Detail man

Sometime this summer, a Green Paper on the BBC will emerge from the DCMS. I don't know who is writing it, but they'll have much less learned thinking to assimilate than the last time we approached Charter Renewal.  John Whittingdale's taking an interesting approach to the task - in the past fortnight, he's been to Pinewood Studios, the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Summer Dinner, a Parliamentary fundraiser for the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, the Hadleigh Mountain Bike course, South Woodham Ferrers Rugby Club, and the Pirates of Penzance at ENO.

Here's the work that ran up to the last Green Paper.

11 December 2003 The Government published its initial consultation document: "Review of the BBC's Royal Charter". Consultation ran to 31 March 2004. 

18 September 2003 Lord Burns was appointed to advise the Secretary of State on the Charter review process. 

April 2004 As part of its first statutory quinquennial review of Public Service Broadcasting Ofcom published its first phase review of Public Service Television Broadcasting. 

May 2004 Phillip Graf published his independent review, commissioned by the Secretary of State, on BBC online services (the Graf Report). 

15 June 2004 The Secretary of State appointed an independent panel to work with Lord Burns (the Lord Burns Panel).

July 2004 The Government published the results of the initial consultation and their quantitative and qualitative research: "What you said about the BBC". 

July 2004 The BBC published its own blueprint for reform: "Building Public Value".

July—December 2004 The Lord Burns Panel ran a series of 13 informed seminars on the main issues for Charter Review. 

September 2004 Ofcom published its second phase review of Public Service Television Broadcasting: "Meeting the digital challenge".

October 2004 Professor Patrick Barwise and Tim Gardam published their two independent reviews, commissioned by the Secretary of State, on the BBC's new digital television and radio services.

1 December 2004 The Lord Burns Panel published its first report summarising the major themes of the debate so far: "Emerging Themes". 

8 December 2004 The House of Commons Committee published a report focusing on the BBC's future scope and remit, funding mechanism and governance and regulation: "A public BBC". 

28 January 2005 The Lord Burns Panel published its final advice to the Secretary of State. 

8 February 2005 Ofcom published its third phase review of Public Service Television Broadcasting: "Competition for Quality". 

2 March 2005 The Government published a Green Paper consultation document: "A strong BBC, independent of government". Consultation ran to 31 May 2005.