The Conservatives have announced a review into the future of the BBC ahead of its charter renewal in 2006.

David Elstein, a former chief executive of Channel 5, will chair a review into the future role, structure and funding of the corporation.

The advisory group on broadcasting will also consist of a range of professionals from the broadcasting industry.

Its findings will influence the party's policy on the renewal of the BBC's charter and could lead to the scrapping of the controversial licence fee.

Senior Tories have expressed growing criticism of the BBC.

They say the channel has been guilty of dumbing down and question its privileged status as the nation's public service broadcaster.

"The government has reluctantly conceded that there should be a wide-ranging debate as part of the process of charter renewal," said shadow culture secretary John Whittingdale.

"I am determined that the Conservative Party should be at the forefront of that debate with a view to bringing forward specific proposals at the next election."

David Elstein said decisions about the future of the BBC and public service broadcasting are "the most important affecting UK media in the next three years".

The review group's membership:

• David Elstein (chairman).

• David Cox - a former editor of LWT's Weekend World and head of current affairs at LWT who is now an independent Television producer and journalist.

• Barbara Donoghue - a Teaching Fellow in Strategic and International Management at the London Business School, a member of the Independent Television Commission and a non-executive Director of Eniro AB.

• David Graham - a founder of Diverse Productions and chairman of David Graham Associates, a specialist TV data and research company.

• Peter Ibbotson - a former editor of Panorama from and a founder director of Carlton TV who is currently a consultant to a number of media companies including Channel Four.

• Alex Mahon - head of strategy and commercial development at FremantleMedia.

• Geoff Metzger - the managing director of the History Channel.