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| Ofcom could take on BBC regulation but not governance, says Sharon White | Ofcom could take on BBC regulation but not governance, says Sharon White |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ofcom chief executive Sharon White has said the watchdog could take on the wider regulation of the BBC but ruled out absorbing the governance role of the BBC Trust, saying she would ‘draw a line in the sand’ over the issue. | Ofcom chief executive Sharon White has said the watchdog could take on the wider regulation of the BBC but ruled out absorbing the governance role of the BBC Trust, saying she would ‘draw a line in the sand’ over the issue. |
| With the future of the BBC under review by the government and the trust widely expected to be axed, chancellor George Osborne has indicated that he would like to see its regulation pass to the media regulator. | With the future of the BBC under review by the government and the trust widely expected to be axed, chancellor George Osborne has indicated that he would like to see its regulation pass to the media regulator. |
| White said Ofcom already regulated various aspects of the BBC’s output, including issues around decency and harm and offence, and said if the government wanted it to extend its responsibilities to bias and impartiality “we will do the best possible job”. | White said Ofcom already regulated various aspects of the BBC’s output, including issues around decency and harm and offence, and said if the government wanted it to extend its responsibilities to bias and impartiality “we will do the best possible job”. |
| Related: Sharon White – from Leyton schoolgirl to Ofcom leader | Related: Sharon White – from Leyton schoolgirl to Ofcom leader |
| But she also warned there would be resourcing implications for the regulator, which deals with around 25,000 complaints a year, a tenth of the 250,000 complaints that are received by the BBC on an annual basis. | But she also warned there would be resourcing implications for the regulator, which deals with around 25,000 complaints a year, a tenth of the 250,000 complaints that are received by the BBC on an annual basis. |
| White said she did not see a role for Ofcom doing the “core job” of the BBC Trust, in terms of auditing the BBC, setting the strategy and measuring how it was performing against its targets and budgets. “Those decisions need to rest in the leadership of the BBC,” she said. | |
| “I would put a line in the sand between [regulation] and the core responsibilities of the governance function,” White told MPs on the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday. “That is not a responsibility we have the competence to discharge.” | “I would put a line in the sand between [regulation] and the core responsibilities of the governance function,” White told MPs on the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday. “That is not a responsibility we have the competence to discharge.” |
| With the BBC Trust widely expected to be abolished as part of the review of the BBC’s royal charter, last week’s green paper on the future of the BBC outlined three possible futures, including the regulation of the BBC switching to Ofcom, or to an entirely new regulator which has been dubbed “OfBeeb”. | With the BBC Trust widely expected to be abolished as part of the review of the BBC’s royal charter, last week’s green paper on the future of the BBC outlined three possible futures, including the regulation of the BBC switching to Ofcom, or to an entirely new regulator which has been dubbed “OfBeeb”. |
| White, who succeeded Ed Richards as chief executive of the regulator in March this year, said the issue of the digital divide in the UK – homes and businesses with poor broadband service or no broadband at all – was “much more serious” than two or three years ago because of the wealth of public services which require broadband. | White, who succeeded Ed Richards as chief executive of the regulator in March this year, said the issue of the digital divide in the UK – homes and businesses with poor broadband service or no broadband at all – was “much more serious” than two or three years ago because of the wealth of public services which require broadband. |
| “That is how we live our lives,” she told the committee. She said the investment required would come “partly from the taxpayer but we hope more substantively it’s investment in the private sector”. | “That is how we live our lives,” she told the committee. She said the investment required would come “partly from the taxpayer but we hope more substantively it’s investment in the private sector”. |
| Asked about comments by BT chief executive Gavin Patterson that the separation of BT and Openreach, one possible outcome of an Ofcom investigation, could lead to “10 years of litigation and arguments”, White said: “I can’t say I’m easily intimidated. Our drive is what is going to be the best possible deal for the consumer.”More details soon … | Asked about comments by BT chief executive Gavin Patterson that the separation of BT and Openreach, one possible outcome of an Ofcom investigation, could lead to “10 years of litigation and arguments”, White said: “I can’t say I’m easily intimidated. Our drive is what is going to be the best possible deal for the consumer.”More details soon … |