We hear from the new Controller of BBC TV Channels (BBC 1,2 and 4) and iPlayer Charlotte Moore about her vision for the future. She also gives her response to claims (from Culture Secretary John Whittingdale and a recent report from consultants Oliver & Ohlbaum and Oxera Consulting), that BBC TV has become less distinctive.
We hear from Sevgi Akarcesme, Editor in Chief of Today's Zaman about the Turkish state takeover of the anti-government newspaper for which she works, and from the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen on the context of this crackdown on press freedom.
A recent report by Sir David Clementi into the governance and regulation of the BBC recommended that the government appoint about half of a reformed future BBC's operational board. The Director General of the BBC, Lord Hall, said this recommendation could undermine the BBC's independence from government. So where should the balance lie between BBC freedom from government influence and the public's ability, via the democratically elected government, to have a say in how the BBC licence fee is spent? We hear from "the insider's insider" Tim Suter. He's been a BBC TV executive,worked for the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, is on the board of the Press Recognition Panel, advised the House of Lords Communications Select Committee and is one of the leaders of the European Broadcasting Union's project for developing a vision for European Public Service Broadcasting.
