Tony Hall has said that the BBC should be “bold and inventive about the future” in a note to all staff, which comes amid rightwing criticism of anti-Tory bias during the election and fears over the future of the licence fee.
Less than a day after the appointment of a Thatcherite culture minister, John Whittingdale, prompted a flurry of anti-BBC headlines in the rightwing press, the corporation’s director general told staff to approach the coming debate over the charter review and the licence fee negotiations “with confidence”.
In a note sent out to congratulate staff on the BBC’s success at the Bafta awards, Hall said that the organisation “looks forward to working with the new secretary of state” and intended to publish its own proposals over the next few months on how it could “flourish in the internet age as we look forward to our centenary”.
“The BBC is a treasured national asset but of course it cannot be immune to change. The BBC should be prepared to be bold and inventive about its future and we should also encourage the public to have its voice in that debate,” he said.
In twice referring to the public and the “people that matter most – our audiences”, Hall suggests that public affection for the organisation will be its best ally in any forthcoming battle with the government.
After the BBC won 11 awards at the Baftas on Sunday night, Hall said: “The best argument for the BBC lies in the quality of its programmes. But there can never be any room for complacency. The challenge for us all over the coming months is to push ourselves to do even better.”
