Pact chief executive John McVay has argued that the BBC should drop all of its in-house guarantees and become a “publisher broadcaster”.
The indie trade body’s proposal on BBC commissioning quotas goes further than it has ever done previously on the issue, and it plans to formally set out its position in a report that will be delivered to the corporation later this year.
Pact chief executive John McVay said the abolition of BBC Productions would be “liberating” for the corporation, allowing commissioners greater freedom to pick the best ideas for licence fee payers.
His made the comments at a Culture, Media and Sport Committee session on the future of the BBC on Tuesday.
“When I talk to [BBC] commissioners, their view privately is that they groan whenever in-house come in the room because they’re going to have to commission whatever they bring them because it’s in the guarantee. That can’t be the best way to get value for precious licence fee payers’ money,” he said.
McVay added that it would stop the BBC from focusing its management resources on “discussing HR issues for standing armies in barracks scattered across London”.
Labour MP and committee member Paul Farrelly suggested that Channel 4 was “very nervous” about the impact of Pact’s idea to transform the BBC into a publisher broadcaster. McVay said he was “completely bemused” by C4’s position, claiming the broadcaster would benefit from increased talent in the production market.
McVay also called for an increase in the licence fee during charter renewal negotiations next year. He said it this essential to avoid further reductions to programming tariffs, which are “cutting to the bone of programme making”.
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