Have your say on BBC in Midlands

DEAR Editor, The news that Channel 4 may move from London to find a home in the regions may have diverted readers’ attention from a regulatory change to the BBC that could benefit the Midlands if we want it to.

This month oversight of the BBC has transferred from the BBC Trust to Ofcom. It has published a draft licence for the BBC that includes a list of public purposes.

One of these is for the BBC to reflect, represent and service the diverse communities of all the nations and English regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom.

The draft licence goes further, stating that the BBC should accurately represent and authentically portray all audience groups from the nations and regions and distribute its production resources across the UK.

With detail like this, then it can be immediately demonstrated that the BBC does not meet this particular public purpose in the Midlands & East.

You still will not find a single programme that is made in the Midlands on BBC1 peak-time, or BBC2 or on most of its national radio networks at any time.

If the BBC is to fulfil its public purpose to its largest group of viewers and listeners than it must ramp up programme-making in the region.

Ofcom have announced a public consultation, asking for comment on the draft operating licence and the measures that it intends to put in place to monitor the BBC’s delivery of its public purposes.

The Campaign for Regional Broadcasting