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UK Music welcomes protections for music in BBC white paper
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 13 May 2016
Cross-sector trade group UK Music yesterday welcomed the white paper on the BBC put together by the government’s Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, claiming victory for its campaign to protect the broadcaster’s music output.
The trade body launched its #LetItBeeb campaign last year due to fears that government forced changes to BBC funding due to come into effect when the Corporation’s licence-fee-enabling Royal Charter is renewed, might result in a cutback of the broadcaster’s music services. This would be a disaster, said UK Music and numerous musicians and music industry people, because no other broadcaster does so much to support homegrown musical talent.
Whittingdale’s white paper was published yesterday, ahead of a debate and final decision on the BBC’s future funding due to take place in the autumn. It notes that BBC radio services are “quite clearly distinct from commercial competitors”, although does not accept the BBC’s own figures on overlap between its stations and rival commercial services. The Corporation insists there isn’t much overlap, but the white paper says Radio 1 and 2 could show “even greater levels of ambition … while still remaining channels of broad public appeal”.
“The BBC Charter renewal process must never facilitate a reduction in the breadth of musical choice for listeners”, says UK Music in a statement. “Substantive changes to the way the BBC will operate in the future, and the way it is governed, must not be allowed to open the door to partial decision-making on music programming. UK Music stands by its demand for more, not less music on the BBC. Indeed, the Secretary of State agreed with this aspiration”.
The organisation adds that it will continue to lobby to ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to protect music at the BBC, before the Royal Charter is finalised.
UK Music CEO Jo Dipple says: “Collectively Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6Music, Asian Network, Proms, BBC Introducing, Glastonbury festival coverage, five orchestras, BBC Singers, new music commissions, music broadcast programming and music documentaries give fans and listeners access to the most astounding and diverse range of musical content. BBC Music caters for a myriad of tastes which are not served by the commercial sector”.
“Without BBC Music services to support the development of new music, our industry would not only be poorer and listeners deprived, but this country would find it harder to outperform on the world stage”, she continues. “UK Music will be assessing the full implications of this historic white paper with its members and we look forward to discussing it with the BBC, government and Parliament in the coming weeks and months”.
Other elements of the white paper – especially over BBC governance – have proven more controversial, and will likely dominate the debates between now and the Royal Charter being fully agreed.
