Her comments to Holyrood's culture committee came as she repeated calls for a slice of the television licence fee to create a digital network.

BBC: Lack of TV network is bizarre, says culture minister

The government is pondering a report which recommended raising the licence fee for digital television, a move which could slow the take-up of digital television.

ECONOMIST: Government and the Internet

BBC's tradition, and its constitution, that the services for which the licence fee pays must be universally available, as are broadcast television and radio.

ECONOMIST: The BBC

Technological developments such as online television and the proliferation of channels are making it harder to defend the regressive licence fee.

ECONOMIST: The future of the BBC

BBC, the harder it becomes to justify the flat-rate licence fee (in all but name, a regressive tax) levied on all the country's television owners to pay for the corporation.

ECONOMIST: Digital follies