R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

The television guru synonymous with the success of Big Brother has called for the privatisation of Channel 4 and BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 to fund new public service content from arts institutions, museums, galleries and individuals.

Peter Bazalgette, an influential broadcasting figure thanks to his decade-long association with Big Brother and Deal or No Deal producer Endemol, said the debate about the future of public service broadcasting was too narrow and rooted in the vested interests of existing players.

He proposed a wholesale shakeup of British broadcasting to preserve public service aims in the digital age, raising money from four existing sources:

· A programme of "modest privatisation" at the BBC, selling off Radio 1, Radio 2 and BBC Worldwide;

· A structured selloff of Channel 4 that forced it to retain certain public service aims;

· Releasing ITV and Five from public service obligations but charging them for spectrum following digital switchover;

· Redistributing the £150m in "excess licence fee", currently being used by the BBC to fund digital switchover, that will be released in 2012.

The money raised could be spent on a new idea, which he dubbed Boggle, that contains echoes of Ofcom's earlier public service publisher concept.

Bazalgette, who sits on the board of English National Opera and has been helping develop its website, said the new body could link the existing online offerings of museums, galleries, theatre companies, opera houses and concert halls and fund content from them.

"Why shouldn't Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre commission and distribute video drama? Why shouldn't Nicholas Serota at the Tate make art programmes? Why shouldn't the Imperial War Museum produce history documentaries? At last some genuine plurality in the supply of PSB programming, with the added bonus of a search engine to market it all."

He said individuals could also post music, or comedy, or programme ideas.

In a speech to the Royal Television Society, Bazalgette, who stepped down as chief creative officer of Endemol last year, said the existing debate about whether Channel 4 should get a share of the licence fee "resembles the first class passengers in the bar of the Titanic arguing furiously over who should pay the bill".

Bazalgette, who created programmes including Changing Rooms and Ground Force before selling his independent production company to Endemol in 1998 and going on to oversee the Big Brother phenomenon, said giving Channel 4 public money would blunt its risk-taking edge.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/23/channel4.bbc

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No way!! this would be a disaster as they are the only Radio stations which will stop big money broadcasters climbing over the airwaves and asking for big money cheques. It would spoil the output and make it sound very commercialised. I can't see big commercial names excepting this? Also it will have to pass a panel in Ofcom with approval from the public also. Don't know about Channel 4!!

gfloyd

SantaFefan

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3417 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

All of the above & Wright make me switch off, maybe not quite as fast in the case of Dermot, but since the axing of Stuart's Saturday show, R2 is already switched off & has been for a few hours and remains so for several hours more until Bob Harris comes on.

Didn't I read on the 6 music boards that George Lamb (6 music's least favourite son [except for Lesley Douglas that is]) is on Wright's show tomorrow? If so, you're in for a treat!! I'm glad I don't listen!! Source - message 2064 on here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mb6music/F1950413?thread=5020256&skip=2060&show=20
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

These ideas are nothing new - they seem to surface every time there's to be a charter or franchise renewal, or when, as in ITV and Channel 4's case, they are about to go cap in hand to the Government to plead poverty and ask to be relieved of what public service obligations they still have and for some tax relief.

It may have its faults but BBC Radio is the envy of and arguably the best in the world. The consequence of "modest privatisation" will probably be exactly the same as has happened with all other privatisations - the service will deteriorate and, if it doesn't all go bust it will end up in foreign hands.

Five is a complete waste of space and owes its existence solely to its ownership, the German group Bertelsmann, through its RTL subsidiary, which would dearly love to expand its radio and TV interests in the UK - like buying ITV or C4 if either became available and it were to be allowed.

Four years is a long time in technology terms and by the time 2012 comes around I bet the £150m "excess licence fee" will be needed by the Beeb for something else we didn't know we really needed. The mind Boggles.
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Ron

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