Celebrities Call On PM To Protect BBC From Cuts

A number of celebrities have signed an open letter to David Cameron calling on him to protect the BBC from cuts.

James Bond star Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough are among the A-list names who have urged the PM to ensure the BBC does not turn into a "narrowly focused market-failure broadcaster".

Other signatories include author JK Rowling, comedian Miranda Hart and presenter Chris Evans.

The letter says: "A diminished BBC would simply mean a diminished Britain.

"Like all organisations, it has its faults but it is overwhelmingly a creative force for good."

They describe the BBC as "the envy of the world".

Downing Street has confirmed it has received the letter.

A Government green paper on Thursday is expected to call for a narrower range of programming and a look at the future of the licence fee.

BBC director-general Tony Hall has criticised plans to scale back the corporation’s commercial activity, as he unveiled efforts to generate £1bn from hit shows like Doctor Who and Top Gear.

Speaking at the launch of the BBC's annual report, Mr Hall said the funding agreement in the run-up to the Budget was "not a good process", but was now settled.

An eight-person panel has been appointed by Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to work on the renewal of the corporation's royal charter, which sets out its remit, which expires at the end of 2016.

Some members of the Government reportedly favour getting rid of the BBC's 24 hour news channel, scaling back its website and cutting expensive entertainment shows such as The Voice.

Mr Hall said the charter debate was "shaping up to be a clash between two different views of the future".

He said: "There is an alternative view that prefers a much-diminished BBC.

"It's a view that is often put forward by people with their own narrow commercial interests or ideological preconceptions."

Mr Hall said audiences do not want "a significantly smaller BBC" and the views of the public "will matter most in this debate".

He outlined what he described as "non-negotiable" parts of the BBC, including universal funding - "Because we all pay, we all pay less" - and political independence.

He said: "I have real difficulty with the idea of artificial restrictions on creativity - after all, the last time politicians tried to be creative we ended up with the Millennium Dome.

"So it will be hard to support any proposal that stops us finding the next Strictly, the next Bake Off or - dare I say it - the next Top Gear."

Mr Hall said the BBC had a five-year plan to generate £1bn from its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, to help offset new costs, including licence fees for the over-75s.

Local versions of Top Gear have been launched in France and China, and Bake Off has been sold to countries including Turkey and Israel.