Post by Teddy Bear on Jun 25, 2009 22:00:25 GMT
Something about Mark Thompson's face reminds me of Ahmadinejad with less hair, and I can think of a few other similarities between them.
Anyway he calls the government proposal to top-slice the license funding of the BBC an 'Idealogical Plot'.
I didn't realize 'ideology' had the negative connotation that he seems to link it to, but thinking about how the BBC happily continues to squander the license fee, I can see why he would think so.
Anyway he calls the government proposal to top-slice the license funding of the BBC an 'Idealogical Plot'.
I didn't realize 'ideology' had the negative connotation that he seems to link it to, but thinking about how the BBC happily continues to squander the license fee, I can see why he would think so.
BBC boss attacks TV licence fee shake-up claiming 'ideological plot' is behind government plans
By Daily Mail Reporter
BBC director general Mark Thompson has slammed Government proposals to 'top-slice' the TV licence fee, which would force the corporation to give about £130million to commercial broadcasters.
Mr Thompson said that moves towards top-slicing appeared to be driven by 'ideologically focused' individuals determined to 'drive a wedge' into the principle of licence fee funding for the BBC.
He said under 'no circumstances' would the proposal be a good idea.
Top-slicing was one of the key recommendations in last week's Digital Britain report by communications minister Lord Carter. Legislation is expected to be introduced in this autumn's Queen's Speech following a brief consultation.
Lord Carter argued that from 2013, about 3.5 per cent of the fee could be allocated to public service programming on non-BBC channels such as ITV and Channel 4 to support important but unprofitable services including regional news and shows for children.
The chairman of the BBC Trust Sir Michael Lyons, representing licence fee-payers, warned on the report's publication on June 16 that the fee should not be used as a 'slush fund' and that top-slicing would 'damage BBC output, reduce accountability and compromise independence'.
Today, his concerns were echoed by Mr Thompson, who is in charge of operations at the BBC, in an interview with Radio 4's Media Show.
Mr Thompson said: 'I believe that the risk in the end to the independence and the ability of the BBC to deliver its services to the public is so great that in my view there are no circumstances in which I think top-slicing would be a good idea.'
'When Ofcom was interested in a public service publisher, it was going to take about £100 million and the licence fee looked like a good source for that.
'Then it was Channel 4 that was going to need perhaps £100 million and the licence fee was a good source for it. Now, we are told regional news might need £100 million.
'There is a suspicion that for some years now there has been a small group of people who have been ideologically focused more on the principle of getting a wedge into the licence fee and trying to prove a point about the principle of top-slicing, rather than having a particular urgent need,' Mr Thompson said.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: 'We are disappointed with Mark Thompson's comments and hope the BBC will engage constructively in the forthcoming consultation.
'The public greatly value local and regional news. We have invited the BBC and others to suggest how it can be secured for the long term.
'Using a small fraction of the licence fee to do so is the best and fairest idea so far, but, as we have said, we will happily consider others.'
By Daily Mail Reporter
BBC director general Mark Thompson has slammed Government proposals to 'top-slice' the TV licence fee, which would force the corporation to give about £130million to commercial broadcasters.
Mr Thompson said that moves towards top-slicing appeared to be driven by 'ideologically focused' individuals determined to 'drive a wedge' into the principle of licence fee funding for the BBC.
He said under 'no circumstances' would the proposal be a good idea.
Top-slicing was one of the key recommendations in last week's Digital Britain report by communications minister Lord Carter. Legislation is expected to be introduced in this autumn's Queen's Speech following a brief consultation.
Lord Carter argued that from 2013, about 3.5 per cent of the fee could be allocated to public service programming on non-BBC channels such as ITV and Channel 4 to support important but unprofitable services including regional news and shows for children.
The chairman of the BBC Trust Sir Michael Lyons, representing licence fee-payers, warned on the report's publication on June 16 that the fee should not be used as a 'slush fund' and that top-slicing would 'damage BBC output, reduce accountability and compromise independence'.
Today, his concerns were echoed by Mr Thompson, who is in charge of operations at the BBC, in an interview with Radio 4's Media Show.
Mr Thompson said: 'I believe that the risk in the end to the independence and the ability of the BBC to deliver its services to the public is so great that in my view there are no circumstances in which I think top-slicing would be a good idea.'
'When Ofcom was interested in a public service publisher, it was going to take about £100 million and the licence fee looked like a good source for that.
'Then it was Channel 4 that was going to need perhaps £100 million and the licence fee was a good source for it. Now, we are told regional news might need £100 million.
'There is a suspicion that for some years now there has been a small group of people who have been ideologically focused more on the principle of getting a wedge into the licence fee and trying to prove a point about the principle of top-slicing, rather than having a particular urgent need,' Mr Thompson said.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: 'We are disappointed with Mark Thompson's comments and hope the BBC will engage constructively in the forthcoming consultation.
'The public greatly value local and regional news. We have invited the BBC and others to suggest how it can be secured for the long term.
'Using a small fraction of the licence fee to do so is the best and fairest idea so far, but, as we have said, we will happily consider others.'