The British government has proposed a shake-up of the BBC in a bid to make it more accountable to viewers and listeners and focus its energies on public service broadcasting.
The plans include replacing the BBC's Board of Governors with two new bodies. It is proposed that a BBC Trust would represent viewers and listeners, and that an executive board would manage the organisation.
The licence fee, which has been criticised in some quarters, would be kept for at least another ten years.
Explaining why she favoured keeping the licence fee, British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said it retained 'a high degree of public support'.
Ms Jowell said it was not a perfect system but that the government believes it remains the fairest way to fund the BBC.
The BBC has also been told not to 'play copycat' or 'chase ratings for ratings sake'.
It was highly criticised for its 'Fame Academy' programme which was seen by many to be simply a copy of the successful ITV series 'Pop Idol'.
Opposition MPs are dismayed at the new proposals, which they say are purely cosmetic.
