Tuesday 19 July 2005
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Μύ
A very warm welcome to all of you tonight, both those here in the audience
and those watching the webcast.
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We really appreciate the time you've given to make this event - which
is the first in a series of events we're holding throughout the UK.
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As Chairman of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, I am keen to make sure that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Governors
hear very directly and publicly from licence fee payers like yourself.
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In return, I promise we will listen hard, and try to give you straight
answers.
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Let me start by introducing my fellow Governors. There are twelve of
us, and between us, we have a range of different skills and backgrounds.
Incidentally, we have all been appointed in open competition, according
to the well-established Nolan principles.
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We have National Governors for Northern Ireland (Fabian Monds), Scotland
(Jeremy Peat) and Wales (Merfyn Jones), as well as a Governor with special
responsibility for the English Regions (Ranjit Sondhi).
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We have people with particular business experience (such as Dermot
Gleeson), legal expertise (Anthony Salz) and experience in the public
and charitable sectors (Angela Sarkis).
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Sir Andrew Burns has had a distinguished diplomatic career and recently
joined the Board as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's International Governor, with special responsibility
for the World Service.
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Deborah Bull has a accomplished career in the Arts, and Richard Tait
and myself have first-hand knowledge of the media sector.
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Our twelfth Governor, Ruth Deech, a senior academic who is the Independent
Adjudicator for Higher Education, is unfortunately unable to attend
this meeting because of commitments in the United States.
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Finally, let me introduce the most senior member of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ management
- the Director-General, Mark Thompson. His senior colleagues are also
here in the audience to comment on some of the detail if necessary.
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So what is our role as Governors? Until recently, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Governors
were accused of being too close to the management, and we acknowledge
that there was a blurring between the roles of both. This is no longer
the case.
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The job of management is to manage. The job of the Governors is to
interrogate management's proposals, approve, reject or amend them, and
monitor their delivery.
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Our duty is to make sure the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ remains independent of political or
commercial interference and is run solely in the interest of you, the
licence fee payers.
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We have to make sure that you get quality programmes and services,
and that they represent value for money. Β£126.50, the current price
of the licence fee, is a lot of money for many people - I understand
that.
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I also appreciate that some people don't feel they should have to pay
it at all. However, our research shows that most people consider it
good value - but we must never take it for granted.
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Every organisation needs to understand its customers and have a continuing
dialogue with them. Only in this way can we respond to your needs.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is in the privileged position of having a protected and guaranteed
income stream, so it is even more important that we really do make an
effort to listen, respond, and explain.
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Having said that, I admit that a particular challenge for us is that
there is never a single licence fee payer view. At times it feels as
if there are 60 million different views!
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We have to understand and reconcile the needs of many different communities,
interests and groups within our audience. Connection with licence fee
payers is now a key objective for the Board.
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To help us, we also have a network of over 500 independent advisers:
members of the Broadcasting Councils in Northern Ireland, Scotland and
Wales, and the Regional and Local Advisory Councils in England - some
of whom are here tonight: welcome.
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They ensure that the Board responds to issues raised by licence fee
payers around the UK.
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One example of this in action: In Northern Ireland, the Broadcasting
Council, following their accountability programme with licence fee payers,
advised the Governors about the limited availability of the DAB digital
radio services. As a direct result, three new DAB-enabled transmitters
will become operational later this year.
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There's a lot I could say about the future of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, the recent Government
Green Paper on the future of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, the new Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Trust, and so on.
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But tonight is largely about performance and how you think the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
is doing. This meeting is particularly timely as last week the Board
of Governors published the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Annual Report and Accounts.
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So let me turn now to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's programmes and services, and a quick
overview of the past year from the Governors' perspective.
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I'll start with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE - still for many people "The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ." I think
it's fair to say that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE has had a better year. A lot of work has
been done to understand its viewers' needs, and there are encouraging
signs with quality output of distinction across a wide range of genres,
successfully balancing a high level of public service commitment with
appeal for large audiences.
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Programmes as diverse as Strictly Come Dancing, The Secret Agent, Himalaya
with Michael Palin and Blackpool have all made their mark.
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But there are still areas where you tell us, through research and correspondence,
that you want to see improvement. Specifically, you want to see fewer
repeats in peak-time; you want to see more original comedy and drama;
and you also want to see fewer so called 'derivative' programmes.
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As a result we have asked management to act. The Director-General,
Mark Thompson, has himself committed to delivering these improvements
to help meet your expectations.
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Over on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO, last year also saw some creative success and critical
acclaim for quality and originality of its programming.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO is well on the way to restoring a vitally strong and distinctive
factual core. It is, however, a channel in transition and there has
been some cost in audience terms. T
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here was a significant fall in the reach of the channel (from 37 million
people in 2003/4 to 34 million in 2004/5).
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Just to explain "reach" - this tells us how many people have seen or
heard a particular programme or used a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ service, for at least 15
consecutive minutes, in a week.
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The challenge now is to increase reach, particularly among younger
audiences and in multichannel homes; but without endangering Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO's
distinctiveness.
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The Governors have made it clear that it is vital to maintain quality
programming and improve audiences.
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The digital television channels are making good progress. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ THREE
has produced some outstanding programmes: Little Britain, Casanova,
Flashmob - The Opera and the documentaries such as 18 With a Bullet.
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However, the half hour news at 7.00pm has not succeeded in attracting
and maintaining its target audience and, in response, we have asked
management to consider the future role of news on the channel.
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And as with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO, we are encouraging management to explore ways
to increase the channel's reach, which is currently 5.6 million viewers
per week, without putting at risk its growing reputation for innovation.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR has continued to provide a distinctive mix of documentary,
performance, music and topical features.
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Its audiences are rising, with an average weekly reach of 1.8 million
people, but has some way to go to reach its potential and it is clear
that we need to grow the channel's reach.
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Some industry observers have suggested that the best way to do this
is to make the channel more mainstream. The Governors disagree.
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This would threaten its ability to take risks - and would inevitably
mean that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR would begin to encroach on the territory of other
channels, which would benefit neither licence fee payers nor the wider
broadcasting market.
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Time and again you tell us that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's children's channels, CΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
and CBeebies, are a great justification for the licence fee. They both
continue to perform well.
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We were pleased too with the results of an independent review, which
was very positive.
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There is no question that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's digital television services have
helped drive the success of Freeview.
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However, it is a source of continuing concern for the Governors that
approximately ten per cent of each licence fee is spent on services
that some licence fee payers cannot receive.
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This anomaly will end in 2012 when the analogue signal is switched
off; in the meantime we are discussing with potential partners the possibility
of developing a satellite equivalent of Freeview.
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Judging by your response, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio has had a strong year: reach continues
to grow year-on-year, and over two-thirds of the adult population listen
to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio.
Μύ
This is a real achievement in such a competitive environment. Having
said that, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio must not be complacent and we recognise our responsibility
as Governors in ensuring that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio continues to meet its public
service remit.
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As we make clear in the Annual Report, the Governors are aware of concerns
expressed by commercial networks about Radios 1 and 2.
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We are confident both are currently offering a service that is distinctive
from their commercial rivals.
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bbc.co.uk is a clear example of how the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's public purpose has driven
change in the last year and how valid concerns about the service have
been addressed.
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The online remit was revised to provide stronger direction and tighter
boundaries, and some sites such as Pure Soap, the soap opera site, were
closed.
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Elsewhere in New Media there have been lots of new developments: the
re-launched Radio Player; the birth of podcasting; trials of iMP -the
interactive media player that holds the potential of allowing downloads
of television programmes; good work in developing the potential of interactivity
- particularly strong during the Olympics, with over nine million viewers
pressing the red button to access additional coverage.
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In News, it was a year of major, challenging stories, such as the
Asian tsunami, the Beslan school massacre, the death of Pope John Paul
II, and closer to home, the floods in Boscastle and Carlisle. News responded
confidently.
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There were some slips-ups too: an inappropriate personal remark in
From Our Own Correspondent; and, following a hoax phonecall, the broadcast
of an untrue story about compensation for the victims of the Bhopal
disaster.
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However, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ responded frankly and honestly and made sure the
lessons were learned.
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The recommendations of the Neil Report, which considered the editorial
lessons learned following the Hutton Inquiry, were fully embraced by
the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Executive Board.
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The Governors are acutely aware that independence and impartiality
are the cornerstones of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's news provision, and that shows why
recent surveys show that 80 per cent of the public trust Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News.
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Something we often hear from licence-fee payers who live outside London
is that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ should pay greater attention to its audiences around the
UK.
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The Nations and Regions are in fact continuing to provide high-quality
local, regional and network programmes and services that are valued
by audiences throughout the UK.
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But it is increasingly important that, as the other broadcasters change
their regional offer, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ continues to help connect licence fee
payers to their communities and contribute to their sense of belonging,
and we can use new technology to provide services on a far more local
basis than at present.
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So that's a flavour of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's performance over the last year, based
on what you have told us.
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Judgements about how well - or less well - the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is delivering are
going to be based more and more on what licence fee payers tell us.
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Tonight's event, and future events like this throughout the nations
and regions will, I hope, demonstrate how seriously your board takes
its responsibilities to understand the concerns of you, the licence
fee payers.
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In just a moment you can put your comments and questions to us - but
first we'd like to share with you some views from licence fee payers
across the UK.
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Thank you.
