UK Music CEO Jo Dipple has praised the music industry’s #LetItBeeb campaign for helping the BBC’s music services dodge a bullet in the government’s White Paper on the future of the corporation.
Many had expected Radio 1 and Radio 2 to be in the firing line in the report, with possible calls for them to make their input more niche and less mainstream. But the White Paper, launched last week by secretary of state for culture John Whittingdale, made no specific recommendations for music output, although it did warn that services would have to be “distinctive” from the commercial sector.
“The resistance and arguments that the music industry, en masse, put up to John Whittingdale have been listened to,” said Dipple. “The importance of the BBC music platforms as the bedrock of the music industry in the UK has definitely been registered.”
Artists including Sam Smith, Sir Paul McCartney and Coldplay stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the industry in the #LetItBeeb campaign, while a petition attracted over 11,000 signatures. Nonetheless, Dipple warned that the industry still has work to do to “win the argument” with the Conservative government over whether BBC radio stations have any crossover with the commercial sector.
“The only thing that I think is worrying is that they repeat the claim [in the White Paper] that Radio 1 and Radio 2 aren’t distinct from commercial radio,” she said. “It’s up to the industry to keep giving evidence to show the unique output on those stations.”
Under the White Paper proposals, Ofcom will become the BBC’s regulator, including potentially having to rule on the BBC’s impact on commercial services.
“There will be a conversation between commercial broadcasters and the BBC through Ofcom for sure,” said Dipple. “But Ofcom is a regulator that has got distance and experience and would be very sensible about the way it regulates the market. It’s used to really, really intense market analysis and regulation so it’s not going to be bad for the radio business. Having the apolitical view of a regulator like Ofcom might actually be better than having the political view of a secretary of state that doesn’t see the distinctiveness of the output.”
Other measures outlined in the White Paper include guaranteeing the licence fee for at least another 11 years and making those who only use the BBC iPlayer have to buy a TV licence. Top BBC stars – including music presenters such as Chris Evans and Graham Norton – may also have their salaries made public.
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