More bad news for the ever under pressure BBC as an independent review commissioned by the UK Government has concluded that its current governance model should be replaced.
Moreover, the review, which is also part of the government’s latest evaluation of the BBC’s Royal Charter, recommends that the corporation should have a unitary board made up with a majority of non-executive directors, and that regulatory oversight of the BBC should be given wholly to the national regulator Ofcom. The latter, along with the BBC Executive and the BBC Trust, is one of three groups that make up the system of governance and regulation of the BBC.
This governance arrangement — especially that regarding the BBC Trust, the primary role of which is to guarantee best value for money for BBC licence fee payers — was condemned as being flawed, said Sir David Clementi, who led the review.
“Following consultation with a wide range of interested parties, and a detailed assessment of the options, I have concluded that there should be a fundamental reform of the system of governance and regulation for the BBC,” Clementi remarked. “The BBC Trust model is flawed. It conflates governance and regulatory functions within the Trust. The BBC should have a unitary board charged with responsibility for meeting the obligations placed on it under the Royal Charter and Agreement, and responsibility for the interests of licence fee payers.
The Clementi report also recommends that the primary responsibility for the interests of the licence fee payers should lie with the BBC board and that Ofcom should issue the BBC an ‘operating framework’, consistent with the revised Royal Charter and Agreement, which would set out the obligations placed on the BBC. This should include ‘operating licences’ which would set out the BBC's broadcasting content and distribution obligations.
This governance arrangement — especially that regarding the BBC Trust, the primary role of which is to guarantee best value for money for BBC licence fee payers — was condemned as being flawed, said Sir David Clementi, who led the review.
“Following consultation with a wide range of interested parties, and a detailed assessment of the options, I have concluded that there should be a fundamental reform of the system of governance and regulation for the BBC,” Clementi remarked. “The BBC Trust model is flawed. It conflates governance and regulatory functions within the Trust. The BBC should have a unitary board charged with responsibility for meeting the obligations placed on it under the Royal Charter and Agreement, and responsibility for the interests of licence fee payers.
The Clementi report also recommends that the primary responsibility for the interests of the licence fee payers should lie with the BBC board and that Ofcom should issue the BBC an ‘operating framework’, consistent with the revised Royal Charter and Agreement, which would set out the obligations placed on the BBC. This should include ‘operating licences’ which would set out the BBC's broadcasting content and distribution obligations.
