Yahoo Finance BBC Future: Shows And Salaries In Spotlight
Pay disclosure for the BBC's biggest stars and an overhaul of how the corporation is governed will be unveiled today as the Government publishes its blueprint for the broadcaster's next decade.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale will outline the plans as he publishes proposals for the next BBC charter, which will dictate the future scope and purpose of the corporation.
The tone of charter renewal has been fraught in recent months, with the BBC and its supporters fearful Mr Whittingdale would use the once-in-a-decade charter renewal to whittle back the BBC.
A string of stars have come out to champion the BBC, with actors such as James Nesbitt and Mark Rylance defending the corporation at the annual BAFTA ceremony on Sunday evening.
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Government sources insist it is not David Cameron's intention to clip the broadcaster's wings.
"The BBC is a world-class broadcaster and one of our country's greatest institutions," said a Government source ahead of the publication of the white paper.
"Our plans will mean that the BBC will keep making great programmes we love and will continue to thrive in the future."
Some of the key proposals include:
:: Pay Disclosure
Ministers will ask the corporation, which receives £3.7bn a year in funding from the TV licence fee, to reveal the salaries of talent such as Gary Lineker, Chris Evans and Andrew Marr who earn more than £450,000 a year - the amount the director general Lord Hall is paid.
:: Governance
A major overhaul of how the BBC is governed and regulated is planned.
The BBC Trust which oversees the corporation is to be scrapped and replaced with a unitary board.
Mr Whittingdale has rowed back on plans to allow the BBC to appoint only up to three members of the 13-strong board and will now let it appoint up to half of the board after backbenchers warned of a revolt over attempts to stuff it with Government acolytes.
:: Diversity
The Government will heed demands made by David Lammy MP and comedian Lenny Henry and put diversity into the BBC charter in response to evidence suggesting black and ethnic minorities feel the BBC does not represent them.
:: Licence Fee
Currently at £145.50, it will rise with inflation from 2017 to 2022.
This was agreed with the Chancellor George Osborne last July in return for the BBC taking on the cost of funding free TV licences for the over 75s - a Tory manifesto commitment.
The Government will introduce a new process to set the licence fee every five years to give the BBC financial certainty.
:: iPlayer Loophole
People will no longer be able to watch the BBC for free on catch-up through the iPlayer and phones.
The loophole costs the BBC £150m a year. The BBC has yet to work out how to implement this measure.
:: Watch the Culture Secretary's statement on the future of the BBC live on Sky News from 11am.
