BBC Trust

In September 2016, the BBC submitted proposals to the Trust to establish BBC Studios as a commercial subsidiary and set out plans to introduce the wider requirement for full competition for all content spend over the next charter period. In autumn 2016, the Trust launched a public consultation and a regulatory assessment to test whether the proposals met the criteria for BBC commercial services set under the BBC’s Charter and Agreement – including their fit with the BBC’s public purposes, commercial efficiency, any risks posed to the BBC’s reputation and brand, and compliance with fair trading guidelines.

In December 2016, the Trust approved the BBC's plans to turn the production arm BBC Studios into a commercial subsidiary, with a series of recommendations to strengthen its future regulation and governance.

The Trust's decision document can be found below, together with responses from organisations to the consultation.

The Trust's decision

Stakeholder responses