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Digital Britain logo, DCMS

The BBC could be made to share part of the television licence fee with commercial rivals under government plans to be announced later.

The Digital Britain report will suggest ways to help companies like Channel 4 cope with the impact of the internet.

It is also expected to include plans to tackle illegal file-sharing and to bring broadband to the whole country.

Gordon Brown said fast internet was now "an essential service, as indispensable as electricity, gas and water".

In October 2008, Minister for Communications Lord Carter began work on a plan aimed at securing the UK's place at the head of the new media age.

Among 22 specific actions announced in his interim report in January was a commitment to establishing a universal broadband service for every home and business by 2012.

Writing in the Times newspaper on Tuesday, the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to that "transformation".

"We also need to help Channel 4 to secure its future"

Prime Minister Gordon Brown

At a glance: Digital Britain

"Digital Britain cannot be a two-tier Britain - with those who can take full advantage of being online and those who can't," he said.

'No monopoly'

As well as looking at opportunities, the Digital Britain report will also try to tackle threats presented by new technology.

Local newspapers and television stations have both suffered significant losses in revenue thanks to the internet, but Mr Brown insisted their journalism must be protected.

"We cannot allow a monopoly to take root," he wrote.

"We also need to help Channel 4 to secure its future... it now requires long-term stability to develop as a truly global player."

The BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas said Lord Carter believed the licence fee could be a possible answer to the woes of commercial broadcasters.

At present, more than ?100m a year is earmarked to help the elderly switch to digital TV and any left over could help pay for wider broadband access or local news on ITV, our correspondent added.

But the BBC Trust has said that if any money is left over from the digital switchover, it might be better returned to licence-payers.

Michael Dobbins

The principal of Foyle View School in Londonderry has been named Northern Ireland's secondary school head teacher of the year.

Michael Dobbins was presented with the award at a ceremony in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Monday.

He said it was recognition of the important role the special school sector was playing in Northern Ireland.

"It's great for me but most of all it's great for the school because everything we do is a team effort," he added.

Mr Dobbins has been head at Foyle View for the past nine years, it caters for children with severe learning difficulties, ranging from complex medical conditions to autism.

He will now go forward to the national head teacher of the years awards, which will be held in London in October.

Earlier this week, Isabel McNally from the Fountain Primary School was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to education.

Queen Elizabeth I, A Victorian slum and a World War I trench

Poor history teachers. Rarely a week goes by without a debate on how schoolchildren should be learning about the past. Here, historian Margaret Macmillan shows how subjective history can be, by presenting four versions of the last 450 years.

History is the past so therefore it cannot change.

Wrong, quite wrong. History has changed, is changing now, and will continue to change. We find out new things all the time.

Archaeologists are sifting through gardens and rubbish dumps to find out what people who are long dead grew and ate; archivists turn up bundles of long forgotten papers or families root through their attics.

We start with facts and solid objects, of course, but in writing history we move beyond them very quickly.

Looking at the events of our own time, we do so through a variety of lenses - liberal, conservative, radical, religious, feminist. We do the same with the past.

So let's take one important period in British history and see how historians might tell the story in different ways without, of course, getting the facts wrong. See if you can guess what the viewpoints are in each version.

RISE AND FALL OF AN EMPIRE

The golden age of the Tudors brought unity to a divided England and peace with Scotland. The arts flourished - Shakespeare, Holbein, Purcell - and reflected the vigour and pride of a bold and brave people.

Henry VIII stood up to Rome and his glorious daughter Elizabeth saw off the might of the Spanish empire. English seafarers roamed the world, discovering new routes and laying the foundations for the British Empire.

King Charles II

While the 17th Century brought civil war, peace came again with Charles II who wisely decided to compromise with Parliament. In the 18th and 19th Centuries Britain, safe behind its navy, grew powerful and prosperous.

Its manufactures flooded the world, its money built railways and ports across the globe, and its empire brought peace and prosperity to millions of Asians and Africans.

In the 20th Century, though, Britain exhausted itself standing up to the threats from the Continent, first from the Kaiser in the 1914-1918 war and then in the even more deadly struggle against the dictators.

Its empire crumbled and by the end of the century Britain was again a small power. Yet its institutions, even its fashions, remain models for much of the world.

That was the standard viewpoint, seeing history as a glorious story. Next is...

CLASS EXPLOITATION

History is driven by economic forces not made by individuals. At the start of our period, England was dominated by a feudal aristocracy whose wealth and power rested on ownership of land. The Tudors gradually brought the great lords under control and allowed a merchant class to grow.

The Elizabethan explorers were driven by their search for profits and that was to remain the guiding motive for the creation of the Empire. Even Henry VIII's break with Rome was about wealth, not religion: he and his supporters wanted to get their hands on the Church's enormous wealth.

"The world wars of the 20th Century were largely about economic mastery of the globe"

By the 17th Century, the growing middle-class was chafing under monarchical and aristocratic rule: that's what the Civil War was about. The triumph of Parliament was a victory for the middle classes which took support from the farmers and workers and then turned around and betrayed them.

Although the 18th Century saw the renewed dominance of the landed aristocracy, by the 19th Century Britain was changing fast. The great growth of industry produced hugely powerful industrialists and a large middle class who mercilessly exploited the working classes.

Although the workers reacted by organizing themselves and might one day have seized power in a revolution, they were bought off by increased wages and benefits, largely financed by Britain's ruthless exploitation of its Empire.

The world wars of the 20th Century were largely about economic mastery of the globe. Britain may have defeated Germany but in the end it could not withstand the challenge from the new capitalist superpower, the United States.

That was according to the Marxists, who put economics at the centre of the story. Now who's speaking

A TERRIBLE HUMAN COST

Life for the ordinary English man and woman for the past centuries was miserable and short. Until the middle of the 19th Century, life expectancy for the lower classes, most of them peasants but also artisans and small shopkeepers, was about 30 years.

Their children had little education and few chances to rise out of the class into which they were born. They could not vote or hold office. The courts existed to protect the propertied classes and punishments for even minor crimes were savage. The Reformation was a mixed blessing for them.

On the one hand Protestantism brought the notion that every man - note not every woman - had the right to interpret the scriptures in his own way; on other it brought the dissolution of the monasteries which, for all their faults, had provided a minimum of charity for the poor.

Factory

The results of the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century were equally mixed. Yes, it provided jobs in the new industries but at a terrible human cost.

Think of the descriptions in Dickens' novels of the factories and slums of Victorian England. Eventually a strong trade union movement brought political and social reforms but class still matters today when it comes to living standards and opportunities.

Yet we should not write off the lives of the lower classes as impoverished in all senses; they had rich traditions and culture, folk wisdom, and strong social institutions which have helped them to survive.

That was a social interpretation of the period, that looks at what happened to the poor and the powerless. Next...

LATIN AND GREEK SCHOLARS

Women's voices from the past are sometimes hard to hear because they were part of a patriarchal society in which power and property and authority were the preserve of men. We know something about elite women in the Tudor period. It was possible, as it had always been, for such women to gain power and influence through men.

The Renaissance also brought with it the idea that education, at least some education, was desirable in a woman. Elizabeth I or Lady Jane Grey knew the Latin and Greek classics that had been rediscovered.

For women lower down the social ladder, we must read between the lines, in wills for example or by looking at illustrations, to discover that women often shared in the work of their husbands in the small crafts or in the fields.

It was not until the Enlightenment of the 18th Century that women started to claim their share of the human rights that were being talked about. The great changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution opened up new jobs for lower-class women as they did for men but women of the middle and upper classes largely remained confined to their roles as wives and mothers.

"The pill finally gave women control over their own bodies "

A few pioneering women such as Florence Nightingale forced their way into the professions and the universities. By the 20th Century, women were organizing themselves to demand their independence from social and legal restrictions.

The two World Wars, when women's contributions to the struggle were essential, helped to bring change to a male-dominated society.

After 1945, the development of new methods of contraception, most notably the pill, finally gave women control over their own bodies and liberated them from the fear of unwanted pregnancies.

Guess what That was the feminist view.

WHICH VIEWPOINT IS BEST

It would be easy to write other perspectives: a history of beliefs as Britain moved from a religious age to a secular one; of the gradual triumph of Parliamentary democracy (actually these days perhaps not so easy); or from a scientific perspective showing the change from the time when we believed that the sun went around the earth to the decoding of the genome.

We could even focus on something like food, and show the roast beef and beer of "Merrie England" evolving into the hummus and chardonnay of today.

None of these perspectives is wrong, but on their own they give only a limited view of a much more complicated past.

You can legitimately write histories of a particular aspect of the past as long as you are clear that that is what you are doing. Where I have trouble is with mono-causal overviews of the past or single explanations for a period or for change.

I think you can write good general histories of, say, 20th Century Britain, in which you try and give as complete a picture of it, from high politics to fashion. Such histories have been written and written well by, for example, Peter Clark in Hope and Glory. You get the portrait of an age in the round.

History is always changing its shape and that is why it is endlessly fascinating.

Margaret Macmillan is a professor of history at the University of Oxford. She is also author of The Uses and Abuses of History, published by Profile Books.

Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Saturday, 16 May Kick-off: 1245 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, score updates on Final Score; live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Highlights - Match of the Day

Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants his side to clinch the title on home turf by taking at least a point from their match against Arsenal.

Premier League officials have made arrangements to present the trophy at Old Trafford after the final whistle.

"We have another opportunity to win it in front of our own fans - it would be nice to do it," said Ferguson.

Only one of United's 10 Premier League titles has been won at home - in 1999, with a 2-1 victory against Tottenham.

"I have always said I don't care where we win it," added Ferguson.

606: DEBATE
"With Arshavin back in our squad, we'll put your party on hold "
Denilson Da Silva

"But it is strange that we have won it once out of 10 at Old Trafford."

His club also won seven pre-Premier League titles, but Ferguson denied that the prospect of equalling Liverpool's historic record of 18 league titles was on his mind.

The Scot said that his famous vow upon arriving at the club to "knock Liverpool off their perch" was achieved with his first title 16 years ago.

"I never even thought about moving level with Liverpool," said Ferguson.

"My first intention was to win one and break the stranglehold Liverpool had on the title. The big challenge was that first one."

Arsenal helped break Liverpool's near-monopoly on the old Division One with wins in 1989 and 1991, but Ferguson believes they will be keen to do the Merseysiders a favour by extending the title race into the final day of the season.

"They have had a bit of criticism recently and they will want to register their abilities on a day when everyone expects Manchester United to win the title," he said.

If Arsenal are to send United to Hull still needing a result they will need to win without keeper Manuel Almunia, who is out with an ankle problem.

Long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky is back in training but has been ruled out for competitive action until next season, while Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee) and Eduardo (groin) will all remain on the sidelines.

England defender Rio Ferdinand misses out again for United with a calf injury but could return for the final match of the season against Hull next weekend.

Ferdinand will be joined in the stands at Old Trafford by Olympic 100m and 200m champion and United fan Usain Bolt, who spent Friday at the club's training ground.

Bolt, who is in Manchester to race at the Great CityGames, gave some tips to the players - including Cristiano Ronaldo - on how to keep their feet when running at full speed.

Darren Fletcher, suspended for the Champions League final, could start.

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Rafael, O'Shea, Neville, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Park, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov, Macheda.

Arsenal (from): Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Arshavin, Song, Fabregas, Walcott, van Persie, Adebayor, Mannone, Nasri, Eboue, Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby, Djourou, Vela.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

Manchester United will be crowned 2008-09 Premier League champions, if they avoid defeat in this Saturday lunchtime fixture with Arsenal.

They will become the first club to claim two hat-tricks of English top-flight titles; their first was also in the Premier League (1999, 2000 and 2001). Only four clubs have done the hat-trick; the others were Huddersfield (1924, 25 and 26), Arsenal (1933, 34 and 35) and Liverpool (1982, 83 and 84).

It will also be Sir Alex Ferguson's 11th English league title and the 14th domestic league championship of his managerial career. The 67-year-old Scot will become the most decorated manager in English and Scottish football with 31 major titles (excluding the World Club Championship), passing the 30 accumulated by Bill Struth for Rangers between 1920 and 1954 and by Willie Maley for Celtic between 1897 and 1940.

In retaining the Premier League crown for an unprecedented sixth time (1993, 97, 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2009), United will also equal Liverpool's record of 18 English top-flight titles, 11 of which have been in the Premier League.

Arsenal go to Old Trafford eager to avenge the 1-3 mauling they received at the Emirates in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on 5 May. Victory would see them do the double over the Red Devils for the fourth time in the Premier League and first since 2006-07.

This will be the 40th time the two managers, who are the longest serving in the Premier League, have faced each other. Sir Alex now has the edge since United's home and away victories in the Champions League. United have won 15 times, Arsenal 14 under Arsene Wenger. Eight of the 10 other games finished level and two were decided on penalty shoot-outs; United won the 2003 Community Shield, and Arsenal the 2005 FA Cup final on penalties.

Distance between the clubs: 192 miles (309 kilometres)

CLUB FORM

MANCHESTER UNITED

Club stats

1st 86 points

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st

Lowest could fall: 1st

Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League

1. Won 18 of the last 20 Premier League matches.

2. Lost two of 25 top-flight matches, and failed to score in one of the last 20. Since losing 2-0, away to Fulham on 21 March, 18 goals have been scored in seven outings.

3. This is their 64th match of the season; more than any other Premier League club. Arsenal are the second busiest top-flight club. It will be their 60th engagement.

4. The current total of 86 points after 36 games is five points up on last season, when they were also top of the table. Maximum points from their last two games would see them amass their highest total in a 20-club Premier League, and equal the 92 points accrued from 42 games in 1993-94.

5. Gone 20 league games since a goalless draw; the last being away to Spurs on 13 December. Also, on the longest current sequence of 28 matches in the Premier League without a score draw; the 1-1 stalemate at Everton on 25 October being the most recent.

6. The only home points dropped this season have been courtesy of defeat to Liverpool (1-4, 14 March), and an early draw with Newcastle (1-1, 17 August).

7. Been beaten home and away only once this season, by Liverpool. Arsenal is the only other club who could do likewise.

8. The Premier League campaign ends, away to Hull on 24 May, three days before the Champions League final with Barcelona in Rome.

Fixtures

ARSENAL

Club stats

4th 68 points

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 4th

Lowest could fall: 4th

Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League

1. Chelsea put paid to a 21-match unbeaten Premier League sequence.

2. Won 12 and drew nine of the 21 prior to last Sunday's home clash with Guus Hiddick's men.

3. Conceded a goal a game on average in this league campaign; 36 in 36.

4. Maximum points from their last two games will still see them finish with nine fewer than last season when third. They must be content with fourth place this year and must once again qualify to reach the group stages of the Champions League.

5. On the longest current unbeaten run away from home in the highest league of 11 matches; won six and drawn five on the road since losing 3-0 to Manchester City at Eastlands on 22 November.

6. In danger of back-to-back defeat to fellow members of the 'Big Four'; but their two away games against the elite have been a 1-2 win over Chelsea and a 4-4 draw with Liverpool.

7. This match provides the opportunity for a seventh and last Premier League double this season, having already registered home and away victories over Wigan (the highest placed at 11th), Bolton, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Newcastle and West Brom.

8. A fourth season without silverware concludes home to Stoke on 24 May.

Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES

MANCHESTER UNITED

Squad profiles

Edwin VAN DER SAR is leading the race for the Barclays Golden Glove with 20 clean sheets.

Cristiano RONALDO is the highest scoring Premier League player with 26 goals in all club competitions this season.

The 24 year old Portugal international is also the top scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals, leading the race for the Barclays Golden Boot by one from Chelsea's Nicolas ANELKA.

Wayne ROONEY is a hat-trick shy of 100 goals for Manchester United.

Paul SCHOLES needs a double to reach 100 Premier League goals - all for United.

Ryan GIGGS is a double shy of 150 goals for Manchester United.

If selected:-

Patrice EVRA will be playing the day after turning 28.

Michael CARRICK will be making his 300th career league appearance (West Ham, Swindon, Birmingham, Tottenham and Manchester United).

Rio FERDINAND will be making his 400th career league appearance (West Ham, Bournemouth, Leeds and Manchester United).

Jonny EVANS will be making his 50th career league appearance (Manchester United and Sunderland).

Tomasz KUSZCZAK will be making his 50th career Premier League appearance (West Brom and Manchester United).

ARSENAL

Squad profiles

Emmanuel ADEBAYOR is Arsenal's top Premier League scorer with 10 goals.

If selected:-

Manu EBOUE will be making his 150th appearance in an Arsenal shirt.

Mikael SILVESTRE will be facing a former club. The 31 year old France international defender made 361 appearances (249 in the league) and scored 10 goals (six league) for Manchester United between September 1999 and his close season move to the Emirates Stadium.

HEAD TO HEAD

Arsenal have won one of their last six Premier League visits to Old Trafford; 0-1 on 17 September 2006.

Home and away

League (inc PL): Man Utd 72 wins, Arsenal 66, Draws 41

Prem: Man Utd 13 wins, Arsenal 10, Draws 10

at Man Utd only

League (inc PL): Man Utd 50 wins, Arsenal 15, Draws 24

Prem: Man Utd 9 wins, Arsenal 3, Draws 4

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

13 April 2008 - Ref: Howard Webb

Man Utd scorers: Ronaldo 54 pen, Hargreaves 72

Arsenal scorer: Adebayor 48

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United

8 November 2008 - Ref: Howard Webb

Arsenal scorers: Nasri 22, 48

Man Utd scorer: Rafael Da Silva 90

REFEREE

Mike Dean (Wirral)

Premier League referees' table

Mike Dean's 2008-09 Premier League card count

Anton Du Beke

Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke will take over from Dale Winton as host of BBC game show Hole In The Wall, when it returns to BBC One this autumn.

The Saturday night show, which is based on the hit Japanese format, returns for a second series despite accusations of "dumbing down" levelled at the BBC.

Former team captains Du Beke and Darren Gough will be replaced by Austin Healey and I'm A Celebrity winner Joe Swash.

Du Beke said he was "thrilled". Last year's show averaged 6.1m viewers.

The show sees two teams of celebrities attempt to squeeze themselves through awkward-shaped holes in a moving wall, while dressed in skin-tight bodysuits.

The winning team walks away with ?10,000 prize money for the charity of their choice.

"I am completely thrilled that I will be presenting the series," said Du Beke.

"My only disappointment is that I won't be wearing the silver suit this time round... although you never know!"

The 10-part series will be produced in Glasgow as part of the BBC's regional programming quota.

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