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Conservative Party on Media

Formed in 1927, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the largest broadcasting network in the world and forms the basis of the political debate surrounding media in the UK. The existence and use of the television licence fee as well, as the role and standing of the BBC, are the main issues concerned.

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The issues

Conservative Party strongly supports reducing the activities of the BBC in an attempt to give private news agencies a greater share of media output in the UK

Ed Vaizey, MP: "A Tory government would sweep away cross-media ownership rules which prevent local groups owning more than one newspaper or radio station to provide tougher competition for the BBC and give commercial operators more chance of survival."

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Ed Vaizey, MP: "...the expansion of the BBC into areas where the private sector is already working needs to be carefully watched. Our watchword will be simple - if the private sector is already doing a good job in the area, or is developing a market in an area, the BBC should be prevented from going in with all guns blazing.... We want that success to continue...That means a strong and successful BBC. But it also means a strong and successful competitor to the BBC. It means realistic freedom for broadcasters to compete in a multi-channel, multi-platform digital world."

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Conservative Party opposes reducing the cost of the BBC Licence Fee

"Tories would freeze BBC licence fee," says David Cameron

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David Cameron’s call for the BBC licence fee to be frozen is so tempered, so modest, that it’s hard to see how anyone could disagree.

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David Cameron: "Government should freeze BBC Licence Fee for one year."

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