The government is to put the BBC\u2019s charter on a permanent footing for the first time, after the corporation said the change was needed to protect it from political interference.<\/p>\n
In a significant change to the governance of the BBC, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy<\/a>, said she wanted to grant the corporation\u2019s demand for a permanent charter. She said she wanted to protect it from repeated \u201cculture war\u201d attacks.<\/p>\n BBC executives had argued that the current system in which the broadcaster\u2019s charter had to be renewed every 10 years created a rolling existential threat. That threat has become more acute with the rise of Reform UK, an arch critic of the BBC that has vowed to end the licence fee.<\/p>\n Speaking at the Society of Editors conference in London, Nandy said the BBC was \u201cone of the two most important institutions in our country\u201d, alongside the NHS.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the terms, the structures and the funding for the BBC will continue to be negotiated every several years, we should seek to end the bizarre situation where if the charter isn\u2019t agreed in time, the BBC ceases to exist,\u201d Nandy said. \u201cThe truth is we would not accept this for the NHS and we should not accept it for the BBC. This is about protecting the BBC \u2013 and everything that it represents \u2013 for the long term for all of us.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will act to future-proof this vital institution in these stormy times when public debate feels more toxic and polarised than ever and too often the BBC becomes a lightning rod for the ongoing, exhausting culture wars.\u201d<\/p>\n It marks a significant win for the BBC and the outgoing director general, Tim Davie, who had been arguing for the change.<\/p>\n