This report focuses on a range of issues relating to the BBC Charter, including the current bid for the TV licence fee, the link to the retail price index, and the need for transparency in the licence fee negotiations; the costs of digital switchover and spectrum charging; the BBC World Service and the launch of an Arabic language television channel; the 'Out of London' strategy for more regional broadcasting and the proposal to move several BBC departments to Manchester; sports broadcasting and the regulation of listed events; religious programming and the BBC's public service remit. The Committee supports the continuation of the licence fee, although concerns are raised that the annual cost increases above the rate of inflation may threaten to undermine public support for the BBC in the long term. However, it opposes the link between the retail price index and the licence fee, since it gives the BBC less incentive to make economies and efficiency gains, and instead argues that Parliament, rather than Government, should set the level of the licence fee, with the National Audit Office having scope to scrutinise the licence fee bid and publish its findings. The Committee's first report on the BBC Charter (HCP 50-I, session 2005-06, ISBN 0104007508), published in November 2005, focused on the Government's proposals for the future of the BBC, as set out in the Government's Green Paper ("A strong BBC, independent of government" published by the DCMS in March 2005 for consultation).

The Government's reply to the 2nd report of session 2005-06 by the Lords Select Committee on the BBC Charter Review (HLP 128-I, ISBN 0104008245)

This important book examines the challenges posed to public service obligations by European Union media law and policy. An in-depth analysis of the extent to which six countries (France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) regulate broadcasting for the public interest reveals a range of vulnerability to national political pressures or, alternatively, to the ideology of market sovereignty. The author examines the country of origin principle and the European quota rule of the Television without Frontiers Directive, revealing the influence of European law on the definition and enforcement of programme requirements, and shows how the case law of the European Court of Justice encourages deregulation at the national level without offering adequate safeguards at the supranational level in exchange. She asks the question whether the alleged ‘European audiovisual model’ actually persists—that is, whether broadcasting is still committed to protecting such values as cultural diversity, the safety of minors, the susceptibility of consumers to advertising, media pluralism, and the fight against racial and religious hatred. The book concludes with an evaluation of the impact of the EU state aid regime on the licence fee based financing of public broadcasting.

The Committee's report examines the Government's proposals for the future of the BBC, as set out in the Government's Green Paper ("A strong BBC, independent of government") published by the DCMS in March 2005 for consultation. The Committee's conclusions include i) that the BBC's mandate and structure should be defined in statute rather than by Royal Charter; ii) the licence fee is the best way to fund the BBC over the next decade, although the system for agreeing the cost of the fee should be more transparent, with the BBC bid subject to independent investigation by the NAO; iii) the Government, rather than the licence fee payer, should fund the costs of the analogue switch-off; and iv) the Government's proposals for reforming the governance and regulation of the BBC are confusing, misguided and unworkable. A further report is due to be published by the Committee in Spring 2005 which will focus on the role of the BBC in the nations and the regions, the BBC World Service and the broadcasting of sport and religion.