The BBC will undergo radical changes set forth in a new white paper presented by the United Kingdom government on Thursday.
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Previously, viewers were able to watch BBC programs such as EastEnders on demand without paying a licence fee.
Hall also signals the beginning of further devolution for BBC Scotland – he wants it to have a new licence agreement, or list of responsibilities and pledges, which will provide “clear accountability”, he says in a new letter to Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s culture secretary.
How this will eventually be implemented isn’t yet certain but a verification system, confirming the user is a licence payer, is what’s being proposed.
The BBC Trust will be abolished and replaced with a unitary board, while external media and telecommunications regulator Ofcom will be appointed to handle investigations and editorial complaints.
Q&A: What is the BBC White Paper? I do not believe that the appointments proposals for the new unitary board are yet right.
The new paper states that the licence fee will increase in line with inflation for five years, meaning the current annual fee of £145.50 will rise from 2017 until 2022.
Gary Lineker will probably be riding the Leicester hype wave until around 2019, but we don’t know how happy he’ll be about the latest government plans.
Ofcom will be given the power to regulate all BBC services and the director general – now Tony Hall – will continue to have editorial oversight, Whittingdale said.
The Government paper said: “The BBC should accurately and authentically represent and portray the lives of the people of the United Kingdom today, and raise awareness of the different cultures and alternative viewpoints that make up its society”.
The Culture Secretary will also point to the new 11-year Charter as evidence the corporation will be free from political interference.
The BBC will have to publish how much it pays any stars who earn more than £450,000 (€570,200), much higher than the £150,000 Mr Whittingdale is believed to have favoured.
But under pressure from Conservative backbenchers, the Charter will include specific clauses enshrining the BBC’s independence.
The BBC’s charter will also be renewed every 11 years, rather than the current 10 years. “It is vital for the future of the BBC that its independence is fully preserved”.
Labour has accused Mr Whittingdale of being “determined to diminish” the BBC.
Broadcasting Union BECTU said it had major reservations about two key aspects of the BBC White Paper.
MP Julian Knight, a former BBC journalist and vocal campaigner for more investment in the region, said the BBC had been given a good deal but continues to under-serve the region.
He thinks the BBC should be more transparent about how it spends its £3.7bn a year licence fee income.
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“We want the BBC to be the leading broadcaster in addressing diversity issues”, stated Whittingdale.
