New boundaries

More on the flaky Cairncross Review, which has fallen far too easily for arguments that the BBC is the problem, pretty much whatever question you ask about failing newspapers. Indeed, over 104 pages in the body of the review, we get 157 references to the BBC. As we said earlier, it wants Ofcom to extend its forthcoming patrol of BBC content (due to start in December) to BBC online, and is specific about what this exercise should define......

"The Review recommends that Ofcom should review to what extent BBC online content acts
as a substitute for, rather than a complement to, the offerings of commercial news providers, and
what measures might reasonably be required of the BBC to reduce substitution. Ofcom should
ask whether, in its pursuit of younger audiences, BBC News Online goes beyond the BBC’s core
public purposes, and inappropriately steps into areas better served by commercial partners. In
the light of its conclusions, it should clarify and confirm appropriate boundaries for the future
direction of BBC online content. This should address the arguments put forward to this Review
that, if the BBC moves too far into “softer” news, it jeopardises the wider market’s ability to make
money from news.

Meanwhile the BBC should give up a controlling interest in the Local Democracy Reporter scheme, funded by £8m pa from the licence fee - and  pay more into it, cos it's all bad....

"The BBC should continue to contribute to the scheme’s operation, including considering further contributions financially or in kind, in recognition of the gap in its own local level reporting."