News story about stakeholders from the UK commercial radio sector signing a joint letter to the UK government's Culture Secretary demanding no increase to the BBC Licence Fee during the next Charter period, written by Grant Goddard in June 2006 for The Radio Magazine.

1. NEWS: COMMERCIAL RADIO
SIGNS JOINT LETTER TO
CULTURE SECRETARY
DEMANDING NO INCREASE TO
BBC LICENCE FEE
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
June 2006

2. News: Commercial Radio Signs Joint Letter To Culture Secretary Demanding No Increase To BBC Licence Feepage 2
©2006 Grant Goddard
Commercial radio companies, including EMAP plc and Chrysalis plc, and
David Elstein, chairman of the Commercial Radio Companies Association, are
amongst signatories of a joint letter to culture secretary Tessa Jowell from
commercial media owners, demanding that the BBC not be granted its request
for a licence fee increase 2.3% above inflation.
"If the government were to accept the BBC's bid for an increased licence fee,
even if at a reduced level, it would signal a disregard for the wealth-generating
importance of commercial broadcasters and the social imperative of a plurality
of quality content provision," the letter said. "Our ability to contribute to a
balanced broadcasting ecology will be undermined if even greater public
funding enables the BBC to increase its dominance across all platforms whilst
driving up the cost of content for all broadcasters, both of which will be the
inevitable outcome of yet another ‘RPI plus’ settlement."
[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'Joint Letter To Jowell', #739, 7 June 2006]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk