BBC Strategy Review Seeks 'Transparency'

A new BBC strategy of greater transparency for all audiences has just been published by the BBC Trust.

It also seeks to deliver more distinctive, high quality programmes, improved value for money and to hold on to the trust of licence fee payers.

Launching the final conclusions of the Strategy Review, BBC Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons stressed that the BBC remains a public service and as such it needs to distinguish itself from the rest of the market and hold the trust of licence fee payers.

He said that the new strategy will guide the BBC and the Trust as it carries out a review of efficiencies and the range and scope of the corporation's services in the light of a new settlement which sees the licence fee frozen at its current level until 2016/17.

The review will incorporate the reassessment of the BBC's television portfolio that had been intended to take place around switchover in 2012/13.

The strategy concludes that the established mission to "inform, educate and entertain" remains valid, but that to deliver it the BBC needs to accelerate the pace of change in its culture and behaviour, focussing on four priority areas.

These are to increase the distinctiveness and quality of its programmes and services. improve the value for money it provides to licence fee payers, set new standards of openness and transparency and to do more to serve all audiences.

Sir Michael Lyons said: "People pay their licence fee for great programmes and services. They also want to know they are getting value for money.

"This is a strategy to ensure licence fee payers get just that from the BBC, building on much good work that is already going on within the corporation.

"At its heart is the conclusion that as a public service the BBC needs to distinguish itself from the rest of the market, hold the trust of audiences and above all produce programmes and services that inspire, entertain and delight people and that are distinctively BBC."

Sir Michael stressed that in order to provide high quality, distinctive content, the BBC needed to continue its drive to invest in programmes, while seeking to drive down the costs of overheads and delivery.

The Strategy Review was launched in September 2009. The Executive put proposals to the Trust in March 2010 and the Trust then published its initial conclusions on those proposals in July 2010. The publication of the final strategy and supporting analysis marks the end of the process.

(BMcC/KMcA)