21 May 2009- Weekly e-mail from the Conservative Culture and Creative Industries Team

Here is this week’s news:

Creative Industries

BBC Licence Fee Debate

There was a debate on the licence fee yesterday in which we tried to get the Government to freeze the BBC’s licence fee for one year. Jeremy argued that when times are tough the BBC must learn to listen to people’s concerns and live within their means. He also clarified that this would only be a one year freeze and that we believe in multi-year licence fee settlements and wouldn’t review the level annually. Jeremy’s speech is HERE and the debate itself can be seen HERE.
We lost the vote but from the press coverage we seem to have made our point as both the Mail and the Indy covered the issue in leaders HERE and HERE.

BBC Trust

In a combative speech to the Royal Television Society on Tuesday, Sir Michael Lyons, Chair of the BBC has promised that the BBC Trust will hold the BBC to high standards, serving all audiences, providing innovative content, support PSB beyond the BBC, offer value for money and defend the independence of the BBC. He also defended the current licence fee increases, linking long term licence fee deals with editorial independence, said that the BBC is discussing with the Government how switchover surplus can be used to ensure universal broadband coverage and take-up, while adding that any use for the surplus must pass the test of being better than refunding it to licence fee payers. He promised to fight to maintain the BBC’s mission and independence. 

Television

Independent television production companies ploughed up to £190 million a year of their own fund into new UK programmes during 2008, according to new research by Pact, the sector’s trade body. More HERE and HERE.

Melvyn Bragg is working on ‘three or four ideas’ for Sky Arts. More HERE.

Phorm

The Jury’s out on Phorm, the ISP-based behaviour advert targeting company. More HERE.

Ofcom

Ofcom has announced a freeze in pay for its entire staff. The members of its Executive Committee will also refuse their bonuses. They cited “the negative rate of inflation, the pressure on public finances and the economic circumstances of the many companies within the communications sector”. We welcome this move. More HERE.

Arts and Heritage

Arts Manifesto

The National Campaign for the Arts has published their draft Arts Manifesto. They consulted widely across the sector to produce this draft that aims to provide a vision of the role of the arts in the UK and to address the sector’s top priority issues. The NCA have an open consultation period on this draft until 22 June 2009 and welcome feedback upon it. More on the manifesto and how to respond HERE and HERE.

Culture and Heritage

The role of culture in education and society
Michelle Obama praised arts education at the opening night of American Ballet Theatre, saying ‘My husband and I believe strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leader of tomorrow’ more HERE and opened the new wing of American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of art saying that the arts ‘define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.’ More HERE

Archaeology
Thanks to the efforts of the Tory front bench in the Commons, Lord Bach announced during the second reading of the Coroners and Justice Bill in the Lords this week that the Government is ‘persuaded of the case for establishing a national coroner for treasure so that in future local coroners can devote all their time to their core responsibilities’. We hope this change in legislation will speed up the Treasury process and provide a better service for finders, landowners and museums, and also save costs. More HERE .

Museums
A new book from the National Museum Directors’ Conference and the IPPR Learning to Live: Museums, Young People and Education is out this week. Nick Serota says: ‘The past ten years has seen a revolution in museum education. Museums have placed learning at the core of their service to the public and have developed extensive programmes, establishing their role as vital centres of knowledge.’ More HERE and HERE

Visual Art
Tracey Emin is preparing for her new show, Those Who Suffer Love at White Cube Mason’s Yard more HERE

Poetry
Congratulations to Ruth Padel who was elected as the new professor of poetry at Oxford University this weekend, she is the first woman to be elected to the role and succeeds Christopher Ricks more HERE

Theatre
The benefits of marketing and reasons to be positive even during the recession. More HERE

In Parliament

Written Parliamentary Questions

Complaints to DCMS regarding broadcasting and the watershed HERE

Government has no plans to commission research into foreign ownership of media outlets HERE

The Government position on internet copyright laws HERE

DCMS commitment to fighting discrimination HERE

Inaccessibility of the Government Art Collection HERE

The Government’s approach to media ownership HERE

EDMs

EDM 1512 on Ofcom Consumer Guide and the Byron HERE

Where we’ve been and who we’ve seen
Sony, Northern Ballet Theatre 40th Anniversary at Sadler’s Wells, the Regional Development Agencies Chief Executives, Bush Theatre, Southbank 10th Anniversary of “All Our Futures”.

Ed Vaizey
Shadow Arts Minister

Jeremy Hunt
Shadow Culture Secretary