BBC got ‘easy terms’ to run digital switchover, says MP
SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has said that the BBC was given 'very easy terms' to run the switchover to digital TV, as a new report finds the government gave the Corporation no objectives and cannot hold the BBC to account for its use of public money.
Mr Bacon said: “The BBC got £800 million to run the switchover to digital TV without being given a clear objective and without proper accountability for its use of public money.
“The BBC has been given very easy terms.
“Things might be going well for the switchover so far, but the government should not hand over public money so readily in future without being clear over what it expects in return”.
Mr Bacon was speaking as the Commons public accounts committee published its report on the government’s preparations for digital switchover. The programme to convert over 1,100 television transmitters to digital and switch off analogue signals by 2012 is the joint responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
These Departments gave the BBC £803 million of licence fee money to fund a public information campaign and deliver a scheme to help vulnerable groups.
The report finds that, although the switchover timetable is on track so far, the Departments did not specify the outcomes they expected the BBC to secure in spending the £803 million. The BBC is accountable to the BBC Trust for how it uses the licence fee and not the Departments. The Departments therefore have no means of holding the BBC to account for this use of licence fee money.
26 June 2008
See also:
PAC REPORT:
Government preparations for digital switchover
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