BBC Trust

The BBC Trust has launched its second public consultation on the BBC Executive’s proposals to close BBC Three as a broadcast channel and reinvent it online; launch a +1 channel for BBC One; evolve BBC iPlayer; and extend the hours of CBBC.

The Trust published its provisional conclusions on these proposals in June, and gave provisional approval to the plans for BBC Three subject to conditions; provisional approval for the plans for iPlayer and CBBC; and provisionally rejected the BBC One +1 proposal. 

Today’s consultation, which runs until 30 September, seeks views from the public and stakeholders on these provisional conclusions and whether appropriate conditions have been imposed.  Proposed amendments for the relevant licences for BBC services affected by the proposed changes have also been published.

In its provisional conclusions in June the Trust also proposed three conditions in relation to the BBC Three proposal, designed to address concerns about the short-term impact of the change on younger audiences and the potential impact on the BBC’s ability to try out new ideas and develop new talent.  The proposed conditions were:

• A more carefully managed transition from broadcast TV to an online service, to raise awareness of the change;
• Clearer commitments to programmes on BBC One and/or BBC Two that appeal to a younger audience, including the use of those channels to continue broadcasting long-form BBC Three programmes; and
• A commitment to a space on broadcast television (not just on BBC Three online) where risks can be taken with new talent and new ideas of the sort that BBC Three has been successful in developing.

The Trust asked the BBC Executive to provide further, detailed information on the impacts of the proposed conditions, and this information has also been published today. 

BBC Trust Chairman Rona Fairhead said:

"Our provisional conclusions sought to ensure that the BBC's services remain distinctive, innovative and relevant to all its audiences, while working within ever tighter funding constraints.  Over the next few weeks, we'll gather more views about the BBC's proposals and the mitigations we’ve put forward to address concerns raised. We will carefully consider the responses and all of the evidence before making our final decision.”

The Trust is also proposing to carry out a service licence review within a year of publication of its final decision, focusing on whether the BBC has succeeded in maintaining its appeal to younger audiences.  It would particularly look at the BBC’s overall reach to 16 to 24 year olds and, if the BBC Three online service is approved by the Trust, its audience numbers and reach. 

The proposed revised service licences can be found here (PDF file, 100KB) and the BBC Executive’s response to the Trust on the impacts of the proposed conditions for BBC Three can be found here.

Notes to Editors

Public Value Test process

The Public Value Test is a formal regulatory process that includes a public value assessment (PVA) of the proposals, undertaken by the Trust, and a market impact assessment (MIA), undertaken by Ofcom.

The PVA considers the likely value of the proposed changes to licence fee payers and to society more broadly. This is assessed in terms of four key drivers of public value: reach; quality; impact and value for money. The Trust also assesses the extent to which the proposals support the delivery of the BBC’s public purposes.

The market impact assessment (MIA) assesses the impact of the proposals on alternative products and services.

The Trust considers the responses to the public consultation, the PVA and Ofcom’s conclusions on the MIA before publishing provisional conclusions.

A second period of public consultation on the provisional conclusion then begins.

Once this period of consultation has concluded, the Trust analyses the results and reaches a final conclusion, based on all the information it has gathered.