BBC welcomes granting of new charter
This Charter gives us the certainty and stability to ensure the BBC remains the cornerstone of the creative industries and shines even more brightly as a beacon for Britain around the globe.Tony Hall, Director General
The Charter endorses the scale and scope of the BBC, and provides the stability and certainty for the BBC to continue informing, educating and entertaining the whole of the UK.
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, said:
“The public has been clear in its support for a strong and independent BBC that informs, educates and entertains.
“This 11-year Charter endorses that and allows us to create a BBC which is more open, more creative and more distinctive than ever. A BBC focused squarely on making outstanding programmes and services and bringing impartial and trusted news to people across the whole of the UK and around the world.
“This Charter gives us the certainty and stability to ensure the BBC remains the cornerstone of the creative industries and shines even more brightly as a beacon for Britain around the globe.”
The new Charter and agreement means:
- The licence fee is now secure as the method of funding the BBC for the next eleven years. There will be a funding review at the mid-term, as normal. A health check will also focus on the new governance and regulatory reforms but will not look at the BBC’s purposes, mission, or licence fee model.
- The current scale and scope of the BBC has been endorsed. This will ensure that the BBC is able to make fantastic programmes and services to inform, educate and entertain the British public. This acknowledges the BBC’s significant progress on improving efficiency.
- Debates about the BBC will be taken out of the election cycle as the Charter lasts for 11 years, one longer than normal.
- The BBC’s reform programme is endorsed. We are currently awaiting the BBC Trust’s decision on our application to create BBC Studios as a commercial subsidiary which will allow the BBC, for the first time, to make programmes for others. Viewers will get the best choice of programmes, whether they’re made by the BBC or independent producers.
- The majority of members of the new Board running the BBC will not be appointed by the Government.
The Government has published the final Charter today.
BBC Press Office