Main Points of Reith's Charter - Justifying a License Fee!

 

• o Inform, Educate, and Entertain: This trinity, known as the "Reithian Principles," formed the mission statement of the BBC, prioritizing public service over profit.
• Non-Commercial Public Service: The BBC was established as a non-commercial entity funded by a licence fee on receiving sets, rather than advertising revenue.
• Universal Access: A key goal was to reach the entire population regardless of location or income, fostering a sense of national unity.
• High Cultural and Moral Standards: Reith aimed to broadcast "all that is best in every department of human knowledge," promoting high-brow content and moral uplift.
• Independence: The charter granted the BBC a degree of independence from the government, despite its status as a public corporation, although early on it was neither "fully commanded nor free".
• Impartiality: While not fully developed in 1927, the principle of providing balanced information, particularly in news, was built into the structure of the corporation to avoid bias.