More BBC protests on February 5

BECTU and the NUJ are calling for staff throughout the BBC to join a post-Hutton protest this week.

The unions are asking staff to assemble outside BBC buildings from noon on Thursday February 5 until 2.00 p.m. The show of feeling one week after the Hutton report led to top-level resignations at the Corporation is not intended to disrupt TV and radio output.

Full details in this A4 leaflet (Adobe Acrobat format)

However, a large turnout is expected at many main centres where staff are still coming to terms with the departure of Director-General Greg Dyke, who revealed at the weekend that the decision to go had not been his alone.

BECTU joined thousands of staff in regretting Dyke's sudden departure, but is now beginning to focus on new fears for the BBC's funding and independence, as Hutton's criticism of its editorial processes begins to impact on the debate about renewal of its Royal Charter - the BBC's licence to exist - after 2006.

An immediate concern is the need for openness and transparency in the appointments of a new DG and new Chair of Governors. Unions are calling for the process to be conducted in a way that is immune to political pressure, and able to ensure that the post-Dyke BBC leadership will continue to support the Corporation's independence from government.

Beyond the Dyke/Davies succession, there is a fear that Hutton's findings against the BBC, which were effectively endorsed by government, could fuel critics of the Corporation who are campaigning for "top-slicing" of the £2.6bn annual licence fee. Their aim is to divert a proportion of licence fee income away from the BBC towards other broadcasters.

Editorial independence at the BBC is also in the balance, as journalists and programme-makers wait to see if their incoming new management opt for a policy of caution rather than the incisive, inquisitive, and imaginative tradition that has built the Corporation's reputation in the UK and elsewhere.