Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell has announced the party intends to launch an independent review panel into the corporation.
It says that the independent panel review, which will feature key figures from the broadcasting industry, is needed after on-going issues within the BBC have brought into the spotlight just how the corporation is run and what it should look like going forward.
Powell has said the BBC faces a number of “headwinds” but the report will advise the Labour party on the best course of action to take in the coming years. The BBC has said it welcomes Labour’s review.
Questions around the BBC’s impartiality have hit the spotlight this year, most notably the on-going issues surrounding its chairman Richard Sharp. The process surrounding his appointment is currently being re-examined after it was revealed he was appointed BBC Chairman just weeks after facilitating a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell, speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge:
“Obviously there are a number of issues around the appointment process of the chair, which is now under investigation because I asked for that investigation, because, quite clearly, the relationship between the chair that was appointed and the then prime minister was a lot closer and involved a lot more financial issues that we weren’t aware of at the time.”
The BBC then found itself at the centre of another storm when it asked Gary Lineker, their highest paid star, to step-aside from presenting duties after tweeting about the government’s asylum policy. After a weekend where fellow presenters and sport staff walked out, the BBC agreed to review its policy around staff and social media guidelines.
Ofcom announced last week that the BBC will have to explain upfront any planned changes to its services. The BBC operating licence, which comes into effect next week, will see the BBC have more comprehensive requirements for its online services, such as the iPlayer. It will also be regularly monitored to make sure its audience is being serviced when it comes to news output on television and its local radio stations.
