Jeremy Hunt sets out modest policy agenda for the BBC

11.30am: Jeremy Hunt MP has responded to this post on CentreRight: "Why Conservatives will not force the BBC to share the licence fee with other broadcasters"

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Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP has given an interview to the Daily Mail in which he sets out some of his ideas for reforming the BBC.  They are summarised below:

The Mail headlines the plans as "radical".  Although there is a clear awareness of the BBC's dominance I am struck by the modesty of the overall agenda. I am particularly disappointed that the Tories appear to have abandoned the plan to force the BBC to share a small proportion of the licence fee.  ConservativeHome strongly supported the draft proposal when it was made by Jeremy Hunt at the end of 2007.  Commonly known as top-slicing, it won the strong backing of Tory members.  Since that time the BBC has engaged in a massive 'lovebombing' of the Tory Party in a bid to head off the threat to their monopoly of licence fee money.

Tim Montgomerie