The Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting was established in April 1974 to discuss the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

broadcasting industry, including new technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Independent Broadcasting Authority The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television ( ITV and Channel 4 and limited satellite television regulation – cable television was the responsibility of the Cable Author ...

and programme standards. On 3 February 1977, the committee recommended: * Changes to BBC funding by

licence fee A television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts or the possession of a television set. In some countries, a licence is also required to own a radio or rece ...

* Fourth, independent, television channel * Long-term restructure and diversification of broadcasting * Establishment of Broadcasting Complaints Commission * Privatisation of local radio * Independence from direct political control * Increase in independent production

Outcomes

* Increased licence fee *

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

(implemented in 1980) * Channel 4 being of a more "open" nature rather than one of balance such as the BBC

Members

* Lord Annan * Peter Goldman * Professor Hilde Himmelweit * Tom Jackson * Sir Antony Jay * Marghanita Laski * Hilda M. Lawrence * Dewi Lewis * Sir James Mackay * The Hon. Mrs Charles Morrison * Dipak Nandy * John G. Parkes * John Pollock * Professor Geoffrey Sims *

Phillip Whitehead Phillip Whitehead (30 May 1937 – 31 December 2005) was a British Labour politician, television producer and writer. Early life Born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, he was adopted by a local family in Rowsley, and attended Lady Manners School ...

MP * Sir Marcus Worsley

References

British committees on broadcasting {{UK-bcast-stub