May 17, 2016

UK Music has welcomed the music elements of the Government’s White Paper on the BBC, saying that its #LetItBeeb campaign has “succeeded in convincing Government to value music services and recognise that Radio 1 and 2 play an important role in the BBC’s public service offering, particularly in support of home-grown talent in the music industry”.

UK Music is adamant that the BBC Charter renewal process “must never facilitate a reduction in the breadth of musical choice for listeners”.  Substantive changes to the way the BBC will operate in the future, and the way it is governed, must not be allowed to open the door to partial decision-making on music programming, the trade body says.  Further, UK Music says that it stands by its demand for more, not less music on the BBC.

UK Music asks that the new regulatory and governance framework and the introduction of a mid-term five-year review of the BBC Charter be given “careful Parliamentary scrutiny”.  These changes, including providing Ofcom with the power to assess market impacts, “must not have a negative impact on BBC music programming and services”.  Further, UK Music says that it will seek necessary safeguards before the new Charter commences at the beginning of 2017.

Valuing music is one of the most important things any institution can do, UK Music says, and the announcement to close the BBC iPlayer loophole is the right thing to do.  It welcomes enshrining diversity into the next Charter to “ensure the BBC serves all audiences and is representative both on and off-screen”.

Jo Dipple, CEO of UK Music said: “Collectively Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6Music, Asian Network, Proms, BBC Introducing, Glastonbury, festival coverage, five orchestras, BBC Singers, new music commissions, music broadcast programming and music documentaries give fans and listeners access to the most astounding and diverse range of musical content.  BBC Music caters for a myriad of tastes which are not served by the commercial sector.  Without BBC Music services to support the development of new music, our industry would not only be poorer and listeners deprived, but this country would find it harder to outperform on the world stage.  UK Music will be assessing the full implications of this historic White Paper with its members and we look forward to discussing it with the BBC, Government and Parliament in the coming weeks and months”.  To read UK Music’s press release in full, click here.