Client Research

They are the world's leading public service broadcaster. They produce programmes and services throughout the UK. They also produce content which can be enjoyed across the globe. They provide a wide range of programmes, content and services for audiences across the UK on television, radio and digitally.

BBC board - The board is responsible for ensuring they deliver their mission and public purposes. It does this by setting: The strategic direction for the BBC. The creative remit for the BBC's editorial and creative output and services. The BBC's budget and ensuring value for money. A framework for assessing performance of the BBC's UK public services and BBC world service. A framework for the ways in which the BBC must handle complaints. A policy on the distribution of the UK public services. A strategy and governance arrangements for the BBC's commercial activities. A policy on material changes to the BBC's public service activities and commercial activities.The Board must uphold and protect the independence of the BBC and make its decisions in the public interest. It is accountable for all of their activities including the publicly funded services, and their commercial activities in the UK and around the world.The Board demonstrates they are meeting their obligations through the publication of two key governance documents: The annual plan and the annual report and accounts.The Board has delegated some of its functions to a number of committees. 

Executive committee - The executive committee is responsible for the day-to-day management of the BBC. The Executive Committee is responsible for delivering the BBC’s services in accordance with the strategy agreed by the Board, and for all aspects of operational management.

Commercial holdings board - The commercials holdings board is responsible for the governance, assurance and oversight of the BBC's commercial subsidiaries. The BBC board is the main decision making body for all of the BBC, including the BBC’s commercial activities, which are undertaken through commercial subsidiaries.The BBC board exercises control over the BBC’s commercial subsidiaries through the BBC commercial holdings board. The BBC commercial holdings board is responsible for the governance, assurance and oversight of the BBC group commercial subsidiaries - BBC global news, BBC studios and BBC studioworks.

The Royal Charter - The royal charter is the constitutional basis for the BBC. It sets out the BBC’s object, mission and public purposes. The charter also outlines the corporation’s governance and regulatory arrangements, including the role and composition of the BBC board.The current charter began on 1 January 2017 and ends on 31 December 2027.The government will carry out a mid-term review of the charter, focusing on governance and regulatory arrangements. This review is not a full charter review and so will not look at the BBC’s mission, purpose or the method by which it is funded.

The Agreement - The agreement between the secretary of state for culture, media and sport and the BBC sits along the charter. It provides further detail on many of the topics outlined in the charter including the BBC's funding and its regulatory duties. The agreement runs coterminous to the charter but can be amended during the charter period subject to the agreement of the secretary of state and the BBC.

The List Of UK Public Services - As part of the agreement with the secretary of state the BBC must maintain and publish a list of UK public services setting out the name of the service, the type of service and a brief description of the service.

The office of communications also known as ofcom is the UK's broadcasting, telecommunications and postal regulatory body. It became the BBC'S first external regulator in 2017. The principal function of ofcom in the relation BBC are to: Prepare and publish an operating framework containing the provisions it considers appropriate to secure the effective regulation of the activities of the BBC. Set an operating license for the UK public services containing the regulatory conditions it considers appropriate for the BBC to deliver its mission and public purposes. Determine appropriate measures to asses the performance of the BBC's UK public-services. Set requirements to protect fair and effective competition in relation to material changes to UK public-services and non-service activities. Set requirements in relation to the interaction between the BBC and its commercial activities to ensure that the commercial activities, as a result of their relation ship to UK public services, trading activities or non-service activities, distort the market or gain an unfair competitive advantage. Regulate the content standards of the BBC’s television, radio and on-demand programmes, in accordance with Ofcom’s Standards and fairness codes. ofcom will publish an annual report which will set out how it has carried out its functions as the BBC's independent regulator, and assesses the BBC’s compliance with the requirements of the Operating Framework, Operating Licence and associated documents. BBC World Service is not regulated by ofcom. Instead the BBC is responsible for setting its overall strategic direction, the budget and guarding its editorial independence for World Service. It must set and publish a Licence for the World Service, which defines its remit, scope, annual budget and main commitments, as well as "objectives, targets and priorities" which are agreed with the Foreign Secretary. The BBC must report in reasonable detail on World Service in the annual report and elsewhere as appropriate. The Chair of the Board of the BBC and the Foreign Secretary (or their nominated representatives) will meet at least annually to review the performance of the World Service against the objectives, priorities and targets as defined in the Licence.

The comptroller and auditor general is the BBC's external auditor and is supported in this role by the national audit office (NAO) as part of the governance arrangements, the comptroller and auditor general examines, certifies and reports on the BBC’s group accounts and is appointed as auditor of the BBC’s relevant subsidiaries unless the comptroller and auditor general and the BBC agree otherwise. The national audit office also conducts value for money examinations on the use of the licence fee and in relation to the BBC’s commercial activities. A memorandum of understanding between the BBC and the national audit office has been published, setting out the way in which this process will be implemented.

The royal charter states that the BBC's object is "the fulfilment of its mission and the promotion of its public purposes"Their mission is to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.

The charter also sets out their five public purposes:

1) To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them.

The BBC should provide duly accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming to build people’s understanding of all parts of the United Kingdom and of the wider world. Its content should be provided to the highest editorial standards. It should offer a range and depth of analysis and content not widely available from other United Kingdom news providers, using the highest calibre presenters and journalists, and championing freedom of expression, so that all audiences can engage fully with major local, regional, national, United Kingdom and global issues and participate in the democratic process, at all levels, as active and informed citizens.

2) To support learning for people of all ages.

The BBC should help everyone learn about different subjects in ways they will find accessible, engaging, inspiring and challenging. The BBC should provide specialist educational content to help support learning for children and teenagers across the United Kingdom. It should encourage people to explore new subjects and participate in new activities through partnerships with educational, sporting and cultural institutions.

3) To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.

The BBC should provide high-quality output in many different genres and across a range of services and platforms which sets the standard in the United Kingdom and internationally. Its services should be distinctive from those provided elsewhere and should take creative risks, even if not all succeed, in order to develop fresh approaches and innovative content.

4) To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom's nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom.

The BBC should reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom both in its output and services. In doing so, the BBC should accurately and authentically represent and portray the lives of the people of the United Kingdom today, and raise awareness of the different cultures and alternative viewpoints that make up its society. It should ensure that it provides output and services that meet the needs of the United Kingdom’s nations, regions and communities. The BBC should bring people together for shared experiences and help contribute to the social cohesion and well being of the United Kingdom. In commissioning and delivering output the BBC should invest in the creative economies of each of the nations and contribute to their development.

5) To reflect the United Kingdom, its cultures and values to the world.

The BBC should provide high-quality news coverage to international audiences, firmly based on British values of accuracy, impartiality, and fairness. Its international services should put the United Kingdom in a world context, aiding understanding of the United Kingdom as a whole, including its nations and regions where appropriate. It should ensure that it produces output and services which will be enjoyed by people in the United Kingdom and globally.

BBC Values:

They have established a set of values for everyone working at the BBC. They represented the expectations we have for ourselves and each other, they guide our day to day decisions and how we behave.

Their values are:

1) Trust is the foundation of the BBC. they're independent, impartial and honest.

2) They put audiences at the heart of everything they do.

3) They respect each other and celebrate their diversity.

4) They take pride in delivering quality and value for money.

5) Creativity is the lifeblood of their organisation

6) They're one BBC. Great things happen when they work together.

A standard TV licence is currently £159

A TV licence is required if you:

1) Watch or record live TV programmes on any channel.

2) Download or watch any BBC programmes on IPlayer - live, catch up or on demand.

3) This applies to any provider you use and any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

The licence fee allows them to provide a wide range of TV, radio and online content, as well as developing new ways to deliver it to you. In addition to funding BBC programmes and services, a proportion of the licence fee contributed to the costs of rolling out broadband to the UK population and funds Welsh Language TV channel S4C and local TV channels.

The licence fee allows the BBC's UK services to remain free of advertisements and independent of shareholder and political interest.

The licence fee is supplemented by income from the activities of our three commercial subsidiaries - BBC Studios, BBC Global News and BBC Studioworks.

Their commercial operations generate income to invest in programmes and content.

The way in which they are funded means that they need to ensure that the BBC offers value for money for those who pay for it. This means investing as much money as possible on providing the content and services which you want.

They do this by:

1) Reduction in overheads.

Overheads remain at industry-leading levels, at only 5% of their total costs, with 95% directed to audience-facing content and services.

2) Talent spend reduction.

During 2019/20, spend on on-air roles represented 10% of total internal creative content spend.

3) Making overall savings.

£199 million of annual savings were delivered in 2019/20. Since 2016/17, they have delivered £618 million of cumulative savings.