The National Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union and pressure group The Voice of the Listener and Viewer are challenging the BBC's below-inflation licence fee increase.
A meeting of the industry bodies will take place next Tuesday in the House of Commons to challenge the below-inflation licence fee increase, rising by 3% annually until 2008 and by 2% for the following three years. This is compared with the proposed inflation plus 1.8% rise over the next seven years from April 2007 put forward by the corporation last year.
The groups said that they had called the meeting due to the disappointing settlement from the government and the impact on the quality of content the BBC would now be able to deliver to the viewer.
Gerry Morrissey, assistant general secretary of Bectu, said: "The BBC is a good example of a public service delivering, so the proposed licence fee settlement would be very damaging and would result in the quality of programmes been compromised, especially on the digital channels."
According to the VLV, the BBC is already bearing 95% of the costs of Digital UK, the company set up to manage the process of digital switch-over.
In addition to building a new digital transmitter network, the corporation's new responsibilities will also include the provision of financial and practical help for a range of "vulnerable" viewers, not only to obtain the necessary receiving equipment but also guidance in how to use it.
Those classed as vulnerable include households with a member aged over 75, those with disabilities such as blindness and some on jobseekers and other allowances.
Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary, said: "The government is demanding more quality content and new multimedia services while providing a real-terms cut in BBC income. The figures simply don't add up. Unless MPs act, the inevitable reality is declining standards, quality compromised, programme makers jobs axed and a BBC, currently the envy of the world, starved of the resources it needs."
Estimates suggest that the deal, greenlighted by culture secretary Tessa Jowell and Chancellor Gordon Brown, could cost the BBC an estimated £550m of funding over the next 10 years.
Jocelyn Hay, chairman of VLV, said: "If the new licence fee settlement were to fall short, the BBC would be unable to meet its obligations to licence fee payers and both they and the national interest will suffer."
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)