BEAU is the umbrella group for the Broadcasting, Entertainment and Arts Unions, bringing together BECTU, Equity, Musicians Union, the National Union of Journalists and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. We also support the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Broadcasting, Entertainment and the Arts Unions, chaired by Claire Hanna MP. Individual affiliates have made their own submissions, which offer more detailed feedback regarding specific sectors. This submission synthesises broad themes and commonly held concerns held across our member unions.
The BBC plays a vital national and regional role, both to audiences though its broadcasting and as a source of online news and information, but also to the UK economy, both directly as an employer and as a key catalyst for the wider creative industries. People across the UK should see their lives, interests and concerns reflected in the BBC’s content, and they should share equitably in the employment opportunities generated by the BBC. Audiences should be offered relevant local and regional news and also drama, film and musical productions made in – and reflective of – communities like their own.
We believe that Charter Renewal represents an important opportunity to address issues relating to the BBC’s funding, governance and editorial standards, and to ensure that it is free from political interference. We hope that this consultation offers a timely reminder of what the public values in the BBC, where we would like to see its output strengthened, and how its future can best be secured for generations to come. However, we would like to see greater democratic scrutiny over the Charter Renewal process and a significant extension to the length of Charter agreements to provide longer-term stability and direction to the BBC.
As unions representing the workforce that creates the BBC’s value – either employed directly by the corporation or by production companies contracted by the BBC – we want to reiterate some fundamental principles that should govern this process:
Universality
We strongly believe that the BBC should serve all communities across the UK and that BBC content should be available to all. There should be no introduction of additional subscription fees or the creation of a two-tier offer that would exclude people. Premium content must not be locked behind a paywall. We should bolster all services, including those that serve diverse communities. The BBC should reflect all nations, regions and local communities of the United Kingdom and maintain its obligation to deliver dedicated locally relevant content everywhere across the UK.
Accuracy and Independence
Our unions recognise that, especially in an AI environment suffused with fake news and disinformation online and via social media platforms, the BBC must strive to maintain its reputation as a reliable, accurate and impartial purveyor of news, factual and cultural programming, free from political interference of any kind. This requires an end to any appointments motivated by partisan political interests, the introduction of worker representation on the board and ensuring that board members are chosen by an arms-length body.
Creativity and Innovation
The BBC is a major engine of the UK’s creative economy, producing and commissioning content that is enjoyed and respected by a global audience. To maintain and enhance this unique creative asset, the BBC needs to be able to invest in programme-making at a level that allows it to compete with the streaming services and major US production companies. The BBC should not be compelled to commercialise because of funding constraints.
Properly Resourced
We regret that, since 2010, the BBC’s funding has been cut in real terms by around 30% following freezes or below-inflation rises in the Licence Fee or “top-slicing” such as the additional requirement to fund BBC World Service or over-75s TV Licences for pensioners on universal credit. Inevitably this has resulted
in the loss of highly skilled professional staff amidst a general hollowing-out of capacity. The BBC must be given the resources it needs to inform, educate and entertain. In particular, given the importance
of the BBC World Service to the UK’s international reputation and strategic interests, we believe that responsibility for its funding should not be left to the British Licence Fee payer.
Valuing its workforce
The BBC should be the gold standard on employment rights, driving up terms and conditions for its staff and freelancers, and across the sector. Employment opportunities generated by the BBC should be spread fairly across the country and the BBC should lead the way in investing in under-represented areas. Workers should be engaged on terms and conditions that enable them to build lifelong careers wherever they live in the UK and whatever their background. The BBC should drive the market in procurement for ethical AI. Crucially, the governance structure of the BBC, as a cherished public institution funded by the British public, should be independent and reflect civic principles of democracy, fairness and worker voice.
Please contact the Group’s Secretariat via [email protected] with any further questions. We would also be happy to help facilitate a roundtable discussion with our member unions to feed in their sector-specific viewpoints and expertise.