SCARMAN TRUST SUBMISSION TO THE DCMS CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE OF THE BBC The Scarman Trust is a leading community development agency employing an asset building approach to the renewal of communities and civil society across England, Scotland and Wales. In the past three years we have supported the work of c 4,000 community entrepreneurs, developed a pioneering social venture capital fund with lead government agencies as well as an award winning new social marketplace, the Can Do Exchange. The Trust also acts as an adviser to national government, with a particular focus upon the role that communities can play in delivering on the Government's core public services agenda. The Scarman Trust, which shares with many other voluntary sector organisations a vision of a "Citizens' BBC", welcomes the opportunity afforded by this public consultation to submit our views on the future of this key cultural institution. We are strongly supportive of a BBC whose central purpose is to serve the communications needs of British citizens. Question 1: What do you value about the BBC? In the view of the Scarman Trust the BBC's indispensable role is to foster "an informed democracy". It does this in two key ways: 1. by making all its services universally available to citizens, and free at the point of use 2. by providing independent, accurate and balanced information on matters which pertain to citizenship With its array of services the BBC has the capacity to drive citizens' engagement with the content supplied. Question 2: How should the BBC adapt to cope with changes in technology and culture? There already is a model for adaptation to new technology - BBC Online which is free, high quality and universally available. It is essential for our democracy that after digital switchover the BBC should retain a significant and substantial role in providing information, education and entertainment (on universal multimedia and cross-platform services) which ensures that citizens can participate fully in national life. Question 3: What do you think of the television, radio and online services the BBC provides? As stated above, the Scarman Trust sees the BBC services as indispensable to the functioning of our democracy and views their general quality, particularly radio and online, as excellent. One of the most socially valuable services has been the provision of support services. We are concerned, however, about certain aspects of the programming on the mainstream television channels where we detect considerable drift from a public service mission, for example over the scheduling of informational and educational programmes into late night slots. Question 4: Should the BBC run commercial services? We see no problem with the BBC offering commercial services where these are plainly ancillary to their main activities but there should be clear limits set and a firm demarcation made between commercial service provision driven by consumer interests and a BBC driven by citizen interests and public service values. Question 5: How should we pay for the licence fee?
The licence fee should be retained as it presents very good value for money as well as being a tried-and-tested formula for delivering universal services. The Scarman Trust sees no justification at all for giving over "top-slicing" to commercially-funded channels. Question 6: Is the BBC organised in the most efficient and effective way? The Scarman Trust rejects proposals which have the objective of significantly reducing the scope of BBC operations within the overall communications market. It is crucial to have a single organisation of substantial scale to avoid the fate of ending up as a rump, under-funded and socially marginal outfit like PBS in the United States. Question 7: How should the BBC be governed and regulated? While it is obvious that there needs to be much greater clarification of the different roles of BBC regulator and BBC non-executive director, the Scarman Trust would oppose any suggestion that the regulation of the BBC should come under the commercial market regulator, Ofcom (which is in any case fully extended with its current remits). It may be that either reform of the current BBC Governors or the establishment of a separate BBC regulatory authority may tackle this problem but any regulation of the BBC must have citizens' interests as its overriding priority. There is a strong case for ensuring that a majority of BBC programmes is made in-house as this allows for proper training and the fostering of a public service ethos in programme -making. In this way the BBC can continue to play a creative role in raising standards across the broadcasting piste. Question 8: How do we ensure that the BBC is properly accountable to the public and Parliament? Imaginative new methods of selecting Governors (including representatives of civil society) would help as would clearer BBC mission statements. In the view of the Scarman Trust, the BBC - in return for the maintenance of its funding and scale of services - will need to offer more specific undertakings on how each of its services will aim to meet the communications needs of citizens.