BBC to call for permanent charter and end of political appointments to board

The BBC is to call for an end to political appointments to its board as part of sweeping changes designed to protect its independence.The corporation will also demand that its royal charter be put on a permanent footing in an attempt to end the existential threat posed by having to negotiate with ministers over its future every 10 years.The proposals form part of its official response to current charter renewal talks, to be published on Thursday.It follows concern within the BBC that political pressure from its board led to the resignations of the director general, Tim Davie, and the head of BBC News, Deborah Turness, in November last year.MPs and BBC staff members have called for the board member Robbie Gibb to be removed after claims of a “coup” against the pair. Gibb, Theresa May’s former communications chief, was appointed during Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister.The BBC has always said Gibb’s voice was one of many on its board, and the corporation’s chair, Samir Shah, has ridiculed claims of a rightwing coup.It is nevertheless to press for an end to political appointments and the perception of interference they create.A source pointed to the results of the biggest audience engagement exercise ever carried out by the broadcaster, in which licence-fee payers saw the BBC’s independence as non-negotiable.“When it comes to independence, perceptions matter as much as reality, and the audience has spoken,” said a BBC source. “This charter must find ways to reassert the BBC’s editorial, creative and operational independence, so the BBC can continue to be a universally supported, trusted, unifying force.“At the same time, we want to keep modernising the BBC and find new ways to open up our thinking, plans and decision-making to our audience, so they are more involved.”The proposals form part of what is expected to be a set of significant changes proposed by the BBC, which faces hostility from its political detractors and commercial rivals over its funding model. Its current charter expires at the end of 2027.Insiders have said non-payment of the licence fee is increasing faster than predicted. Significant cuts have already been announced as its funding base erodes.The BBC also has to come up with plans to deal with a rapidly changing media world, with the rise of wealthy streamers such as Netflix and the growing role played by YouTube and other digital platforms.BBC executives continue to oppose any shift to an ad-funded or subscription-based system, but there is acknowledgment that radical ideas need to be considered to ensure public service broadcasting continues to have a future – and that the BBC’s universal funding model can be justified.The idea of a permanent charter was raised last year by the former BBC News chief James Harding. He said protecting the BBC was crucial with the prospect of Nigel Farage entering government at the next election.He used a keynote speech last year to say it would be “recklessly complacent” to believe that Reform would not pursue attempts to defund publicly backed media, as Donald Trump has done in the US.BBC insiders say the current 10-year charter creates a “recurring threat to the BBC’s existence, uncertainty and the potential for political interference”. They point to other institutions, such as the Bank of England, that have a permanent charter.It would mean that while the BBC would continue to have to negotiate over what it does and how it is funded, its existence would no longer be questioned.The BBC is having to publish its proposals while it continues to search for a new leader to replace Davie. Many fancied names are no longer in the frame, with the former Google executive Matt Brittin now seen as the favourite.