In conversation: John Whittingdale MP

"British broadcasting is the best in the world, but now its future is threatened. If you want to help ensure its quality, please join me in supporting VLV which is doing so much to protect the principle of public service in broadcasting."

"The Voice of the Listener & Viewer are passionate believers, as I am, in the importance of high quality broadcasting for the cultural and scientific future of the nation. At a time when traditional broadcasters like the BBC are under threat it is more important than ever that organisations like the VLV give voice to those who would otherwise not be heard."

"The VLV awards represent everything I care about in PSB: a commitment to quality, diversity and a democratic spirit. That’s what motivates me."

"VLV fulfils the function of holding ministers and people in Parliament who take an interest in these matters to account. They cover a range of topics of ongoing interest, particularly over the role of PSBs and the BBC, but also how the constant march of technology is throwing up new regulatory challenges which we wouldn’t have thought 3 or 4 years ago would have been a problem."

"We’ve all faced an emergency this past year, our greatest since the Second World War. We’ve relied more than ever on our most popular TV channels both to communicate key, Covid public service messages to mass audiences, and quite properly to scrutinise government performance as well. PSB provides critical social content."