La UER ha pedido al gobierno del Reino Unido que se garantize la independencia de la BBC y ha expresado su preocupación por la reciente discusión sobre el futuro de la radiotelevisión pública británica.
En una carta al secretario de cultura del Reino Unido, John Whittingdale, la directora general de la UER, Ingrid Deltenre, afirma que "la BBC continúa siendo el estándar ideal en toda Europa" para la radiodifusión pública y señaló que el servicio BBC iPlayer se había convertido en "un estándar del sector internacional para la entrega de contenido bajo demanda ".
"La BBC, gracias a su oferta amplia y variada disponible en múltiples plataformas, contribuye fuertemente a garantizar la universalidad de los contenidos de alto nivel y ayuda a ofrecer a los ciudadanos una oferta de medios diversos y sanos, que es esencial para el crecimiento personal y permite jugar un papel esencial en una democracia que funciona de verdad. La BBC debe permanecer comprometida con la formación de los ciudadanos, libre de intereses políticos y comerciales. Cualquier cambio en cómo se regula la BBC, incluyendo sus competencias y el modelo de financiación, deben llevarse a cabo garantizando la independencia de la BBC ", dijo Deltenre.
"El Reino Unido siempre ha sido considerado como un modelo para la política de los medios de comunicación en todo el mundo. La consulta y procesos regulatorios que rigen la BBC han inspirado a otros similares en toda Europa. Estamos preocupados por algunos de los recientes debates y medidas, que corren el riesgo de no sólo un impacto negativo en la capacidad de la organización para servir a los ciudadanos, sino también de todo el sistema de medios de comunicación, en el Reino Unido y en toda Europa ", dijo.
Contenido íntegro de la carta:
LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE BBC
Dear Secretary of State,
The BBC's mission "to inform, educate and entertain" can be found in almost all European public service media charters and the BBC continues to set the standard across Europe. No public service broadcaster has better lived up to the ambition and mantra of Huw Wheldon "to make the popular good and the good popular." Broadcasters have greatly benefited from innovations launched by the BBC. The BBC iPlayer for example has become an international industry standard for delivering on demand content.
This is why the European Broadcasting Union would, at this important time, like to express its support and commitment to one of its founding Members which created the idea of public service broadcasting as we know it nearly 100 years ago.
The BBC, thanks to its broad and varied offer available on multiple platforms, strongly contributes to ensuring the universality of high level content and helps provide citizens with a diverse and healthy media diet, which is essential for their personal growth and enables them to play their role in a functioning democracy. It must remain committed to putting citizens first, free from political and commercial interests. Any changes to how the BBC is regulated, including its remit and funding model, must be conducted in the interests of guaranteeing the BBC's independence.
The BBC has a strong international voice that must continue to be heard. It contributes to a well-informed democratic debate and embodies European values. In times of crisis, whether economic, political or humanitarian, the BBC continues to be one of the most trusted sources of information, not only in the UK but worldwide. Across Europe, but especially in those countries where trusted, high quality media are not available, citizens turn to the BBC to make sense of the changes the world and their countries are going through. Consequently, the BBC is a clear example of how public service media contributes to society by informing citizens and therefore strengthening democracy.
The BBC is the biggest content producer within the EBU Membership. The importance of the BBC's contribution to the creative economy, as well as society and culture cannot be underestimated. It is a major driver of the British and European creative industries. A step back in that role would result in enormous damage not only to that specific sector but also to other associated industries.
In this ever more connected world, public service media must have the scope and scale to serve audiences wherever they are, including online. By meeting this challenge the BBC has driven up broadband use and enhanced digital skills in the UK. In the current context of offer abundance and high-pace innovation there is more information than ever and truth is frequently crowded out by lies. Trust, quality and universality therefore become issues that cannot be ignored. The BBC, embracing its public service values, plays a vital role in ensuring that the entire citizenship benefits from those changes.
However, in order to remain relevant in the future the BBC needs to maintain a strong legal framework, which ensures its editorial independence and sustainable funding. The UK has always been regarded as a model for media policy across the world. The consultation and regulatory processes that support the BBC have inspired similar ones across Europe. We are concerned by some of the recent discussions and developments, which risk not only a negative impact on the organisation's ability to serve citizens, but also on the entire media system, in the UK and across Europe.
The BBC is a great British institution. As an instrument of soft power and influence around Europe and the world it is unrivalled. It is a source of inspiration and aspiration for all our Members. When the UK makes its decision on how to shape the BBC of the future we ask that you take into account the importance the organisation has in upholding journalistic and programme-making standards at home and abroad, and the role it plays in the lives of hundreds of millions of people not just in the UK but around the globe.
Yours Sincerely,
Ingrid Deltenre
Director General, EBU
