Southport MP writes to Culture Secretary over BBC Radio 4 cuts and Brittin’s approach

Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport, has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to say he is “concerned by the management philosophy” of the BBC’s new Director General, Matt Brittin.

In the letter, Hurley said he had “profound concern about the direction in which the BBC appears to be heading, particularly following today’s announcement of further cuts to Radio 4 and yesterday’s reports of Matt Brittin’s plans for the Corporation.”

He wrote: “I find these developments deeply troubling. The decision to axe programmes such as Thinking Allowed, Free Thinking, and You and Yours represents considerably more than just some sort of minor change to the broadcasting schedule. These are precisely the kinds of programmes that distinguish the BBC from commercial broadcasters. They inform, educate, challenge and enrich our national life. Their value cannot simply be measured by audience figures, podcast downloads or engagement metrics.”

He added that the cuts followed “announcements of negative changes in local and regional journalism, and short-sighted comments from Mr Brittin about using artificial intelligence in the making of television programmes.”

‘Not Google, Spotify or Netflix’

Hurley said he was “equally concerned” about how Brittin intends to run the corporation.

“The BBC cannot be run as though it is Google, Spotify or Netflix. It is a public institution, established to serve the public interest, and its future must be ensured on that basis,” he wrote.

“The BBC must modernise and it must make responsible decisions about its finances.

“But modernisation should mean finding better ways of fulfilling its public service obligations, not redefining those obligations around the priorities of commercial technology companies or the self-interest of its own management class.

“There is a fundamental distinction between efficiency and public value. A programme may attract a relatively small audience and still make an extraordinary contribution to our intellectual, cultural and democratic life. Indeed, providing things that the commercial market would otherwise neglect is one of the principal reasons the BBC exists.

“I am also concerned that these changes form part of a wider pattern. I have increasing concerns about the continuing erosion of BBC local journalism, including reductions in regional news and political coverage. As you know, these services are essential for communities across the country.

“Bearing all this in mind, there are obviously serious questions about whether the BBC’s new leadership fully understands the institution it has been entrusted to protect.”

Call for Charter protections

The MP said he recognised and strongly backed the BBC’s editorial and operational independence and had no wish to interfere in individual commissioning decisions. But he argued that “independence does not mean an absence of public accountability, particularly when decisions appear to threaten the very purposes for which the institution was established.”

He urged Nandy to use the BBC Charter renewal to bring in measures “to protect the BBC’s obligation to provide distinctive, intellectually serious, culturally diverse and socially valuable programming, including where audiences are relatively small.

“I would also encourage you to undertake measures to ensure that BBC local and regional journalism, including political scrutiny and coverage of communities outside our major cities, is adequately protected.

“I would also urge you to raise these wider concerns directly with the BBC’s Chair and Director-General.

“The BBC is one of the great institutions of British public life. We should all be ambitious for its future. But that ambition must be rooted in a proper understanding of its purpose. I fear that what is currently being presented as modernisation risks diminishing the very things that make the BBC worth defending.”

£500m savings target

On the previous day the BBC confirmed it would cut several Radio 4 programmes, among them Open Country, Thinking Allowed, You and Yours, The Artificial Human and Free Thinking. Commissioning at Radio 5 Live will also be reduced.

The corporation is trying to save £500m.

Jonathan Wall, director of BBC Sounds, said the BBC was “reshaping BBC Speech audio to build a strong future for trusted journalism, distinctive storytelling and programmes that bring people together.”

He said: “By commissioning fewer programmes overall, we can focus our investment and make our best shows work across broadcast, on demand and different formats.

“That means accelerating growth on our own digital platforms and reaching more people beyond the BBC, while maintaining the strength of Radio 4 and 5 Live, the country’s two biggest speech radio stations.”

In an interview last month, Brittin said he “couldn’t guarantee any programme or channel would exist forever”, amid fears that BBC Scotland and BBC Three could become online-only services.