A Bill to define public service content for the purposes of public service broadcasting
The Bill provides a definition of public service content for the purposes of public service broadcasting. Its provisions would require that no licence fee revenue would be paid for BBC services failing to meet this definition.Key areasDefines public service content in terms of: impartial, factual and objective news or current affairs; children’s programming; charitable or religious programming; or content unlikely to be supplied by the market Gives the National Audit Office a role in determining whether market failure exists in relation to some broadcasting contentRequires all public service content to meet prevailing standards of good taste and decency Repeals section 264 of the Communications Act 2003 which provides for Ofcom having to periodically report on the state of public service television broadcasting Prevents licence fee revenue being paid to the BBC for services not meeting the definition of public service contentGives the National Audit Office a duty to keep under review, and to conduct a value for money audit of the total cost of public service television broadcasting.
House of Commons
Sir Christopher ChopeConservative
9 November 2009
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would define what counts as public service content for public service broadcasting and attach licence-fee funding rules to that definition. It would stop paying licence-fee revenue to BBC services that don’t meet the definition and give the National Audit Office new duties to check for market failure and cost-effectiveness. It also requires all public service content to meet current standards of taste and decency and would remove an Ofcom reporting duty on public service television.
The bill is at the 2nd Reading stage in the House of Commons. It originated in the Commons and dates from 2009, with no further stages described in the provided information.
Generated 21 February 2026
26 Jan 2009
12 Jun 2009
This Bill was on the Order Paper 16 October, to resume the adjourned Second Reading from 12 June, but there was not enough time for debate on that day.
This Bill was on the Order Paper for a Second Reading on several Fridays before being dropped by its sponsor, Mr Christopher Chope.No recorded votes for this bill yet.
