Culture secretary praises the BBC and raises concern about its website

In a recent interview, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt praised the BBC for its prime content and for contributing to broadcasting competition at the quality end, rather than at the mass end, of the market. However, Hunt also stressed the importance of marking clear red lines in order to avoid stifling competitors.

“We all recognize that programmes need to have websites. But do we want Top Gear to have a strategy to say ‘we’re going to be the biggest motoring website in the country?’ No, we don’t, because that will put off anyone who’s got an idea for a website to do with cars from bothering to invest in it&rdguo;, the culture secretary said in the interview.

Hunt emphasized the importance of transparency and suggested the BBC learn from the government and their focus on openness. “The BBC should be open about the salaries of celebrities so that people can make their own minds up&rdguo;, he said. “We have learned in government that actually transparency is the best way to solve a lot of these issues because you’re saying to the public, look, you’re grown up, you make up you own minds. We’ll give you all the information you need&rdguo;.