In comparison with Sky TV, the BBC offers ‘only’ 7 or 8 full-time equivalent TV channels and a similar number of radio stations. However, if Sky TV disappeared overnight its place in British culture and society could be filled very swiftly.
The BBC at its best is beyond value.
It is of vital importance that the BBC’s offering is unique and distinctive. It should not seek to emulate commercial broadcasters unless it is to improve significantly upon their offerings.
I stopped listening to BBC Radio 1 during the daytime about eleven years ago as I found its output had become so mainstream that it could barely be distinguished from many local commercial stations.
A lot of BBC 1′s output is repetitive and formulaic (weekday mornings, in particular, are dreadful in this respect.)
BBC 3 has had its successes (such as Gavin & Stacey) yet, despite knowing many people within its target age group and being, myself, only just outside that group, I know of noone who habitually watches the channel.
The BBC has, within the UK, an unparalleled record of supporting the best in music, including classical, pop and rock.
BBC 6 Music embodies all that is best about the Corporation’s support for the more creative and risky end of contemporary music.
The BBC’s televised music coverage is less impressive. While ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ is a fine programme it appears also to be perhaps BBC TV’s only contemporary music programme.
The BBC’s sport coverage could at the moment be left almost entirely to commercial broadcasters. I enjoy sport but would prefer to see the BBC’s coverage devoted to sports with more of a minority interest.
The Director-General’s proposed editorial priorities are:
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The best journalism in the world
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Inspiring knowledge, music and culture
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Ambitious UK drama and comedy
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Outstanding children’s content
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Events that bring communities and the nation togetherThe Trust thinks that the proposed editorial priorities fit well with those things you have told us are important to you in our previous research, but we want to consider how these priorities should be delivered to you in the future.
Do these priorities fit with your expectations of BBC TV, radio and online services?
Absolutely.
I would in particular point out that the priority of ‘inspiring knowledge, music and culture’ is fulfilled by two existing radio stations: Radio 3 and 6 Music. Both of these stations are exceptional and, just as Classic FM is no rival to Radio 3, there is no commercial rival to 6 Music.
Doing fewer things and doing them better
Much of Radio 1′s daytime output could, in my experience, be left to commercial broadcasters. The genius of BBC 6 Music lies in the knowledge of the vast majority of its presenters, their passion for the music they play, their independence from restrictive playlists and their engagement with a lively and intelligent audience.
BBC local radio could possibly be improved by sharing more output at certain times of day but care must be taken not to create another national network by stealth (rather as ITV now has barely any regional programming).
Guaranteeing access to BBC services
For DAB truly to be a success, a modern encoding system needs to be adopted, allowing for better sound quality within the same bandwidth. DAB+ could provide a solution which would also allow for better reception in cars.
It is reasonable to accept that more and more listening will take place over the internet and via digital TV services. Noticeably, however, BBC local radio is not currently available in this manner.
The BBC archive
The BBC has already had great success in selling CDs of Peel Sessions. I am quite sure that, rights permitting, there would be sufficient demand for a pay-as-you-view system to be sustainable.
If you are concerned about the BBC’s value for money, please tell us why.
The BBC is a bargain. Some of its output may well not be to my taste and some ought to be left to commercial broadcasters.
However, a fundamental principle of the Corporation ought to be that quality is more important than money. It would be rash to measure success in terms of audience share rather than to use the less tangible measure of depth of audience appreciation.
Setting new boundaries for the BBC
No national commercial broadcaster has come close to emulating BBC 6 Music. Although XFM broadcasts across much of the country on DAB, its programming is in fact such that it ignores much of the country and the music remains quite commercial. 6 Music has the freedom to play quite challenging music at all hours of the day.
6 Music has played a vital role in nurturing new bands and artists. It is the BBC’s freedom to take risks that has allowed this to take place.
Where the BBC buys in programming from abroad, it ought to ensure that it is buying the best and that it is given a regular slot in the schedule.
As I have mentioned before, the BBC ought not to be buying the rights to events which will be covered just as well by other broadcasters.
Money could be saved by reducing expenditure on some of the most commercially viable areas of the BBC. For example, does Simon Cowell’s latest protégé need any further promotion by the BBC?
