Leak reveals Blair plan to split the BBC

The BBC faces possible break-up and curbs on its editorial independence in the wake of the row over Iraq, according to leaked government papers. The Whitehall documents suggest the BBC could be split into 'separate entities for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland'. The papers signal a policy that the BBC fears would end its 80-year existence as a British institution.

The internal documents also reveal that the Blair Government is considering a wider role for Ofcom, its new media watchdog, with greater controls over BBC services and output..

Other ideas, expected to form the basis for a green paper on the BBC's new charter, include:
· Taking the governors 'outside the BBC' to make them more independent. Increasing parliamentary scrutiny, with an annual review of the BBC's performance.
· Sharing a portion of its pound stg 2.6billion-a-year (A$6.2billion) licence fee revenue among other broadcasters.
· Closing new services that fail to fulfil the corporation's role as a public service broadcaster.
· The documents also raise the prospect of the post-Hutton BBC having its radio and television networks divided up, further undermining its national status.
From The Sunday Times in The Australian 16feb04