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http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> BBC negotiated at gun-point. http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1439897005 Message started by Administrator on Aug 18^th, 2015, 11:24am

Title: BBC negotiated at gun-point.
Post by Administrator on Aug 18^th, 2015, 11:24am

"Revealed: the botched affair between government and the BBC."

In this "Mediatel" article, Raymond Snoddy reviews a new book which tells the story of the battle fought by DG Tony Hall against the UK Government during the recent negotiations.

The book describes the ultimatum "Close BBC Two, BBC Four, All Local Radio Stations, and national radio services", presented by DG before the summer budget to the Chancellor.

"The BBC Today: Future Uncertain",

edited by John Mair, Professor Richard Tait and Professor Richard Keeble, is due to be published on the 15th September.

It contains contributions from, amongst others, Lord Michael Grade, and Rona Fairhead.

Title: Re: BBC negotiated at gun-point.
Post by Administrator on Aug 18^th, 2015, 3:08pm

"The Guardian" has picked this story up and here is their view.

"According to a chapter by former Financial Times journalist Ray Snoddy in The BBC Today: Future Uncertain, Snoddy says in the days after informing the BBC it would have to take on the free licences, Whittingdale offered to shave £50m off the BBC’s responsibility for funding broadband rollout.

However, the corporation’s leadership felt the deal still left it without any guarantee it would be able to afford to maintain the services.

It was only after the BBC said it would tell the public which services it would have to cut that the Treasury offered a package of mitigating measures including a commitment to raise the licence fee in line with the consumer price index."