Category:
Northern Ireland; Â鶹Éç
Date: 29.06.2004
Printable version
The biggest
shift of investment out of London and into the Nations and Regions in
the Â鶹Éç's history was announced today by the Â鶹Éç's new Chairman Michael
Grade and Director-General Mark Thompson.
Ìý
At its heart is a clear commitment to continue the
devolution of the Â鶹Éç to the nations, regions and communities of the
UK.
Ìý
As its title Building Public Value suggests, the document
sets out a vision for the Â鶹Éç of the future founded on the creation
of "public value" and based on the principles of universality,
fairness and accountability.
Ìý
It calls for "a Â鶹Éç which reflects the whole UK
in its output and which significantly shifts its broadcasting, production
and other operations out of London and into the rest of the country."
Ìý
There are three specific new commitments to the Nations
and Regions of the UK:
Ìý
Firstly, the Â鶹Éç pledges to increase its total expenditure in the Nations
and Regions to more than £1 billion during the next ten year Charter
period (ie 2007 to 2016) – an increase of around 35% of the present
total
Ìý
Secondly, the Â鶹Éç pledges to increase the number of
its public service staff based outside London from the present figure
of 42% to at least 50% over the same ten year period
Ìý
Thirdly, it pledges to devolve around a fifth of all
Â鶹Éç network programme commissioning out of London – a total of
around £400 million in today's terms – in a radical shift
from the present situation, where virtually no network commissioning
happens outside London.
Ìý
Central to these pledges is a strategy to increase the
localness of Â鶹Éç services across the whole UK and the proportion of
network programmes made in different parts of the UK.
Ìý
Included are outline plans to:
Ìý
Develop and expand local services within Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland on television, radio and online to meet the
growing demands for more local news and information in each Nation
Ìý
Create a highly local digital television news
service - making TV news as local as radio by offering up to 60 areas
across the UK new services of local news and information – throughout
the day and on demand
Ìý
Offer all Â鶹Éç local radio services on digital
platforms, and developing the Â鶹Éç Where I Live websites to enhance their
distinctiveness and so that they become truly local
Ìý
Extend the network of Â鶹Éç Open Centres and Â鶹Éç
Buses where partnerships allow and audience need is greatest, to help
people learn basic computer skills and take part in our programmes.
Ìý
Seeking to stimulate the creativity of audiences,
by creating more opportunities for them to contribute to local Â鶹Éç projects
like Voices, Video Nation and Digital Storytelling
Ìý
Reinforce the Â鶹Éç's commitment to the UK's indigenous
languages, including Welsh, Gaelic and Irish, and help future generations
to learn them by providing learning resources across all media platforms
Ìý
Increase the Â鶹Éç's spending on network programme-making
outside London from its production centres in the three Nations, its
three main regional production centres in England, and from the independent
sector outside London
Ìý
Explore the potential for moving professional
and support staff out of London as part of a continuing drive to reduce
Â鶹Éç overheads.
Ìý
The Â鶹Éç's new Director-General, Mark Thompson, said
today: "The Â鶹Éç is still far too London-based and this is simply
not acceptable for a modern public service broadcaster that draws its
income from all parts of the UK.
Ìý
"The Â鶹Éç should reflect the
whole UK. One of the best ways of ensuring that it does is to base it
across the whole UK, close to audiences and talent in all the nations
and regions.
Ìý
"Over the period of the next Charter, there will
be a significant shift of money, commissioning power, production and
people out of London and into the rest of the UK.
Ìý
"Licence payers everywhere
will benefit from a Â鶹Éç that is far more active in the area where they
live and creates more programmes and services that are directly relevant
to their lives and interests."
Ìý
Welcoming the promise of further investment by the Â鶹Éç
in Northern Ireland, Anna Carragher, Controller of Â鶹Éç Northern Ireland,
said: "This is a vision of a Â鶹Éç determined to expand its local
services in all parts of the UK and increase the value it brings into
people's lives everywhere.
Ìý
"It also gives us a platform to build on Â鶹Éç Northern
Ireland's great success in delivering high quality network programmes
to the whole of the UK.
Ìý
"These are challenges we will address with energy
and imagination."
Ìý
Notes to Editors
The Â鶹Éç's combined current expenditure on local and regional programming
across the UK, and on network production outside the M25, is approximately
£750 million. A 35% increase will take this figure above £1
billion.
42% of the Â鶹Éç's public service staff - ie, excluding staff who work
for the Â鶹Éç's commercial subsidiaries or the World Service - currently
work outside the M25. Based on these current staffing levels, a shift
of around 1,700 from London to the rest of the country will be required
to reach the new target of 50%.
