Final say over BBC complaints could be handed to Ofcom

Ofcom should be the final judge on complaints of accuracy and impartiality at the BBC, according to a House of Lords committee report.

The report looked into the governance and regulation of the BBC and said that accuracy and impartiality is the only remaining major area of BBC broadcast content that is not regulated by an external body.

It concluded that the BBC Trust and independent media regulator Ofcom should work together to resolve impartiality and accuracy issues.

According to The Guardian the recommendation is likely to raise concerns within the BBC about the corporation’s editorial independence. A report on its website today said:

It is understood that new BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten thinks allowing an external regulator to handle complaints about impartiality and accuracy could threaten the corporation’s independence.