Lord Patten: My vision for the BBC

Lord Patten has warned of drastic cuts, reductions in pay for its bosses and the need for efficiency.

Lord Patten: My vision for the BBC
The BBC's new chairman Chris Patten Credit: Photo: GEOFF PUGH

Lord Patten is adamant that the best way to appreciate the BBC is to go abroad.

The last governor of Hong Kong and former European Commissioner said his love of the World Service made protecting it a priority, describing it as “an institution to be proud of”.

It is facing the loss of some language services - including Arabic and Hindi - because the Foreign Office has stopped funding it, meaning it must be paid for from the licence fee.

“If you want to know how good the BBC is just spend time somewhere else,” he said.

“If you took anyone from any other country who comes here or listens to the World Service or looks at some of the BBC services, they think it’s a fantastic organisation.

“We have 10 million who are listening to the BBC in the United States or who are listening to [BBC] repeats on National Public Radio.”

He is now to lobby William Hague, the Foriegn Secretary, over its funding, saying that it is vital to projecting Britain around the world.

“I hope that with the Foreign Secretary we can successfully mitigate the effects of some of the decisions which were taken,” he said.

“I’m hoping that on Arabic services will be able to protect that as something that is at the core of what the BBC is doing.

“It’s with the Foreign Office at the moment and I’ll be talking to the Foreign Secretary reasonably soon.

“I know what regard he has for the World Service. I know he regards it as an important part of this country’s soft power and I’m sure that with goodwill and without megaphones we’ll be able to sort it out.”

BBC SPENDING AXE

In the wake of last year’s licence fee payment settlement, the BBC must find 20 per cent savings over the next five years.

“You won’t find a politician who doesn’t have a story about being interviewed by 90 people from the BBC. I exaggerate, slightly,” said Lord Patten.

“That’s an issue that has to be addressed. I think it’s got better, but it’s something that needs to be looked at.

“We have to demonstrate that we’re driving efficiencies and driving productivity and that where there are tough choices about programmes, they’re inevitable.

“Is it [the BBC] perfect? No. does it need to be better? Yes. Does it to be more efficient? Yes. Does it need to remember the very high expectations people have of it? Yes. Does it need to face up to the challenges of managing that while also pushing the boundaries at the same time as doing new things? Yes. So there’s a lot to improve, but there’s a lot to cherish also.”

Salaries for top executives may also be slashed.

“I think there were understandable concerns about top pay, about the amount of pay of senior executives, the number of senior managers and the fairness of the pay structures,” he said.

“Those things are being tackled now and I hope we’ll have some more news about that this summer.”

AXE FOR DIGITAL CHANNELS

Mark Thompson, the BBC chief executive, is overseeing a cost-saving initiative called Delivering Quality First. Proposals put forward include scrapping BBC Two’s daytime schedule and more repeats of dramas.

Lord Patten said he wants the review finished quickly - but crucially signalled that the BBC could sacrifice high-profile services, including one of the digital channels BBC3 and BBC4, which have tiny audiences, or hugely expensive sporting events.

“The BBC has been arguing about this for months if not longer and it needs to be brought to a head and we need to have some answers,” he said.

“I cannot imagine that we’ll be able to come off at the end of this process without having made some pretty tough and difficult decisions.

“I think the BBC has a fantastic record in sport. It’s extremely difficult for the BBC to bid for as many sports rights as it would like given the enormous financial firepower of organisations which don’t make as much domestic end product as we do.

“I just think we’re bound to face some tough decisions in the area of sport, but we have an obligation not only to educate, inform and entertain but also to reach as wide as community as possible and that includes those who are passionate about watching sport.”

He added: “These are the issues we’re looking at at the moment, which doesn’t mean a death sentence for [BBC] 3 and 4 nor does it mean that we’re not actually considering 3 and 4 as well as others.”

STAR SALARIES - AND JONATHAN ROSS

Lord Patten rejected long-running calls for the BBC to publish what it pays its biggest stars despite pressure from the public following Jonathan Ross’s obscene phonecalls to Andrew Sachs while he was on a £6 milion-a-year deal.

Last summer then Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said household names would have their earnings revealed - but the BBC Trust has decided this is not possible, saying it was risking “prurience”.

Instead there will be “bands” published saying how many people are paid salaries between certain amounts, which are still to be decided.

“There was also a lot of concern about talent pay and that’s partly always related to how much the people you don’t like are paid,” he said.

“Should you name names? My answer is no because you can’t do it in a way that is fair.

“First of all there are issues of data protection. Secondly there are some people who are employed by the BBC in house and there are some who are employed by independent producers.

He added: “Do I think I have to know exactly what people are paid? I think if I was to insist on that I’m getting in to the area of prurience.

“I can know how many people are in particular bands but there’s a real danger of me saying ‘God is x or y being paid that much?, they’re not worth it’.”

WHY PARENTS NEED TO SWITCH OFF

Last week, a Government-backed report warned growing numbers of parents feel the 9pm watershed is being ignored, and highlighted EastEnders storylines as one offender.

Lord Patten, who has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren, promised to uphold the watershed, describing it as “an absolute responsibility” - but said parents have to police children’s viewing.

“The watershed is very important,” he said.

“It’s important for all broadcasters, but without wanting to sound sanctimonious, why should it be regarded as particularly important for the BBC?

“Because whether fairly or not people expect us to meet higher standards at the same time they don’t want to think the BBC is censored.

“The 9 o’clock dividing line should be one of the easiest things to police in terms of getting those balances right.

“But good parenting is not about leaving everything to others and I think parents who don’t take any interest in what their children are watching on television or watching increasingly on the computer in their room or iPlayer are not fulfilling their parental responsibilities.”

THE BBC I LOVE

Lord Patten has widened his viewing and listening radically since taking over as chairman.

“I have certainly been watching more TV and watching some things I wouldn’t have been watching were I not in this job,” he said.

“I’ve been watching the competition too. I think there’s an extremely good cops programme called Scott and Bailey.

“I liked Sherlock, I like Wallander. I regularly watch the 10 o’clock news.

“I think that [John] Humphreys, [James] Naughtie and Evan Davis are very good. Not perfect, but very good.

“Martha Kearney is I think a really, really good presenter and interviewer. On television, at his best, old Paxo is pretty good.”