Tony Blair’s UK Government will put all aspects of BBC funding and regulation on the table when it reviews the national broadcasters charter in 2006.

The BBC has gone on the back foot over recent revelations about weapons scientist David Kelly’s death that exposed it to accusations of sloppy reporting and arrogance in defending a reporter at all costs.

The government blames the BBC for the fallout of the affair, which resulted in the resignation of Tony Blair’s media advisor.

The charter review is expected to be much more vigorous than previous reviews.

The BBC receives $280 million pounds in funding due the a mandatory licence fee from all taxpayers, which goes to fund the national broadcaster. If this revenue source were seriously threatened the BBC would face much harder times similar to other national broadcasters which are dependent on direct government allocations rather than a guaranteed revenue stream.