Lisa Nandy says BBC funding deal is coming soon and backs a public service algorithm

The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has said she is confident that the BBC will be placed on a sustainable financial footing, with an announcement on its future funding due "soon". In an interview recorded at the British Museum, where the Bayeux Tapestry is on display, she also endorsed the idea of a public service algorithm and said the government was prepared to intervene to make trusted news more accessible online.

Nandy expressed particular concern about planned cuts to the BBC's regional footprint and programming. "I am concerned about it," she said, noting that she had discussed the issue with the Director General and the Chairman of the Board. She described the BBC as "one of the best bastions of a united nation" and argued that locally rooted stories have universal appeal. However, she accepted that cuts were inevitable given the "appalling funding settlement" the BBC has had for a long time, with fewer people paying the licence fee.

She declined to reveal what funding mechanism might replace or reform the licence fee, but insisted that a deal would be reached. "It's coming soon," she said, and added that the government intends to make the next charter "the last charter of its kind" so that the BBC's existence is not thrown into doubt every decade. She said the aim is for the corporation not just to survive but to "thrive until well into the latter half of this century".

Nandy also welcomed the Director General's proposal for a UK sovereign streaming platform and a public service algorithm. "If it's possible to design an algorithm that can make money, then it's possible to design an algorithm that can actually help people find and receive good quality trusted news," she said. She argued that younger people currently struggle to find public service broadcasting online, unlike older viewers who watch traditional television, and warned that the government is ready to act on "digital prominence" to redress the balance.

Her comments came amid intensifying negotiations between the BBC and the government. The corporation's Director General has told staff that the two sides are meeting once a week. However, an industry analyst noted that while the government has been happy to criticize the previous administration's handling of the BBC, it has yet to set out its own detailed vision. The government has ruled out a household levy but has not offered an alternative. The analyst described the lack of clarity as "unnerving", though he acknowledged that ongoing negotiations may need to remain confidential.

Nandy also touched on the role of politicians presenting news programmes, saying the government needed to help "redress that balance" so that viewers can distinguish fact from opinion. She rejected suggestions from the US government that such moves amount to censorship, insisting that the British government is entitled to take a view on behalf of the British people.