BBC’s Lord Hall comes out fighting against further budget cuts
BBC director general Lord Hall is seeking to draw a line in the sand over the broadcaster’s budget after coming under pressure from the government to further cut its cloth at a time of austerity.
Suggesting plans to ‘diminish’ his organisation were politically motivated Hall vowed to fight against such measures, arguing that they served only the ‘narrow interests’ of the Conservatives, adding that ‘the British public do not share their views.’
Halls concerns follow suggestions that the BBC will be asked to curtail commercial programming such as Sherlock and Strictly Come Dancing to focus solely on public service content as part of the government’s renewal of its Royal Charter.
Hall said: “What is most important is that the voice of the audience and the voice of people who care about the BBC are heard in the debate. The public are our shareholders. Their view will always be the most important.
“We should be under no illusion that this is a period of high risk for the BBC. While no one wants to abolish the BBC, there will be some who want to diminish us for their own narrow interests. We must remind them that the British public do not share their views.”
A review is presently being conducted by culture secretary John Whittingdale who has appointed a group of eight advisors, some openly critical of the BBC, to investigate potential reforms.