Examination of Witnesses (Questions 380
- 382)
TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2004
BECTU, EQUITY AND
NUJ
Q380 Ms Shipley: I know that you
believe it because you have stated you believe it, but how is
it?
Mr McGarry: I believe the majority
of people in this country look upon the provision of entertainment
in its broadest sense—if one can define it. We are not talking
here just about comedy and light entertainment, we are talking
about entertainment which can be serious drama or the range of
programme provision. I think the majority of people in this country
do believe that that is a service they are getting in return for
paying their licence fee. I do think that is what the majority
of people believe.
Mr Bolton: Firstly, I would not
disagree with anything that Ian has said, so what I say will be
relatively brief in adding to it. The BBC is not just a broadcaster,
it is a cultural institution in this country that reflects in
terms of what people see and hear and the life of this country,
and helps the country feel at ease with itself. I think that is
a public service responsibility. It makes a contribution to the
democratic process in this country. When, in times of crisis,
people want to know what is happening and want to go somewhere
that is reliable and feel they are going to be properly informed
they go to the BBC. That is public service. They are the only
two things I would add to what my colleague has said.
Mr Dear: In one of our early submissions
we put a five point definition about accessibility: access to
all to a range of high quality programmes; impartial news; broadcasting
free from political and commercial pressure; broadcasting that
caters for all sections of the community; and broadcasting that
is owned by the public and accountable to the public. Within that
different programmes will fulfil different remits. I think you
can have entertainment programmes that also educate and inform.
What would you say East Enders is? Some people will say
that is public service broadcasting. Some people will say it is
not. It serves sometimes to educate and sometimes to frustrate,
but it can have a public service role; it will depend on how that
is defined.
Q381 Ms Shipley: I think what Mr
Bolton says, the bit where you say you are unique, I thought that
was an extremely powerful and important piece of public service
broadcasting and unique for the BBC. What I was asking for was
a unique selling point and not what could anybody do. What worries
me about what you said, Mr McGarry and Mr Dear, is that actually
any and all of the other broadcasters could do that, should they
choose to and one might argue they would not but they could; whereas
the unique selling point of the BBC is extremely important.
Mr McGarry: I do not disagree
with that statement rather than question.
Mr Dear: The fact is that there
is a whole range of programmes that fit in with how I have defined
it, that the BBC would do what no other commercial broadcaster
would do, because they would not be commercially viable programmes
for them to be able to produce.
Mr McGarry: I do not see anybody
competing with the BBC to broadcast the Proms.
Q382 Ms Shipley: I have a statement—that
the BBC has to have its unique quality. What worries me is that
parts of what you just said in answer to "What is its unique
selling point?" have not been unique. Where it has been unique
it has been very, very strong. Where it has not been unique it
gets weaker.
Mr McGarry: Yes, I tend to agree.
I think the BBC has to do what it says on the can, which is produce
the kinds of programmes of quality and depth and challenging nature
that others will not do. I think it can do that in the context
of broadcasting a whole range of programme material, but central
to its role must be that—to do things that others are not
doing.
Chairman: Thank you very much, gentlemen,
much appreciated.
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