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BBC supporters say funding deal will cause cuts to jobs and services BBC supporters say funding deal will cause cuts to jobs and services
(about 2 hours later)
Presenters, producers and former BBC bosses have voiced concern about the impact of the government’s decision to make the broadcaster pay the £750m cost of free licences for over-75s, amid warnings that its 24-hour news channel could be forced to close.Presenters, producers and former BBC bosses have voiced concern about the impact of the government’s decision to make the broadcaster pay the £750m cost of free licences for over-75s, amid warnings that its 24-hour news channel could be forced to close.
Related: The Guardian view on the BBC deal: it could jeopardise, rather than underpin, public support | EditorialRelated: The Guardian view on the BBC deal: it could jeopardise, rather than underpin, public support | Editorial
Broadcaster and Labour peer Melvyn Bragg and Armando Iannucci, the creator of The Thick of It, were among those to criticise the surprise funding agreement announced on Monday. Bragg described it as a “millstone” around the BBC’s neck, while Iannucci accused the government of “demonising” the BBC. Broadcaster and Labour peer Melvyn Bragg and Armando Iannucci, the creator of The Thick of It, were among those to criticise the surprise funding agreement announced on Monday. Lord Bragg described it as a “millstone” around the BBC’s neck, while Iannucci accused the government of “demonising” the BBC.
Lord Patten, a former chairman of the BBC Trust, said it was an “awful” and “quick and dirty deal” that would see services cut. He said: “The BBC will have to make cuts in services and this cannot be blamed on anybody except the scale of this settlement.”Lord Patten, a former chairman of the BBC Trust, said it was an “awful” and “quick and dirty deal” that would see services cut. He said: “The BBC will have to make cuts in services and this cannot be blamed on anybody except the scale of this settlement.”
It also emerged that the BBC has already begun work on assessing the impact of closing its BBC News channel and distributing its content online only – following on from the decision to do the same to BBC3. BBC Newswas launched 18 years ago and its running costs were £66m in 2013. The decision on its future has yet to be made.It also emerged that the BBC has already begun work on assessing the impact of closing its BBC News channel and distributing its content online only – following on from the decision to do the same to BBC3. BBC Newswas launched 18 years ago and its running costs were £66m in 2013. The decision on its future has yet to be made.
Related: George Osborne forces BBC to pay for over-75s' TV licencesRelated: George Osborne forces BBC to pay for over-75s' TV licences
Earlier on Tuesday, Tony Hall, the BBC’s director general, had defended the deal. He said the £750m cost of taking on free licence fees for over-75s was more than matched by the deal he had struck with with the Treasury. Other estimates have suggested the BBC’s funding will be cut by as much as 12%.Earlier on Tuesday, Tony Hall, the BBC’s director general, had defended the deal. He said the £750m cost of taking on free licence fees for over-75s was more than matched by the deal he had struck with with the Treasury. Other estimates have suggested the BBC’s funding will be cut by as much as 12%.
Appearing on Radio 4’s Today, Hall pointed to George Osborne’s vow to allow the licence fee to increase in line with inflation, the “modernisation” of the £145.50 fee structure to incorporate online viewing and an end to top-slicing of money to fund rural broadband.Appearing on Radio 4’s Today, Hall pointed to George Osborne’s vow to allow the licence fee to increase in line with inflation, the “modernisation” of the £145.50 fee structure to incorporate online viewing and an end to top-slicing of money to fund rural broadband.
Bragg, the presenter of Radio 4’s In Our Time, told the Guardian: “The BBC being asked to be part of the social services and look after [Welsh language channel] S4C and the World Service, and now the over-75s, is completely and utterly mistaken and wrong.Bragg, the presenter of Radio 4’s In Our Time, told the Guardian: “The BBC being asked to be part of the social services and look after [Welsh language channel] S4C and the World Service, and now the over-75s, is completely and utterly mistaken and wrong.
“The BBC is there to make programmes for domestic licence fee payers; paying for the licence fees of over-75s is the government’s responsibility. That price is inevitably going to increase over the years and will be another millstone around the BBC’s neck.“The BBC is there to make programmes for domestic licence fee payers; paying for the licence fees of over-75s is the government’s responsibility. That price is inevitably going to increase over the years and will be another millstone around the BBC’s neck.
“I wish there had been a great deal more discussion before the decision had been made. There are lots of opinions from all sides worth listening to.“I wish there had been a great deal more discussion before the decision had been made. There are lots of opinions from all sides worth listening to.
“Cutting corners has always struck me as a bit dodgy. Tony Hall obviously thinks it’s a good deal and I hope they have got a good a deal as they think. Like all friends of the BBC, I am anxious about this settlement.”“Cutting corners has always struck me as a bit dodgy. Tony Hall obviously thinks it’s a good deal and I hope they have got a good a deal as they think. Like all friends of the BBC, I am anxious about this settlement.”
Iannucci, the acclaimed writer, producer and director, said the government was intent on diminishing and belittling the BBC.Iannucci, the acclaimed writer, producer and director, said the government was intent on diminishing and belittling the BBC.
“Why does everyone, government included, seem so insistent on diminishing and belittling one of our greatest British success stories?” he said.“Why does everyone, government included, seem so insistent on diminishing and belittling one of our greatest British success stories?” he said.
“From my time out in the US working with HBO I got a real sense of how admired the BBC was for its consistent quality and extraordinary output. If we want to make more money to give back to licence-payers, we should be out there championing the BBC around the world, not playing petty point-scoring with it at home.”“From my time out in the US working with HBO I got a real sense of how admired the BBC was for its consistent quality and extraordinary output. If we want to make more money to give back to licence-payers, we should be out there championing the BBC around the world, not playing petty point-scoring with it at home.”
Iannucci later said on Twitter: “So sad to see the government’s demonising of the BBC. Best in the world at what it does, the BBC is a British success story.”Iannucci later said on Twitter: “So sad to see the government’s demonising of the BBC. Best in the world at what it does, the BBC is a British success story.”
BBC executives have previously failed to guarantee the future of another of its channels, BBC4, saying last year it would depend on any future licence fee settlement.BBC executives have previously failed to guarantee the future of another of its channels, BBC4, saying last year it would depend on any future licence fee settlement.
The shadow culture secretary, Labour MP Chris Bryant, called for full details of the government’s deal with the BBC to be published in order for the public to decide whether it represents a “good use of money”.The shadow culture secretary, Labour MP Chris Bryant, called for full details of the government’s deal with the BBC to be published in order for the public to decide whether it represents a “good use of money”.
In a letter to culture secretary John Whittingdale, Bryant has demanded to see the correspondence sent between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Treasury and Hall formalising a deal bashed out in just a few days.In a letter to culture secretary John Whittingdale, Bryant has demanded to see the correspondence sent between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Treasury and Hall formalising a deal bashed out in just a few days.
“This really doesn’t look like a good deal for the BBC,” said Bryant. “It feels as if the BBC had a gun to their head and chose to get shot in the leg instead. It is bound to lead to cuts in jobs, services and quality. It could well mean the end of free TV licences for the elderly.”“This really doesn’t look like a good deal for the BBC,” said Bryant. “It feels as if the BBC had a gun to their head and chose to get shot in the leg instead. It is bound to lead to cuts in jobs, services and quality. It could well mean the end of free TV licences for the elderly.”
Diane Coyle, the former acting chair and deputy chair of the BBC Trust, said the decision to use licence fee money to fund free licence fees for the elderly, agreed by Hall, was “profoundly unconstitutional” and a “further and massive attack on the broadcaster’s independence”.Diane Coyle, the former acting chair and deputy chair of the BBC Trust, said the decision to use licence fee money to fund free licence fees for the elderly, agreed by Hall, was “profoundly unconstitutional” and a “further and massive attack on the broadcaster’s independence”.
Related: This attack on the BBC is scandalous | Diane CoyleRelated: This attack on the BBC is scandalous | Diane Coyle
Coyle said: “It is a scandal that such a profound cut to the BBC’s ability to deliver its services to the people who pay for it was imposed in a bullying backroom deal over a couple of days.Coyle said: “It is a scandal that such a profound cut to the BBC’s ability to deliver its services to the people who pay for it was imposed in a bullying backroom deal over a couple of days.
“There will probably be service closures as a result of the raid. The amount involved – £650m a year and rising – is so large that it is about the same as the budget for BBC2, or all of BBC radio, or all of BBC3, BBC4, Radio 5 and Radio 6 Music, plus local radio.”“There will probably be service closures as a result of the raid. The amount involved – £650m a year and rising – is so large that it is about the same as the budget for BBC2, or all of BBC radio, or all of BBC3, BBC4, Radio 5 and Radio 6 Music, plus local radio.”