Freelancers deserve representation on the BBC board, the Writers Guild of Great Britain and Directors UK have both urged.
Giving evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s enquiry into BBC charter renewal, the WGGB said the BBC should be “free from all political and governmental interference” and called for “an end to all Government appointments to the board”.
It said it hoped to see “all areas of the creative workforce (particularly freelance workers) directly represented at board level”.
Directors UK’s submission meanwhile stated: “Given the scale and influence of the BBC, and its reliance on freelancers, the BBC Board (or relevant sub-committee) should include representation from key freelance creative professions such as directors, so that BBC decisions and policies are informed by those who understand their real-world impact on the freelance workforce.”
The creative membership bodies also outlined concerns about the impact of the BBC’s plan to cut around 2,000 jobs.
“It is difficult to see how £500m savings can be made over the next two years without this having a catastrophic impact on services,” the WGGB aid.
DUK added that “years of licence-fee freezes, top-slicing and cost-saving have had an impact”.
Without adequate, sustainable funding, it said the BBC risks “stretched too thin to provide the full range of content and services that UK audiences expect”.
Both backed the current licence fee funding model, though DUK said it should be reformed “to reflect modern media usage”.
Its submission stated: “We urgently need to rebuild public understanding of how the BBC supports our democracy, protects shared values, and the cultural and economic benefits.
“The Committee should recommend greater transparency around licence fee negotiations as the outcome of these have significant impacts on the BBC, its audiences and its workforce, and impacts independence.”
