How to reform the BBC

1. Make the BBC totally INDEPENDENT of Government and make them answer to the Licence Fee payer.

2. Stop the BBC being a monoculture controlled by an unrepresentative and unaccountable clique.

3.It is now debased and effectively an ideas monopoly.  A ghetto.  It is the guardian of conventional thinking and suffocates new or opposing ideas.  We need a PLURALITY of ideas free from the BBC’s stifling political control.


PROPOSAL 1

OPEN UP THE DIGITAL BROADCASTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO OTHER INDEPENDENT NEWS PROVIDERS

The digital broadcasting infrastructure should be opened up to many other independent news providers - as the BT infrastructure was opened up.

The technology is there to transmit many simultaneous programmes at any one time.  A sufficient sum should be allocated out of the TV Licence money received by the BBC from us to make any necessary adjustments to the broadcasting infrastructure to enable the broadcasting of many independent news programmes at the same time as BBC News programmes.  We choose which news programme we want to watch by way of a remote. It is a better use for the Licence money than chauffeur-driven cars or air trips for the senior staff.

Since the BBC is owned by the nation and we pay the running costs by means of the TV Licence, the BBC must use its broadcasting infrastructure in accordance with our requirements. And we require that it is used in this way.


PROPOSAL 2

THE BBC TRUST AND THE DIRECTOR GENERAL SHOULD BE ELECTED, NOT APPOINTED

The BBC Trust and the Director General should be elected, not appointed - just as Chief Constables are now to be elected.

The term of office should not exceed two years in length.

Procedures should be set up to allow and enable people from outside the BBC to stand for election.

We should have the right to see the manifestos of the candidates wishing to be the new Director General or a Trustee.  Before we voted for a candidate, we would have the ability to ask them what their policy was on specific matters, such as whether they would be promoting multiculturalism and/or the EU.
  

PROPOSAL 3

OPEN UP THE PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTING STAFF

The BBC's procedures for appointing staff to key posts should be opened up to public gaze and scrutiny and made more accountable to the electorate.

For key and sensitive jobs in the news and current affairs department, it should be possible for the public to add candidates to the short list.  We do not accept that "only insiders know best" - it is the insiders who have abused the system.

Advertisements for ALL posts should also be on the web.  The people who compile the shortlists and members of the appointing panel should be named and their own posts disclosed together with any financial or personal interests.  The reasons for the inclusion of each applicant on the shortlist should be disclosed on the web.

Full reasons for any appointment should be disclosed in writing.

Procedures should be set up to allow and enable people from outside the BBC to apply for any post with provision for redress for any such person if treated unfairly compared to an existing BBC employee.


PROPOSAL 4

NEWS PROGRAMMES SHOULD CONTAIN ONLY INFORMATION, NOT OPINION

Opinion should not be confused with information.  Broadcast news programmes should not contain opinion from BBC journalists or from "experts" or "random" members of the public or from anyone; merely the facts.  We are able to form our own opinions.  There should be specific Comment programmes with safeguards as to balance, and then specific news information programmes.


PROPOSAL 5

ANYONE WORKING IN NEWS BROADCASTING SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND DISCIPLINE

Each individual member of staff should, by contract of employment or engagement, be made PERSONALLY responsible for the truthfulness, fairness, honesty and accuracy of what they write, do and say - with sanctions imposed against them PERSONALLY for any breach.

These professional standards should provide, inter alia, for the following:

1.    All staff are to comply with a CODE OF STANDARDS; this will cover inter alia:-

    (1)    Personal ethics and behaviour

    (2)    Professional competence

    (3)    A legal duty requiring fairness, honesty and openness

2.    A REGISTER OF INTERESTS (published in real time on the web) where all financial benefits received or given and membership of or affiliation to or association with or assistance given to any political organisation (such as a political party, pressure group, trade union, campaigning charity or indeed Common Purpose) have to be disclosed.

3.    Disciplinary procedures for dealing with any breach with powers of imposing monetary fines and/or dismissal and/or subsequent prohibition (temporarily  or permanently) from being employed by or being a contractor for, any broadcaster broadcasting to this country.

The disciplinary procedures of the Law Society and the Institute of Chartered Accountants give an excellent precedent or template.  The members of the disciplinary tribunal should not be employees of the BBC.

Any member of the public should be able to initiate a complaint.


PROPOSAL 6

EVERY PROGRAMME WEBPAGE SHOULD HAVE A COMMENT SECTION

There should be a comment section on the web page for each programme on the BBC website. Moderation should be done by an independent outside body who would publish their policy.