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The future is here. BBC Three is moving online. It’ll be great. Promise.

2015-11-26T12:00:32+00:00

Today is just the beginning for BBC Three and our plans to transform our offer for young people. Technology has changed and what young people want has changed so we are changing to give young people a BBC Three that fits their lives today and in the future. We will now set about launching a digital first BBC Three in early 2016.

When BBC Three launched in February 2003 YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, Sky+, Tinder, Chip and pin, Periscope, One Direction and Oculus didn’t exist. Nobody had Wi-Fi, broadband, flat screen TVs or tablets. The Nokia 1100 was the world’s bestselling phone.

Today, over 50% of video viewed by 16-24 year olds is not live TV and over 90% of 16-24s own a smartphone and have at least one social media account. In 2003 it was 0%. To offer young people what they want we had to adapt.

Much has been written since we outlined our plans last December with passionate campaigns from industry and audiences. There has also been misunderstanding so I want to set out clearly what we are doing so there is no confusion.

BBC Three is not closing, we are reinventing online. We will not be a scheduled 7pm to 4am linear broadcast TV channel but we will be everywhere else giving you the freedom to choose what to watch when you want. We will be available on BBC iPlayer on connected TV’s and via set top boxes and consoles like the PS4 so you can watch on a big TV with friends, if you want. We will be on mobiles and tablets so you can watch on your own in the bath, if you want. The truth is we will be available to you in more places than ever before including linear TV. All our shows will be on BBC One or BBC Two so you can watch on traditional TV, if you want.

Creatively we are in great shape. Our Under The Skin and Breaking The Mould seasons have received critical acclaim from audiences and media. Teachers are showing Professor Green’s film on male suicide in schools and we have had similar requests from organisations that want to include Is This Rape? as part of training programmes. We’ve also had an incredible response to our new shows like Asian Provocateur, Josh and Murder In Succesville.

We have overhauled what we make to fulfil what young people told us they wanted – content that makes them think, makes them laugh and gives them a voice.

We will continue to make award winning comedy, drama and documentaries like Murdered By My Boyfriend, Gavin & Stacey and Life And Death Row, and already have lots planned for 2016 including new PJDN, new Murder In Succesville, new Doctor Who spinoff Class, new Murdered By My Father, new drama Thirteen, new drama doc Murder Games, and lots more besides. We have just announced Live From The BBC - our showcase for new British stand-up which confirms us as the home of original British comedy.

But new BBC Three will be much more than long form TV. In early 2016 we will launch new destinations online that will for the first time offer daily content from BBC Three.

It’s this commitment to new form content and how we deliver it that is most exciting. We will spend 80% of our budget on long form TV such as drama like our forthcoming Thirteen and our range of comedy and entertainment like Josh and People Just Do Nothing and documentaries like BAFTA winning Life and Death Row, but we will now spend 20% on new form content. Split between our editorial pillars this will include short form video, picture led stories, animation, authored pieces, basically any way we can tell a story most effectively for our audience. We will no longer be limited to traditional TV.

Some will relate to long form like this #threebrief with Professor Green that had over 1.2m views in two days. Some will be reactive like this quick turnaround parody of the John Lewis’ ad that had 1.8m views in just a few hours.

Some will be standalone. We will launch new content strands centred on topics that matter to young people like relationships, online life, crime and health. These are in development but we will issue a detailed brief to independent production companies very soon detailing what we are looking for and how to pitch ideas.

But most importantly we will put young people at the heart of new BBC Three making them part of decision making, giving them a voice and a say in what we do.

We can now offer opportunities to a wider range of talent because we have space to experiment with a wider range of content ideas in different formats and lengths. We can offer new talent greater exposure because all long form will be on BBC One and BBC Two. And we can for the first time offer a broader range of talent who don’t make traditional TV another place to tell their stories.

We will also recruit a group of young people to work with us to test our ideas and create content in collaborative ways. This group will consist of unheard voices and digital creatives who can create content that relates to their lives and the issues that matter to them. We will be launching a recruitment campaign very soon. Watch this space.

The BBC Trust’s conclusion that there is clear public value in reinventing BBC three is just the start for us. I want new BBC Three, like BBC iPlayer and News Online before it, to be the next example of innovation from the BBC. I want BBC Three to meet the needs of young people today and in the future and I want the people who love BBC Three as much as I do to get behind us, audiences and industry alike, to create something unique, distinctive and truly innovative.

These are exciting times for BBC Three.

Damian Kavanagh is Controller, BBC Three.

Read the press release ‘BBC response to BBC Trust’s approval of plans to reinvent BBC Three, extend CBBC and improve BBC iPlayer’ on the media centre website.
Visit the BBC Three website and Facebook page.
Follow BBC Three on twitter.

BBC 5 Live Sports Extra proposals

2015-04-30T12:16:33+00:00

This week BBC Radio 5 live’s sister station - 5 live Sports Extra have put a proposal to the BBC Trust to make some changes. Controller Jonathan Wall explains further.

We’ve been in discussions with the BBC Trust as part of the service licence review they are currently conducting into BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 4 Extra, BBC Radio 5 live and BBC 5 live Sports Extra.

The main aim of the proposed changes is to give increased airtime and exposure to a wide range of sports that don’t currently receive significant coverage on UK radio.

We want 5 live Sports Extra to be an even bigger driving force for good for sport in this country. By introducing a limited amount of new magazine programming to our remit of covering live sport, Sports Extra could become a broader multi-sport channel.

This plan would also help meet some of the new ways of listening to sport – on phones, on tablets and in a personalised way.

We propose to commission a maximum of 10 hours per week of new magazine programmes.

What will these be? Well, we are committing to a new weekly Olympic and Paralympics show in the build up to Rio next year. There would also be a new weekly cycling show focusing both on elite sport and participation.

Our proposal also includes, for the first time ever on British radio, a new weekly show all about netball, one of the UK’s fastest growing sports. We would also make a weekly magazine show during the women’s football season.

Listeners can then find these programmes when they want either online via the BBC Sport website or by tuning in to Sports Extra on digital radio.

Sports that are already well served by UK radio, such as Premier League football, international cricket and international rugby union won’t be included in this list of new shows. This proposal is driven by a mission to make a big step change in how we cover sports that don’t always get the attention they deserve.

We also propose to schedule a maximum of 10 hours per week to repeat the very best of our sports journalism. For example, the high quality specials made by 5 live sport and BBC World Service sport such as Pregnancy and Sport, Tony McCoy’s Top Ten Horses, and Jimmy Anderson – The Wicket Man.

Crucially, none of this will be at the expense of the current range and depth we now deliver on our main channel BBC Radio 5 live.

In 2014, we covered 51 sports on 5 live. That’s the most in our history. I really believe this proposal to make limited, tailor-made content for Sports Extra would complement the programming on 5 live.

Over the last two years, we have taken a number of steps to reach audiences in new ways. This has included an innovation on the BBC Sport App where you can now listen to our live commentaries on your mobile whilst checking out the latest scores. We’ve also launched a 'snackable' service which allows people to listen to short bursts of our best output. In Short, as it’s known, now gets a million hits a month.

We think this proposal will not only deliver the most distinctive programming in the 90 year history of BBC radio sport, but will also encourage our audiences to listen to us in new ways.

We also think it increases support for a broader range of sports at a time when participation is declining and physical inactivity is increasing. We want the wonderful, much-respected BBC radio sport team to deliver such range that it feels that our audiences can access world-leading coverage of all the sports that matter to them. In the new internet-first age, it is important that the BBC feels like a place that belongs to everyone, and is where everyone belongs, no matter their interest.

We will continue to discuss this issue with the BBC Trust over the next few months, and subject to approval, we hope to be in a position to start making changes to the 5 live sports schedule from January 2016.

Jonathan Wall, controller of BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live Sports Extra.

Handling complaints effectively

2014-02-20T11:21:29+00:00

Audiences and being accountable to them are at the heart of what the BBC does. Handling complaints effectively is key to both. BBC producers and managers regularly read audience comments and complaints submitted to the BBC's audience feedback service and find the information provided invaluable. In this post, Head of Communication & Complaints at BBC Audience Services Keith Jones, reflects on the conclusions of a recent BBC Trust report that investigated the service.

Today the BBC Trust has published its conclusions to the results of an ICM report which investigated how the BBC's complaints service has been performing since changes were implemented in 2012.

In 2005 the BBC launched its three-stage complaints process. This was reviewed in 2012 by the BBC Trust which represents the interests of licence-fee payers. Changes made included centralising the initial handling of complaints - 'Stage 1'. This meant that people should complain through BBC Audience Services (online, or by letter or telephone) to ensure complaints could be tracked, acknowledged and dealt with effectively.

Complaints are first dealt with by the BBC’s Executive side (not the BBC Trust itself). A complaint may then escalate to a second stage, at which point the Editorial Complaints Unit - independent of programme makers - normally investigates those which suggest there may have been a breach of standards as outlined in the BBC's Editorial Guidelines. In certain cases complaints can later be escalated to the BBC Trust on appeal - 'Stage 3'. Full details of the complaints service are on our complaints website.

ICM’s 'mystery shopping' report, commissioned by the BBC Trust, tested the first stage of the process using a team of researchers who submitted their own complaints to the system. The research was carried out between June and September 2013, details of which can be found in the report's appendix.

The Trust concluded that since the last test in 2011 there had been improvements in the timeliness of responses to written complaints, which were mostly replied to within 3-6 working days, compared to between 9-11 working days when the report was carried out in 2011.

Researchers also said they were largely satisfied, but more so when they contacted the BBC by phone or letter than if they complained online. Perhaps this is because engaging online with an organisation can often feel a more impersonal way to make contact. But some 75% of all complaints to the BBC are now made online, and although we know we can’t expect to please everyone all the time, clearly we need to see what we can do to try and improve the content of our some of our email replies.

The research has still shown significant improvements to the way in which 'Stage 1' complaints are handled. And although we're not complacent, we are pleased to see the new system working more effectively.

Keith Jones is Head of Communication & Complaints, BBC Audience Services

Review of the BBC’s management of the Digital Media Initiative – DMI

2013-12-18T11:35:01+00:00

When I took over as Director of Operations in October 2012, I paused spend on the BBC’s Digital Media Initiative (DMI) and initiated a technical review which resulted in the closure of the project in May 2013. The BBC Trust has today published a report by PwC focussing on the governance of the project. We accept the findings of this report and the new executive leadership team is already addressing its recommendations.

The BBC has a strong record of delivering complex technology-enabled transformation projects such as the BBC iPlayer, High Definition on Freeview, the digital Olympics, BBC North, and the migration to New Broadcasting House which was recently judged as ‘Programme of the Year’ at the Association of Project Management Awards 2013. However we got DMI wrong, which we regret. We know it is vital to spot problems early, which is why we have overhauled how our major projects are run to ensure this doesn't happen again.

The BBC Executive and the BBC Trust have just published the conclusions of a joint review of governance. The report sets out a number of changes which will strengthen the Executive Board by increasing the number of Non-Executive Directors from four to six, and will improve reporting so that performance can be monitored more effectively. A robust monthly reporting pack will be provided to Board, including an Integrated Assurance and Approvals Plan covering all major projects. Further information on the review can be found on the BBC Trust webite.

The Director-General has also announced he will be reducing the overall number of boards in the BBC by more than 60%, to be replaced with appropriately mandated senior individuals who will be empowered to take decisions and be held accountable for those decisions.

We are currently in the process of improving the guidelines we use for running major projects and we will be reviewing these again to reflect the recommendations included in the PwC report. We are also reviewing how we can better manage projects as a joined-up strategic portfolio and the capabilities needed to support this. We will continue to implement actions and apply lessons learned from DMI across our project portfolio.

Finally, we’re considering how we can best meet the BBC’s digital production needs in the future.

A new ‘End to End Digital’ project will fully reflect the lessons of DMI. For example, the digital production challenge will be split up into separate, independent "bite size" steps, each of which will have benefits in their own right and will not be part of a single, "all or nothing" integrated technology solution - albeit with programme oversight ensuring consistency and compatibility across all areas of activity. This project, although only at the planning stage is, like all our others, subject to a new stringent project management control, including the setting of clear objectives that are directly linked to tangible business need.

Dominic Coles is Director of Operations.

Read the BBC Trust's Review of the BBC's internal governance
Read the BBC Executive's response
Read Dominic Coles' blog The BBC announces the closure of the Digital Media Initiative - DMI

Sir Michael Lyons answers questions from Radio 4 listeners

2011-04-26T17:12:07+00:00

Sir Michael Lyons is the outgoing Chair of the BBC Trust. He appeared on Radio 4's weekly phone-in Call You & Yours today to answer questions from licence fee-payers. Listen again to the programme here and leave a comment below.

Steve Bowbrick is Editor of About the BBC

You & Yours is BBC Radio 4's weekday consumer affairs programme: Monday to Friday at 1200. Tuesday's programme is devoted to a phone-in, Call You & Yours.
You & Yours also has a blog.

Internet Blog - feedback on BBC Red Button

2010-11-11T13:50:02+00:00

"Today the BBC Trust published its review of the BBC's interactive television service, BBC Red Button. The BBC Trust regularly reviews BBC services, inviting public opinion to assess how well our services are performing and what, if anything, should change.

This review follows a public consultation undertaken in late 2009, which produced over 5,600 responses, and included a study of the BBC's own research into how viewers engage with the service."

John Denton, the BBC's Managing Editor of TV Platforms has blogged about the feedback received on BBC Red Button. To read John's blog post in full and to make a comment, head to the Internet Blog. You can read the full review on the BBC Trust website.

BBC Trust publishes Licence Reviews

2010-11-08T10:10:00+00:00

The BBC Trust has today published its Licence Reviews of BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four, setting out the role and purpose of the channels for the next five years. These reviews are designed to ensure that the channels are delivering the BBC's public purposes and providing audiences with the kind of programming they want and expect.

I have written to BBC staff today to explain the findings of the reviews and what they mean to us as programme makers. You can read my letter below. It also contains a link to the Trust reviews. The reviews show that the channels are performing very well but also give us a good indication of what we can do more of.

_____________________________________________ â¨
Dear all,

Today the BBC Trust has published its Licence Reviews of BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four, setting out the role and purpose of the channels for the next five years. These form part of the Trust's regular reviews of all BBC services. As part of the process, we submit reports for each channel that analyse their performance against the Public Purposes and describe our strategy going forward. The BBC Trust also canvasses the views of licence fee payers and the wider industry. You can read the Trust's final conclusions here.

Today's announcements follow the publication of the Trust's interim findings in the summer, which strongly supported the direction of the channels and asked for more detailed plans in a few key areas. Since then, we have been working closely with the Trust, and the positive conclusions of today's report should be seen as an endorsement of the strength and ambition of our plans to deliver even greater quality and originality across our full range of programmes and content.

Overall, the Trust concludes that the BBC's TV portfolio is performing very strongly - on reach, quality and value for money measures, as well as playing a central role in delivery of the Public Purposes to audiences across the UK. The BBC's portfolio of television channels has increased both its reach and share over the past year, more than any other broadcaster. Our audiences tell us that BBC channels lead over other channels for their quality, originality and distinctiveness. Shows currently on-air like Strictly Come Dancing, The Trip, Getting On and Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention demonstrate this in practice. But there are a number of themes which are important to all of us.

Audiences continue to have a strong appetite for "fresh and new ideas" on television. This is a reflection of the TV industry more broadly - and expectations are rightly highest when it comes to the BBC. We will be taking the leading role in meeting audience expectations here by always aiming for the highest quality and distinctiveness.

The BBC's television portfolio is focusing on a number of areas:

• On BBC One, we will seek to bring even greater range and variety into peak, building on a very strong base - programmes like Sherlock, Bang Goes the Theory, Five Daughters and Outnumbered to name but a few.

• BBC Two will implement its plans in factual, drama and comedy to reaffirm its position as the mainstream, highly distinctive alternative to BBC One. Shows like Wonders of the Solar System, The Normans and Renaissance Revolution, plus new dramas like The Shadow Line, and comedies such as Whites and Rev are strong examples of how it will do this.

• BBC Four will seek to achieve even greater impact and credit for high quality, highly original pieces like the First Men in The Moon, The Secret Life of the National Grid and Michael Wood's Story of England, and the forthcoming series The Art of Germany.

• In Daytime we have already made great headway, and the Review acknowledges this and supports our plans for the future. We are introducing high quality current affairs and consumer journalism into the schedule with programmes like Rip Off Britain, Saints and Scroungers and Crimewatch Roadshow, alongside new dramas including Jimmy McGovern's Moving On and The Indian Doctor with Sanjeev Bhaskar. We will continue on this journey of refreshment to ensure our services offer the UK's most distinctive programming for daytime viewers.

• Across all of our programmes, we will seek to reflect the diversity of the UK's people, cultures, regions and communities back to our audiences, and work to provide value to all audience groups. The report reinforces the importance of our opt-out programming from the Nations and Regions - but challenges us to deliver even greater quality and impact for these programmes.

I welcome the framework provided by the five year service licences for these channels, which sit alongside BBC Three's service licence agreed last year. They are an endorsement of our plans and creative ambitions for the next five years. Along with the certainty of an agreed licence fee settlement, they place our portfolio of television channels in a strong and positive position so that we can continue to produce the very best television services in the UK.

Jana Bennett is Director of BBC Vision

Putting Quality First Annual Report and Accounts 2009/2010

2010-07-05T14:46:43+00:00

Today the BBC Trust published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2009/10.

Following a short speech by the BBC Chairman Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC's Chief Financial Officer, Zarin Patel and BBC Director General, Mark Thompson took members of the press through the following presentation.

Putting Quality First Annual Report and Accounts for 2009/10.ppt

Over on the TV blog you can read Director of BBC Vision, Jana Bennett's blog about the Trust's interim findings from its service review of BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four.

Laura Murray is the Editor of About the BBC blog