Don't ignore public opinion on BBC, Trust chair warns culture secretary

BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead has warned culture secretary John Whittingdale not to ignore the views of the public amid reports that some of the 190,000 responses to the government consultation on the BBC were too “left wing”.

In a letter to the Conservative minister, Fairhead writes that she is “very concerned” that some of the responses since the green paper on the future of the BBC was launched last year might be ignored.

“A number of people have raised with me their concerns that the views of the British public will not be taken into account,” she writes, referring to newspaper reports that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport was preparing to launch its own inquiry amid concerns that the consultation into the future of the corporation had been “hijacked by a leftwing campaigning group”.

In a letter to “Dear John” sent on February 3, Fairhead writes: “I was very concerned to see it suggested in the press – not attributed to you - that some of the 190,000 responses to your consultation might be ignored.

“I am sure you will agree that the volume of responses to both our consultations shows the strength of interest and feeling that there is about the future of the BBC.”

The volume of responses is the highest response ever to a government consultation exercise on the BBC, and second only to the record-breaking level of reaction to the proposals on gay marriage.

As part of the consultation exercise on the green paper, the Trust has published the views of over 50,000 members of the public. “The results are clear – although the public expects the BBC to improve in a number of areas, their overall message is one of extraordinary support for the mission, purpose and shape of the BBC.”

However, a report in the Daily Telegraph two weeks ago suggested that Whittingdale was to launch his own study because “92% of all responses were sent via 38 Degrees, a ‘campaigning community’ that specialises in organising mass emails to MPs”.

The report goes on to suggest that the community has been told that the government plans to “rip out the heart of the BBC”.

A spokesman for the DCMS said that the department would consider every response. Just before the reports, Whittingdale told parliament that his team is “committed to reading and analysing” every response.

It is the trust’s role to represent the licence fee payer in the debate about the future of the BBC. Fairhead was also brought into the last-minute deal hatched behind closed doors last July which saw the BBC agree to shoulder the burden of free licence fees for the over 75s.

The secret nature of the deal embarrassed Whittingdale who, as chair of the culture media select committeee, had made a point of urging open consultation over charter renewal.

“I know from the conversations we have had since your appointment as secretary of state that you are committed to an open and transparent process for the BBC’s charter review,” wrote Fairhead. “You have also said that you want to engage the public in that debate.”