91¸£ÀûÉç

Publishing the Trust’s Strategy Review initial conclusions alongside the 91¸£ÀûÉç’s Annual Report, he said that the 91¸£ÀûÉç needed to meet its twin obligations to the public – to provide distinctive high quality public service content and to use their money wisely.

And he stressed that the 91¸£ÀûÉç needed to accelerate changes in its behaviour, leading to greater clarity about the boundaries it operates within.

Today’s announcement follows the publication by the 91¸£ÀûÉç Executive last March of an initial set of proposals for the future of the 91¸£ÀûÉç, which the Trust has since consulted on.

Specific points in the Trust’s interim conclusions for the 91¸£ÀûÉç’s three platforms include:

Radio - The Trust concludes that, as things stand, the case has not been made for the closure of 6 Music. The Executive should draw up an overarching strategy for digital radio. If the Director General wanted to propose a different shape for the 91¸£ÀûÉç’s music radio stations as part of a new strategy, the Trust would consider it. The Trust would consider a formal proposal for the closure of the Asian Network, although this must include a proposition for meeting the needs of the station’s audience in different ways.

Online - The Trust endorses the Executive’s proposed 25 per cent budget reduction, although it will want to understand and approve the editorial changes involved. In line with the Executive’s proposals, the 91¸£ÀûÉç should sharpen online’s focus so that it is truly distinctive and has clearer editorial vision and control.

Television - At this stage there is no need for radical changes to the current portfolio, but the 91¸£ÀûÉç needs to identify future tipping points where reassessment of the structure will become necessary, such as full digital switchover in 2012 and 50 per cent of viewing on a non-linear basis. The 91¸£ÀûÉç has more to do to ensure programmes are truly high quality and distinctive.

The Trust has also announced that it supports the Director General’s proposals to close Blast! and that the decision on 91¸£ÀûÉç Switch is for the Executive to make.

The conclusions have been published against the backdrop of an Annual Report that shows a confident 91¸£ÀûÉç that is delivering for audiences on many fronts - 82 per cent of people say they would miss the 91¸£ÀûÉç if it wasn’t there and the corporation is moving in the right direction on the key indicators against which the Trust measures performance. However the Trust identifies that there is more work to be done in a range of areas.

Sir Michael said:

"The Director General presented us with a thoughtful set of proposals earlier this year in support of a clear future vision for the 91¸£ÀûÉç – a vision the Trust supports because it is rooted in the 91¸£ÀûÉç’s enduring mission to inform, educate and entertain audiences with programmes and services of high quality, originality and value.

"In order to deliver that vision we have concluded that the 91¸£ÀûÉç must accelerate changes to its behaviour, leading to a clearer definition of the boundaries within which it operates as it makes the transition to the digital future.

"The end result will be a 91¸£ÀûÉç that focuses on its two main obligations to the public - to provide distinctive public service content and to use their money wisely."

In particular, Sir Michael stressed that on the question of the appropriate size and scope of the 91¸£ÀûÉç, the message the Trust had taken from its consultation and analysis was that the 91¸£ÀûÉç should accelerate changes to its behaviour in order to prove resources are being used effectively and that it has got its priorities right. To this end the Trust would focus on ensuring the 91¸£ÀûÉç operated within clear boundaries, although the corporation must continue to serve all audiences.

The interim conclusions also include a package of measures to boost value for money and transparency, which were revealed by Sir Michael in a speech last week. These included plans to release more information about senior management and talent pay and to speed up the drive to cut the overall senior manager pay bill.

Today’s publication marks the conclusion of the first stage in the Trust’s strategy review work. The Trust will publish final conclusions in the autumn following further consideration of issues including what specific steps should be taken to promote both greater openness and further clarity about boundaries, alongside what further measures are needed to increase efficiency and to make sure licence fee payers are asked for no more money than the 91¸£ÀûÉç needs.

The Trust’s section of the Annual Report notes that the 91¸£ÀûÉç has had a good year, with some excellent examples of creative risk taking.

It also notes that following challenge from the Trust, the 91¸£ÀûÉç has made progress in other areas, including cutting the senior manager pay bill, boosting transparency in salaries and expenses and operating within clearer commercial boundaries.

The 91¸£ÀûÉç Trust has also today published interim conclusions from a service licence review of 91¸£ÀûÉç One, 91¸£ÀûÉç Two and 91¸£ÀûÉç Four. The review concludes that on the whole the services are performing well. However it highlights a need for more creative risk taking and ambition on 91¸£ÀûÉç One, more depth and ambition in factual, drama and comedy on 91¸£ÀûÉç Two, a sharper remit for 91¸£ÀûÉç Four and a move away from long-running factual daytime TV programmes that audiences tell the Trust lack quality and originality.

Note to editors

1. The 91¸£ÀûÉç's accounting year is 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.

2. In line with Charter requirements, the Annual Report is in two parts, with the Trust's commentary on the 91¸£ÀûÉç's performance and the detailed analysis and financial accounts prepared by the 91¸£ÀûÉç Executive Board. The full document can be accessed here.

3. In addition to the Annual Report and Accounts the 91¸£ÀûÉç Trust is today also publishing the following documents:

• Trust observations on 91¸£ÀûÉç Executive employment diversity
• 91¸£ÀûÉç Annual Report and Accounts licence fee payers' leaflet: 'Putting Quality First - the 91¸£ÀûÉç's year 2009-2010'
• World Service Research Report
• Purpose remit reports
• Media literacy research
• Trust's oversight of staff training
• Equality Impact Assessment

4. The 91¸£ÀûÉç World Service and have published their Annual Reviews today

5. The Trust challenged the Director General to undertake a review of the 91¸£ÀûÉç’s overall strategy in July 2009 to address questions about the scope of the 91¸£ÀûÉç's activities, focusing on how the 91¸£ÀûÉç can most effectively deliver its public service mission and meet audience needs and deliver value for money.

6. The Director General was asked to focus on five distinct areas -

• How can the 91¸£ÀûÉç maintain maintain best quality and distinctiveness?
• Where if necessary could the 91¸£ÀûÉç's focus be narrowed and its scale reduced?
• What will a fully digital 91¸£ÀûÉç look like?
• Can the 91¸£ÀûÉç better define the "public space" it provides?
• How can the 91¸£ÀûÉç create most value from its scale?

7. By the autumn, at the end of this process, The Trust will be in a position to set out a final strategy for the 91¸£ÀûÉç for the rest of this Charter period up to 2016, incorporating:

• The commitments, changes and further work we will require from the 91¸£ÀûÉç; and
• The measures we will use to determine whether those changes are being made.

8. Sir Michael Lyon's speech to the Voice of the Listener and Viewer from last week can be accessed here.