Putting The Public Into Public Service Broadcasting

Rumour has it that David Cameron, that endless recycler of Friday afternoon think-tank suggestions from Blairite days of yore, wants part of the BBC’s revenue to be diverted to “public service projects” on other networks, as identified by some or other quango set up for the purpose. I think we all know what would be this glorified Notting Hill dinner party’s concept of public service broadcasting.

And in any case, I don’t know why Cameron sees anything wrong with the BBC. It is now fanatically pro-Cameron. If this had been some lame old Nineties retro initiative about anything else, then the Beeb would have been shouting it from the rooftops.

As Peter Hitchens reveals today, its top brass paid court to Cameron on 28th February, but it took a Freedom of Information request for anybody to find out, and even now we don’t know what was discussed. Except, of course, that we can see perfectly well.

Instead of whatever Cameron has in mind and Brown’s successor might therefore actually do in 10 years’ time (there is no Tory threat, so there is no point to the Labour Party – deal with it), let the license fee be made voluntary, with those who choose to pay it enrolled as members of the BBC Trust.

The Trustees would be elected by and from among the members in each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the nine English regions (with their boundaries adjusted to reflect those of the historic counties). Members would vote for one candidate by means of an X, and the top two would be declared elected at the end. A Chairman would be appointed by the relevant Secretary of State with the approval of the relevant Select Committee.

All would hold office for a fixed term of four years, and would have to be sufficiently independent that they could, in principle, serve on local authority remuneration committees.