By Jess Jones
The BBC could cause serious harm to local news publishers who cannot compete with the national broadcaster, the chief of trade body News Media Association (NMA) has warned.
“By needlessly boosting its digital local news offering, at the expense of much-loved local radio services, the BBC threatens to crush commercial local news publishers who cannot be expected to compete with the might of the licence fee,” said Owen Meredith.
“Ultimately, this could result in the BBC becoming the only source of local news in many communities,” he added, calling on MPs and Ofcom to “wake up to this threat” and urge the BBC to alter its “misguided” plans.
Meredith’s comments come in response to Monday’s publication of the BBC mid-term review, conducted at the halfway point of the 11-year Royal Charter. Launched in May 2022, the review assesses the effectiveness of the governance and regulatory structures introduced in 2017.
It has recommended that theBBC should engage better with competitors and be more transparent when changing its services.
The government has advised Ofcom to publish an annual high-level view on the BBC’s position in the local news sector. It has also suggested that the BBC develops a public strategy to offer competitors a clearer insight into its partnerships.
Under the corporation’s ‘Across the UK’ proposals, it plans to cut funding for its highly successful local radio stations and redirect the cash into new online sites specifically for local news.
The move could put commercial publications, who rely heavily on audience and advertising revenues, under a lot of pressure to compete with the BBC.
Meredith has previously lashed out over the broadcaster’s plans, saying that local journalism could be “irreparably harmed”.
Ofcom is the communications regulator that oversees the BBC.
In response to the mid term review, an Ofcom spokesperson said: “We welcome the Government’s report and recommendations, which will support us as we continue to hold the BBC to account on behalf of audiences.”
Culture secretary Lucy Frazer said: “In a rapidly changing media landscape the BBC needs to adapt or risk losing the trust of the audiences it relies on.
“These changes will better set up the BBC to ask difficult questions of itself, and make sure Ofcom can continue to hold the broadcaster to account. We all rely on the BBC being the best it can be and this review will help ensure that is what the British public gets,” she added.
City A.M. has approached the BBC for comment.
