BBC Unveils Proposals For Its Future

The BBC has outlined its plans to become "more open and more distinctive" in the future.

The proposals are said to herald "a fundamental change of approach for the Corporation", and will reveal how the broadcasters' services will adapt and change in order to meet audience needs for the next decade.

The main proposals include:

• A commitment to original, high-quality British drama to enrich content for UK viewers and boost the creative industries.

• A partnership to create an Ideas Service providing the best of British ideas and culture.

• A new children's service – iPlay – giving more content to children that matures with them, across more platforms, in a safe and trusted way.

• Finding digital ways to support music discovery to help audiences find new music and the best from the archive.

• Responsive radio to give audiences a personalised schedule of programmes.

• Significant investment in the World Service to parts of the world where there is a democratic deficit in impartial news.

• The offering of a new partnership with local newspapers on local reporting, shaped in discussion with the industry. This content would be shared, jointly created, and backed by licence fee funding, thereby helping to secure the future of local newspapers and democratic reporting.

• Allowing BBC iPlayer to showcase content from others.

• A review of the BBC's website to ensure that it is distinctive with a stronger focus on online broadcast content.

• A transition from rolling news to streaming news, with BBC Newstream.

• New versions of our education, news and entertainment services in the Nations.

The plans are said to create a better BBC, rather than a bigger BBC, and while funding for the World Service will have to be discussed with the Government, the rest of the proposals would be funded within the confines of the budget agreement with the Government, and therefore not require any additional licence fee funding.

However, the organisation also confirmed that it would be delivering further efficiencies, and would be scaling back its operations elsewhere. Specific details regarding this are expected to be released later this year.

In a statement, Director General Tony Hall said: "These proposals are about creating an open, more distinctive BBC. An open BBC that works in partnership for the good of Britain at home and abroad. An open BBC that helps secure the future of public service broadcasting and upholds democracy both at a local and an international level.

"The BBC must modernise to preserve and enhance what is best about public service broadcasting to ensure we continue to have a BBC that is British, bold and creative. A better BBC, for everyone."

(JP)