Protecting the BBC Home / News & Views / Siobhain's views / Protecting the BBC 31 December 2015 The BBC is one of Britain’s most treasured institutions, and has enriched our cultural life here and overseas for over one hundred years. However, the government’s handling of the Charter Review, and accompanied public consultation, poses serious questions about the future of the Corporation. The BBC’s own public consultation ended in November, and we would expect to have a response from the government very soon indeed. Labour’s Shadow DCMS Secretary of State will be challenging the government on their results in due course. Labour has sought to challenge powerful media empires and their political vested interests, to protect media plurality and to challenge anti-BBC bias. We will be pushing for the government to take into account license payers’ views fully, and will fight to ensure that the review process is open, transparent and unbiased. I believe that the BBC is neither a government nor a state institution, but a public one, and we will work to ensure it always stays that way and serves the public interest. back
