The UK’s Chancellor George Osborne says regulation of the BBC should be handed to Ofcom if the Conservatives win the General Election.
Currently, the majority of the corporation’s regulation is handled by the BBC Trust.
Osbourne told the Radio Times that the BBC Trust has never really worked. “I’ve never understood why the BBC is so frightened of regulation by Ofcom. But it’s not as if ITV is poorly regulated. Ofcom has proved itself to be a robust regulator.”
BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead has said she would prefer the BBC’s governance to be handled by a new independent body.
Any new arrangements are likely to come in with the renewal of the BBC Charter in 2016.