This is an important moment of change for the BBC, and directors are central to its future.
The BBC’s Charter – which defines the organisation’s Mission, Public Purposes and governance – is up for renewal at the end of 2027. We provided a detailed response to the DCMS public consultation on the renewal, explaining what directors need to see in the next charter: upholding workplace standards for freelancers, the need for a broad mix of programming tied to production based across the UK, representation for freelancers at Board level, diversity and inclusion embedded in commissioning, and much more.
The consultation process is now closed, but we’ll keep putting directors at the centre of every conversation around the future of the BBC – and our industry.
The key messages from our response
The key messages from our response include:
a) The BBC must be fully independent of political influence, transparent and accountable. Government should consider a permanent Charter with periodic reviews, to strengthen stability.
b) The BBC needs sustainable funding. Advertising and subscription models do not provide funding stability and jeopardise universality. The Licence Fee needs reform to reflect modern use. Licence Fee discussions must be transparent. The government should take back BBC World Service funding.
c) The BBC must provide a broad programming mix not just ‘fewer, higher-impact’ commissioning. Maintain the commitment to original UK production hours and spend, including children’s, factual, arts and other at-risk genres, alongside popular programmes that connect the country.
d) The BBC should support economic growth through improving commissioning and investment in productions across the UK, developing long-term strategies. Reform Ofcom regional production criteria to deliver genuine jobs, IP and growth opportunities that develop the local screen sector.
e) The BBC should decentralise commissioning, with senior decision makers more embedded in the nations/regions. Commission a broader genre mix and more network shows outside London.
f) The BBC needs to improve engagement with audiences. Draw on the skills and insight of directors across the UK to better serve audiences and grow the regional economy.
g) The BBC should uphold workplace standards for freelancers. Lead on transparent hiring practices, bullying/harassment prevention, reducing excessive working hours, and address the mental health crisis that plagues the UK’s freelance television workforce.
h) The BBC must embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) throughout its commissioning and hiring practices, and improve EDI strategies. Mandate freelance diversity reporting to Ofcom.
i) The BBC must support onward talent skills development, not just apprenticeships. Embed talent pathways into commissioning, consider workforce development when closing long-running programmes. Support on‑the‑job training that allows skilled directors to progress. Build an industrywide skills pipeline.
j) The BBC must adopt clear and ethical standards around AI and be transparent about its use. AI should not be a substitute for human creativity. Ensure creators’ rights are protected and remunerated. Develop public service algorithms to support discoverability of a wide range of content on iPlayer.
k) The BBC needs to reach audiences who are not using traditional BBC services. Regulation around prominence for BBC content on third-party platforms is key. Brand and editorial reputation, audience data, investment in UK content, rights and universal accessibility must be maintained.
l) The BBC should explore ways of strengthening UK PSBs through partnerships. But streamlining regulatory processes should not be at the expense of meaningful stakeholder consultation or have a negative impact on the wider market in which our members work.
We also submitted a response to the House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Select committee inquiry into the BBC Royal Charter Review: Written evidence — BBC Royal Charter Review