BBC Trust

BBC.com

The BBC Trust considered a proposal from BBC management to restructure the BBC’s international web presence to a commercial service, BBC.com.

One of the BBC’s public purposes, laid down in its new Royal Charter, is to ‘Bring the UK to the world and the world to the UK’. Among the Trust’s proposed priorities to underpin the BBC’s delivery of this purpose is:

To sustain and grow the BBC’s reputation as the most respected voice in international news broadcasting.

Out of the Charter renewal debate, it is clear that providing independent news and information to an international audience remains integral to the BBC’s purpose and, to that end, the BBC must remain a global news organisation. In this digital age, it is essential that the BBC’s international presence is equally compelling across all platforms, including the internet.

For the BBC to meet its purpose internationally, it must invest more online. It cannot use the licence fee for this purpose. One option is to carry advertising – where appropriate and subject to robust editorial safeguards – in line with the BBC’s existing approach internationally on television. The Trust has considered the proposals from management for the BBC.com website very carefully, but we are not currently satisfied we have all the information we think is necessary to reach a decision. Consequently we have asked the BBC management to do further work – particularly around how advertising revenue would be reinvested in BBC Global News and the BBC’s UK public services for the benefit of licence fee payers.

We have also asked the BBC Trust Unit to do further analysis to satisfy the Trust that all issues linked to potential fair trading questions have been addressed.

The Trust hopes to reach a final decision later this Spring.
Freesat

Under the terms of the previous Charter the BBC submitted a proposal, approved by the Governors, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2006 to launch a free open standard satellite service. However the Charter expired before the Secretary of State reached a decision and, in line with the terms of the new Charter, the decision now rests with the BBC Trust.

The Trust received the open file from the Secretary of State in January. Further to detailed scrutiny at its Finance & Strategy Committee and the provision of further independent advice, the Trust considered the proposal in detail at its meeting yesterday.

The Trust expects to publish its provisional conclusion soon, together with supporting evidence, and open a 28 day consultation before reaching its final decision.