Mr Whittingdale said the actor had misunderstood the intention which was to point out that drama “from the likes of Netflix and Amazon is made for global audiences and has a rather anonymous identity.” The proposal was criticised by David Tennant who accused the government of trying to encourage more politically favourable shows. His final act as a minister was to deliver a speech calling on UK broadcasters to produce more “distinctively British” programmes. “The BBC already has enough channels and BBC Studios doesn’t have the money Channel 4 needs in investment.”Ī “critical friend” of the BBC during his Parliamentary career, Mr Whittingdale said there was “still a great need for a public service broadcaster” delivering news, investigative journalism and current affairs documentaries yet to feature on streaming competitors. Mr Whittingdale rejected suggestions that the BBC’s commercial wing could bid for Channel 4 in a move that would increase the corporation’s revenues. They make great drama but if the BBC stopped making drama, there are plenty of other great drama being commissioned by a wide range of services with vast budgets.”īefore he left office, Mr Whittingdale had been finalising a new licence fee agreement which would have kept the charge flat for two years, with rises in line with the consumer prices index of inflation from 2024, leading up to a new BBC Royal Charter in 2027.ĭespite BBC pleas for an increase that will allow it to compete with streaming giants who are causing “super-inflation” in drama costs, Mr Whittingdale said “Nadine is unlikely to be more generous given the cost of living squeeze facing all households.”Īn enthusiastic advocate in office for privatising Channel 4, Mr Whittingdale said it was essential to allow the publicly-owned channel to “find someone willing to invest a lot of money in it over the long term.” He said the impetus for the policy “came from the very top of government” and he expected ministers to pursue a sale. “The BBC will need to think about whether it needs to make so much content. The sprawling BBC will have to cut back on programmes, including its drama. The younger generation is much more attuned to the idea of on-demand TV.” That decline in licence fee numbers will only grow. Speaking ahead of the BBC’s centenary next year, Mr Whittingdale said the cancellation of around one million licence fees over the past two years was an existential threat to the corporation.
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The move to subscription could only happen when the Government has achieved universal coverage of superfast broadband, allowing everyone to watch TV over the internet and “switch off” the BBC if they didn’t want its services.
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