PoliticsHome | Public backs BBC plans

Wednesday 3rd March 2010 | 14:30

Public backs BBC plans

Despite outspoken criticism of the corporation's intentions to reduce its output, voters are generally in favour.

The public supports the BBC’s plans to reduce its number of radio stations and websites, and by a large margin, despite the growing campaign to block the changes, new PoliticsHome research shows.

More than 70 per cent of voters either strongly or somewhat approve of the corporation reprioritising its budget, by shutting down radio stations 6Music and the Asian Network as well as reducing its online spending. The resulting savings would be allocated to journalism, children’s programming and BBC 2.

In recent days, the corporation has faced mounting criticism of its plans. The Save 6Music Facebook group now has more than 100,000 members, and the Conservatives’ shadow culture minister, Ed Vaizey, is reported to have come out in opposition to the radio station's demise.

However, only one in ten of the public strongly disapprove of the reforms.

The BBC has announced that it will be reprioritising how it spends its budget. This will include closing radio stations 6Music and the Asian Network, and reducing its online budget by 25%. It argues this will free more funds for content creation. BBC 2, children's programming and journalism may receive extra funding. Do you broadly approve or disapprove of this move?

Public divided over size of BBC

Voters are divided over whether the BBC should remain the size, expand or be trimmed. Forty nine per cent would like to see the BBC expand or remain the same size as currently. Forty seven per cent would like to see it reduced in size, shut down or privatised.

BBC has got 'worse'

However, voters tend to have a dim view of the corporation’s programmes and services over the last decade. More than half believe ‘that the general quality of the BBC has got worse’ over the last ten years. Only 22 per cent say that it has improved.

Update: a previous version of this article contained an error. The percentage in favour of reducing the size of the BBC was stated at 27 rather than 37 per cent.

PoliticsHome interviewed 1,102 adults from 2-3 March 2010. Results are weighted by age, gender and political party identification to reflect the population of Great Britain. Full data tables are available on request.

Leave a comment...

Richard Elen

15:07 |
03 Mar 2010
Recommended
2

Well, I'm "broadly" in favour of the BBC's plans, but I am also of the opinion that closing Radio 6 Music is a damn fool thing to do, as it specifically targets several of the BBC's strategic points, specifically that its audience is not catered for by any commercial station, nor will it be. I'm also very much opposed to reducing the size of the BBC's online operation, but I'm still "broadly in favour" If something has to be shut down (and I am not convinced this is the case) then 1Xtra and BBC3 would be prime candidates in my view. And losing Jonathan Ross, say, pays for at least one digital station all on its own. The trouble with a question like "are you broadly in favour" is that it's really too broad to give you much useful information, and what it does give has to be understood in context. Thankfully your other questions provide some of this. The question on the size of the BBC overall yields an interesting result, in fact, that could be read as being slightly at odds with the "broadly in favour" question. Looking more broadly at the strategic review, one might suggest that what the BBC is fundamentally up to here is a restructuring to move successfully from an era of digital terrestrial expansion to one more focused on possible future distribution via the internet and on-demand. In the light of which, perhaps closing a bunch of weird web sub-sites might make sense, while laying off a bunch of on-line staff probably does not. However another element in the proposals does seem to represent a bowing to political pressures, mainly from the Tories and their media mogul master(s), and the very fact that the BBC is offering to make voluntary cuts sets a bad precedent in my view. Just as funding digital switchover by skimming the licence fee set a precedent to skim it for other purposes, so voluntary cuts send an unfortunate message. Most people want to see the BBC remain about the same size, and I want to see it rearrange its resources to better address the online age. That does not mean or require the Corporation to be smaller. I'd recommend anyone who is prepared to take the time to do so to make their views known via the online consultation questionnaire at https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view - my own comments to the questionnaire are here: http://brideswell.com/content/technology/time-to-start-work-to-save-the-bbc/

Andrew

15:31 |
03 Mar 2010
Recommended
2

What about the results to the poll questions on the BBC's programming? There was a good question on what elements the BBC should emphasise, e.g. news, documentaries, educational, good quality drama, high-rating drama (maximum of 3) - do we get to see what the results were?

Neil Reddin

15:54 |
03 Mar 2010
0

One problem I had with the survey was the question on the size of the BBC. One option was "I would like to see the BBC privatised or shut down" - I would support the former but not the latter, and in any case privatisation is a seperate issue from the size of the corporation.