Lords debate on motion to take note of the BBC's new charter and the agreement between the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the corporation. Agreed to on question. (Debated with Lords motion to take note of the third report of the Select Committee on the Review of the BBC's Royal Charter (HL 196 2005-06)).

Lords debate on motion to take note of the BBC's new charter and the agreement between the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the corporation. Agreed to on question. (Debated with Lords motion to take note of the third report of the Select Committee on the Review...

My Lords, I am pleased to follow the right reverend prelate the Bishop of Manchester and his thoughtful contribution, particularly since I spent 18 happy years in Salford, broadcasting to the north-west, and I wish him well in his campaign. I want to focus on how the draft charter and framework agreement might reposition BBC policy...

My Lords, I am pleased to follow the right reverend prelate the Bishop of Manchester and his thoughtful contribution, particularly since I spent 18 happy years in Salford, broadcasting to the north-west, and I wish him well in his campaign. I want to focus on how the draft charter and framework agreement might reposition BBC policy...

My Lords, this is the third report of the Select Committee, which the House will be relieved to know is rather shorter than the previous reports. I know that all noble Lords here will have studied them with extreme care. This will be the last report of the BBC Select Committee,...

My Lords, this is the third report of the Select Committee, which the House will be relieved to know is rather shorter than the previous reports. I know that all noble Lords here will have studied them with extreme care. This will be the last report of the BBC Select Committee,...

My Lords, I do not have a date for that at the moment, but it is an important part of the new constituent arrangements and will take place before the trust comes fully into operation. It is part of the transitional arrangements. I cannot give the noble Lord a precise timetable. I am trying...

My Lords, I do not have a date for that at the moment, but it is an important part of the new constituent arrangements and will take place before the trust comes fully into operation. It is part of the transitional arrangements. I cannot give the noble Lord a precise timetable. I am trying...

My Lords, in recent years this House has had several opportunities to address comprehensively the issues that face the BBC, in particular at a time of enormous change in broadcasting culture and hitherto unparalleled technological advance. But in the debates leading to the Communications Act and in their overall response...

My Lords, in recent years this House has had several opportunities to address comprehensively the issues that face the BBC, in particular at a time of enormous change in broadcasting culture and hitherto unparalleled technological advance. But in the debates leading to the Communications Act and in their overall response...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his succinct introduction. However, I want to single out for thanks the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, not only for his speech today—a model of clarity—but for the fact that he and his committee, in their three reports, have helped inform the House and the wider public...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his succinct introduction. However, I want to single out for thanks the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, not only for his speech today—a model of clarity—but for the fact that he and his committee, in their three reports, have helped inform the House and the wider public...

My Lords, I may have missed the point if the Minister made it, but can he clarify the transitional arrangements? At what stage will the chairman of the BBC board—the operational board—be appointed? I do not mean the chairman of the trust, but the chairman of the BBC.

My Lords, I may have missed the point if the Minister made it, but can he clarify the transitional arrangements? At what stage will the chairman of the BBC board—the operational board—be appointed? I do not mean the chairman of the trust, but the chairman of the BBC.

rose to move, That this House takes note of the drafts of the BBC’s new charter and the agreement between the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the corporation. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I should start by reiterating that, in drawing up our plans for the future...

rose to move, That this House takes note of the drafts of the BBC’s new charter and the agreement between the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the corporation. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I should start by reiterating that, in drawing up our plans for the future...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to take part in this debate today. Unlike many other speakers, I am no expert on the BBC, broadcasting or the media, although I am more knowledgeable now than I was before I joined the Select Committee. I have always been, and remain, a keen supporter and admirer...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to take part in this debate today. Unlike many other speakers, I am no expert on the BBC, broadcasting or the media, although I am more knowledgeable now than I was before I joined the Select Committee. I have always been, and remain, a keen supporter and admirer...

My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to take part in this debate, and I thank my noble friend for introducing it. I particularly congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, on the excellent work of his committee and on his persuasive speech, with which I found myself largely in agreement. I should declare a...

My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to take part in this debate, and I thank my noble friend for introducing it. I particularly congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, on the excellent work of his committee and on his persuasive speech, with which I found myself largely in agreement. I should declare a...

My Lords, I start by declaring my interests: I am a BBC governor. Your Lordships will not see or hear my like again. I am the last of a species that has served the country and the BBC well over 80 years, and overseen its growth into the respected and influential organisation that it...

My Lords, I start by declaring my interests: I am a BBC governor. Your Lordships will not see or hear my like again. I am the last of a species that has served the country and the BBC well over 80 years, and overseen its growth into the respected and influential organisation that it...

My Lords, the disagreements between the Select Committee and the Government are very succinctly set out in the letter of the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It may therefore seem strange that I feel able to congratulate both the Government and the Select...

My Lords, the disagreements between the Select Committee and the Government are very succinctly set out in the letter of the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It may therefore seem strange that I feel able to congratulate both the Government and the Select...

My Lords, this could be a crucial debate for broadcasting in Britain. In my judgment we are at a turning point in the history of what has been an exceptional tradition of broadcasting in this country—I would even venture the word ““unique”” about what we have had, especially in the area...

My Lords, this could be a crucial debate for broadcasting in Britain. In my judgment we are at a turning point in the history of what has been an exceptional tradition of broadcasting in this country—I would even venture the word ““unique”” about what we have had, especially in the area...

My Lords, it is with some humility and a great deal of trepidation that I follow my noble friend Lord Bragg. If anyone exemplifies public service broadcasting, it is him—for the BBC and elsewhere. It was a superb speech well made. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, and his committee on their excellent...

My Lords, it is with some humility and a great deal of trepidation that I follow my noble friend Lord Bragg. If anyone exemplifies public service broadcasting, it is him—for the BBC and elsewhere. It was a superb speech well made. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, and his committee on their excellent...

My Lords, I ought to declare an interest at the outset, as a number of other noble Lords have done. I am chairman of the CN Group, which has several local radio and local newspaper interests across the United Kingdom. I shall start as others have done by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Fowler,...

My Lords, I ought to declare an interest at the outset, as a number of other noble Lords have done. I am chairman of the CN Group, which has several local radio and local newspaper interests across the United Kingdom. I shall start as others have done by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Fowler,...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Davies and the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, for giving us the opportunity to debate the BBC’s new charter. As many have said, it is a crucial moment in the development of broadcasting. No longer are we seeing the shared experience; today you can create your...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Davies and the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, for giving us the opportunity to debate the BBC’s new charter. As many have said, it is a crucial moment in the development of broadcasting. No longer are we seeing the shared experience; today you can create your...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Macdonald, will excuse me if I do not follow him on the issues which I know are very important to him and which I had the pleasure of hearing him address when we discussed them in Grand Committee. I start by paying warm tribute to my noble friend Lord Fowler....

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Macdonald, will excuse me if I do not follow him on the issues which I know are very important to him and which I had the pleasure of hearing him address when we discussed them in Grand Committee. I start by paying warm tribute to my noble friend Lord Fowler....

My Lords, I declare interests as a former BBC vice-chairman and as a former chairman of commercial radio companies. The BBC, for all its foibles, is an institution that enriches all our lives and is envied, as other noble Lords have said, the world over. The licence fee is the only...

My Lords, I declare interests as a former BBC vice-chairman and as a former chairman of commercial radio companies. The BBC, for all its foibles, is an institution that enriches all our lives and is envied, as other noble Lords have said, the world over. The licence fee is the only...

My Lords, of course, the Government are bound to have an interest in the development of the trust, which is by far the most important dimension of the whole charter review. No government could abdicate their responsibility from that. What I am saying is that it will be carried out in...

My Lords, of course, the Government are bound to have an interest in the development of the trust, which is by far the most important dimension of the whole charter review. No government could abdicate their responsibility from that. What I am saying is that it will be carried out in...

My Lords, this has been an interesting and informative debate, although what we learned from the noble Lord, Lord Inglewood, about the fate of those who criticised the previous charter has made me a little nervous, so I shall start on a positive note."““There is nothing like a little distance to make...

My Lords, this has been an interesting and informative debate, although what we learned from the noble Lord, Lord Inglewood, about the fate of those who criticised the previous charter has made me a little nervous, so I shall start on a positive note."““There is nothing like a little distance to make...