BBC argues case for popular shows like Strictly

The BBC argues competition on a Saturday night has been part of the TV landscape for generations and drives up quality

The BBC has argued the case for popular shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Sherlock in its response to the government's green paper on its future.

The broadcaster said the public "wants and expects the BBC to deliver entertainment," amid suggestions it is too focused on ratings.

It also made a case for the popular music stations Radio 1 and 2, saying they play a greater variety of music than their commercial rivals.

The response has been published online.

It comes as the government closes a public consultation into the renewal of the BBC's charter, which raised several key questions:

• What is the overall purpose of the BBC?

• What services and content should it provide?

• How should the BBC be funded?

• How should the BBC be governed and regulated?

When the green paper was launched in July, culture secretary John Whittingdale said hard questions" would be asked about the size and ambition of the BBC and said a decision had to be made on whether the corporation should try to do "all things" or become more "precise".

More than 80,000 people have responded to the public consultation, Mr Whittingdale told the Conservative Party conference earlier this week.

'Less choice'

The BBC's response, which runs to more than 100 pages, agrees that the government consultation is "right to insist that the BBC should be distinctive".

However, it adds: "Distinctiveness does not equal... stepping back from popular content.

"The BBC makes good popular programmes - if we withdrew, audiences would have less choice."

It counters the suggestion that the BBC should pull back from "crowd-pleasing" shows, saying: "Competition on a Saturday night has been part of the TV landscape for generations and drives up quality - with the viewer being the winner."

The document will show that 49% of Radio 1's playlist is comprised of artists without a top 10 single

The response says the debate about the BBC "should start with what it is for" and consider "the sort of society we want".

"Access to culture, media and information should be a basic human right, ensured regardless of a person's ability to pay for it," says the report, adding that it is the BBC's position to "inform, educate and entertain".

The document also shows that 49% of Radio 1's playlist is comprised of artists without a top 10 single, while for Capital FM it is just 12%; and that 27% of BBC One's primetime output is factual, compared with 12% on ITV.

'Internet age'

The corporation has also outlined plans for a radical programme of reform, including greater efficiency and a drive to increase profits from the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

It makes the case for future-proofing the corporation by "modernising it for the internet age", and asks policymakers to help "ensure public service broadcasting is easy to find on future as well as existing platforms".

And it asks the government to wait 11 years, rather than 10, before debating the BBC's charter again - thus removing discussions from the election cycle.

The issue of funding the BBC is addressed too, with the report calling the licence fee "the best way".

It says subscription funding - either alone or as a partial substitute to the licence fee - is "the wrong model".

It does agree that the licence fee needs to be modernised, however, including closing the current loophole which makes watching catch-up programmes on the iPlayer online exempt from the fee.