Unit 9 AO1 The BBC

Task 3

What is the BBC Trust?

The BBC Trust is the governors of the company and ensures that the company is meeting its aims and objectives and providing the public with channels and radio they are happy to fund for. The BBC trust makes sure that the money from TV Licensing is used best in the interest of the public. 

What do they do?

The BBC Trust set the businesses objectives which are for the benefit of the public and for the businesses commercial department. The BBC has a commercial section which is responsible for selling its programmes to overseas networks and their box-sets of series. They also asses proposals made to make changes to channels or create new services.

Performance of BBC services

Every five years, the BBC Trust does an in-depth review to ensure that their services are meeting the audience’s standards and expectations. Yearly the Trust makes a report on how well the BBC has been delivering the six public purposes stated in its royal charter.

Value for money

The BBC trust set and monitor targets and organise reviews. They also double check that the money which is budgeted yearly is being used and is enough for them to achieve their strategy.

Complaints

They take complaints linked to editorial, fair trading and TV licensing.

What are the main features in the Charter?

The charter was put in place so that the BBC knew what they had to work by and accomplish the aims made by The BBC Trust whilst abiding to these rules that are changed yearly. The charter is basically royal government permission stating that they can run the organisation as long as they abide to the rules in the charter.

What purpose are they meant to fulfil?

The Public Purposes state what the BBC’s programmes should show and promote to the public, the real owners of the company.

The Public Purposes of the BBC are as follows—

(a) Sustaining citizenship and civil society;

(b) Promoting education and learning;

(c) Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;

(d) Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;

(e) Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;

(f) In promoting its other purposes, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.

(a) Promoting “Britishness”. Understanding the UK and its institutions, promoting being a good citizen and investigating life in the UK.

(b) They create a wide range of learning materials from adult learning, helping teens with their GCSE’s on their website BBC Bite size and giving the public the resources and information that they need and fund for.

(c) Should do what’s innovative and makes Britain stand out from any other country, For example, British comedy is known to be the best because they are high quality and original. Having the best creating people in dance and drama, and throughout history.

(d) Promoting all the British attributes, places, not just the capital and local communities that work well together. This also shows a good image when some programmes are sold off to other countries. By bringing the best programmes from other countries for people in the UK to enjoy also stimulates cultural excellence.

(e) Bringing the programmes from other countries and broadcasting it in the UK it gives the audience a chance to see what the environment is like in that country, what their programmes are like and the type of programmes they make. Also by buying programmes from other countries, the BBC also sells programmes they have made to other countries too.

(f) By being the leader in new communications technology, they were the first to have a catch up service, BBCiplayer which went from being available just on the website to having applications written for a range of platforms including: iPhones, Androids, Games Consoles, SMART TV’s and Blu Ray Players. Every single radio station is available to listen to live, catch up and in podcasts.

The BBC took a lead role in developing digital content in TV and radio but most importantly they provided support for the nation in understanding what the switchover meant and how to prepare for it through their website specially dedicated for information on the digital switchover.

Task 4

National Radio Stations

BBC Radio 1	Specialises in popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Although the average age of the audience is 33, their target audience is 15-29 year olds.
BBC Radio 1XTRA	Being the sister station to BBC Radio 1XTRA. Plays music from genres: hip hop, grime, bassline, garage, dub-step, drum and bass, UK funky, dancehall, soca, reggae, gospel music, bhangra and R&B. Target audience is between 15 and 30 years old. Aimed at young people from African Caribbean backgrounds.
BBC Radio 2	The most popular radio station in the UK. Plays music from the genres: jazz, folk music, blues, country and western, reggae, classic rock, showtunes and they also broadcast biographies, documentaries, BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Big Band. Their station is aimed at 25 year olds and over, however they have been recently attracting younger audiences by playing modern music.
BBC Radio 3	The remit of Radio 3 is to offer a mix of music and cultural programming in order to engage and entertain its audience. The core of programmes should be around classical music with jazz and world music.
BBC Radio 4	The remit of Radio 4 is to be a mixed speech service, offering in-depth news and current affairs and a wide range of other speech output including drama, readings, comedy, factual and magazine programmes. The age range that listens to this radio station the most is 65+ (Information from Digital Spy.)
BBC Radio 4 Extra	Just like BBC Radio 4, this station is also speech based and broadcasts dramas stories and programmes. The only difference is, the shows that are played on this channel are from BBC’s Archive. Meaning that they are older programmes that used to shown on the TV or radio.
BBC Radio 5 Live	Also known as Radio 5, This station provides their listeners with live news and sports coverage. The station programming should be designed to inform entertain and involve. The service should appeal to all news and sports fans from all ages, ethnic backgrounds and areas across the UK.
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra	A Sister station to BBC Radio 5 Live, the service remit states that this channel is to bring a greater choice of live action to sports fans.
BBC Radio 6 Music	The remit states that the station is to entertain lovers of popular music with a service offering music from the 1960’s to today’s music. Its programmes contrast current releases with earlier recordings, including music from the BBC Sound Archive (Collection of music, dialects and sound effects).
BBC Radio Asian Network	The remit of BBC Asian Network is to provide speech and music appealing to British Asians, with a strong focus on news and current affairs. It should be primarily in English, but some programming should be provided in a range of South Asian languages. The primary target audience is British Asians under 35, but the station should also appeal to anyone with an interest in British Asian issues, music and culture.
BBC Radio World Service	The world’s largest international broadcaster, broadcasting news, discussions in 27 languages to many parts of the world.