A Department of Culture, Media and Sport source has told today's Guardian that the way the BBC covers politics was to be "absolutely at the centre" of the government review of the corporation announced by the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell.

The official told the paper: "We don't care about ratings. The BBC has a guaranteed income stream from the licence fee. So even when politics is deemed dull, the BBC must be there. The BBC's role is to provide a platform for politics."