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Recent years have been pretty dire for the BBC. The Jimmy Savile revelations, the Newsnight/Lord McAlpine debacle, the ignominious fall from grace of Director-General George Entwistle after just 54 days in the hot seat and the scandal of the top executives' pay-offs have all seriously damaged public trust in the Corporation. But as the BBC heads for negotiations on the new licence fee and charter renewal (both due in 2017) and the country prepares for a general election in 2015, the issues confronting the Corporation concern us all.
Is the BBC in Crisis? is edited by Professor Richard Tait, former Editor-in-Chief of ITN and BBC Trustee, with academics John Mair and Professor Richard Lance Keeble. It brings together an unprecedented galaxy of movers and shakers (past and present) in British broadcasting - top politicians, experienced broadcasters, academics, PR experts, opinion pollsters and media campaigners - to debate the controversies and offer solutions:
Michael Grade (Lord Grade of Yarmouth), former Chairman of both the BBC and ITV, former BBC Director of Television and Chief Executive of Channel 4, contributes an Introduction in which he makes a radical proposal for the future structure of the Corporation. In addition:
¿ Andrew Scadding, BBC Head of Corporate Affairs, on why, despite some tough times, the BBC's best years lie ahead of it.
¿ Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England, on the BBC's cultural mission.
¿ David Liddiment, BBC Trustee 2006-2014, former Network Controller ITV 1997-2002, on a revitalised governance system.
¿ Sir Howard Davies, Director of the LSE 2003-2011, on the 'need for clarity at the Corporation'.
¿ David Elstein, Chief Executive of Channel 5 1996-2000, on the licence fee.
¿ Tim Suter, Head of Broadcasting Policy DCMS 2002-2003, on 'A crisis of independence'.
¿ Vin Ray, 23 years with BBC and founding Director of the College of Journalism, on 'Thirteen days in the life of Newsnight'.
¿ Alice Enders, Senior Media Analyst at Enders Analysis, on 'What Britons think of the BBC'.
¿ Peter Preston, media columnist, the Observer, Editor, the Guardian 1975-95, on 'hard thinking ahead for the BBC'.
Other contributors
Professor Steven Barnett, Fiona Chesterton, Bernard Clark, Tara Conlan,
Professor Tim Crook, Farrukh Dhondy, Torin Douglas, Atholl Duncan,
David Edwards and David Cromwell, Professor Suzanne Franks, Phil Harding,
Nicholas Jones, Professor Justin Lewis, Professor David Lloyd, Richard Peel,
Professor Julian Petley, Professor Jean Seaton, Raymond Snoddy,
Professor Brian Winston.
