- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has signalled plans to remove the 10-year time limit on the BBC charter.
- Speaking at the Society of Editors conference, Ms Nandy praised the BBC as "an engine for the whole nation" and stated the current charter would be the "last of its kind".
- She argued that the BBC is as essential to the health of democracy as the NHS is to public health, and should not face the risk of ceasing to exist if charter renewal is not agreed upon.
- The current charter, which sets out the BBC’s public purpose and expires in December 2027, has been described by outgoing director-general Tim Davie as making the corporation a "political football".
- The government also intends to strengthen the accountability of BBC leadership to the public, rather than politicians, by enhancing transparency on licence fee spending and commissioning power.
IN FULL
Lisa Nandy hints at major BBC change in bid to ‘future-proof’ organisation through ‘stormy times’
