National Executive Council backs strategy to promote long-term future of BBC
The NUJ's National Executive Council (NEC) has offered its full support to the industrial strategy BBC members deem necessary to resist savage job cuts.
The following motion was unanimously agreed at a meeting of the NEC on 26 June:
The BBC continues to be the most trusted news brand in the UK and one of the most trusted sources of journalism around the world, ranked number three in the United States by the Reuters Institute.
The BBC is vital in supporting a wider ecosystem of broadcasting, culture and the arts, contributing to democratic and economic wellbeing.
Cuts to the BBC will have a huge impact on full-time and freelance journalists as well as the wider creative industry.
While 94% of UK households regularly use BBC services, the proportion paying the licence fee has fallen to 80%, according to the corporation's figures for 2024-25. Anecdotal reports suggest this gap has since worsened.
This Council believes:
- The BBC is facing an existential funding crisis, which could have a detrimental effect on the quality of television and radio production – in particular the provision of trustworthy news, and support for democratic debate and the arts
It’s vital that the BBC continues its commitment to universality, providing news, sports, and arts coverage for all
Cuts to public service broadcasting when misinformation and disinformation is on the rise must be rejected
These cuts are not inevitable. Addressing the disparity between the numbers paying the licence fee and those using BBC services and a more robust funding model for the World Service would answer many of the financial problems faced by the BBC
Any future or additional funding must not compromise the BBC’s commitment to independence, impartiality and universality
This Council fully supports the industrial strategy agreed by BBC members necessary to defeat the cuts and instructs the General Secretary to:
- Urgently make representations to the Corporation's leadership, government, the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee, Ofcom and other regulators and relevant bodies to address the disparity between the numbers paying the licence fee and those using BBC services and to stabilise the funding of the BBC
Undertake research to find additional and/or alternative funding mechanisms which would ensure a stable, sustainable and broad-based funding for public service broadcasting and the other services that the BBC provides, while maintaining universal access, independence and impartiality
Campaign for long-term funding solution which preserves the quality of BBC output the wider role it plays in UK public life and culture and internationally
Make sure that campaigning is also aimed at gathering support from the public and key stakeholder groups for under-represented sections of the audience who rely on the BBC
Call on the government and MPs across the House to object to mass job cuts of BBC workers before Charter Renewal and to support with action the importance of the BBC and public service broadcasting
The NUJ's parliamentary group has raised an Early Day Motion opposing the cuts and the union has created a template letter for members to send to their MPs.