BECTU argues against BBC sell-off
BECTU's response to the BBC Licence fee report consultation argues strongly against privatisation.
The union's case is contained in it's submission to the public consultation on The Future Funding of the BBC report, produced by the panel chaired by Gavyn Davies. The consultation period closed at the end of October, and the union is one of several organisations, including the BBC, which have submitted detailed comments on the report's recommendations.
Read BECTU's full response to the Licence fee report
The future of BBC Resources and BBC Worldwide now rests in the hands of Culture Minister Chris Smith, who is expected to announce the government's decision on privatisation of the two areas by Christmas.
The union is hoping to have an opportunity to discuss its concerns directly with the Minister before any decision is made. Last year, when BBC Resources was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary company, Chris Smith stated publicly that the move should not be a 'ramp to privatisation'.
Much of the public debate over the last few months has focused on the proposed £24 digital licence supplement. However BECTU has pushed hard to alert politicians and the public to the dangers of privatising BBC Resources and 49% of BBC Worldwide, and the unions response to the Licence fee report concentrates on these proposals.
Although the union supports the BBC's need for adequate funding, one of the key arguments in the submission is that the sums of money to be raised through privatisation have been exaggerated by the Licence fee report, and would make an insignificant contribution to the cash the Corporation needs for the expansion of digital services.
In fact, according to the union's submission, privatisation could cost the BBC money through the loss of half its income from BBC Worldwide and the increased prices for technical facilities that some producers would face if BBC Resources went private.
On BBC Resources the union's argues that privatisation would result in:
- The break up the UK's largest integrated technical skills base.
- The loss of broadcasting's technical training ground.
- The inhibition of the development of new programme-making techniques by breaking the creative link between technical and production staff.
- The report was wrong to dismiss Worldwide as a failing enterprise which needed to be revived by privatisation.
- In fact Worldwide has grown steadily by 12% a year for the last five years, and is well on course to meets its target cash contribution to the BBC of 210m by 2006.
- A vigourous commercial approach is already in place and there is no need for a sell-off.