ITV

Tag: Chitra Bharucha

  • BBC extending the public’s right of appeal for license fee

    MUMBAI: Following a review of how UK pubcaster BBC handles complaints it receives, the BBC Trust is proposing new ways to strengthen and simplify systems and, for the first time, is extending the public’s right of appeal to the Trust in serious cases of complaint about how the licence fee is collected.

    BBC Trust vice-chairman Chitra Bharucha said, “The Trust represents the interests of all licence fee payers and this includes ensuring that the process for collecting licence fees is efficient and fair. The public – including the very small number who choose not to own a television set – needs a simple complaints’ system to handle concerns when things go wrong. For the first time, this complaints’ system will include a right of appeal to the Trust in the event that a serious matter cannot be resolved by BBC management.”

    The Trust will be publishing its proposals for how the BBC should handle all complaints including plans to speed up the process for editorial and fair trading complaints. The Trust is inviting licence fee payers, the rest of the broadcasting industry, and anyone who’d like to get involved, to offer their views during a three-month consultation period.

    Under the Trust’s plans, complaints against the BBC would still be addressed in the first instance by BBC management. Final appeals to the Trust would apply only once all other avenues had been exhausted.

    Bharucha adds, “The BBC is owned by the people who pay for it and the Trust wants to ensure that complaints are received via a system which is open to everyone, consistent in its fairness to all, and simple to follow. For any complaints’ system to be effective, it must have the confidence of those who might choose to use it, and the Trust wants to hear from the public and the rest of the industry about the changes we propose to speed up and simplify the BBC’s complaints’ systems.”

    The Trust is proposing a number of changes to how the BBC handles complaints about how the licence fee is collected. Since the Trust’s review started, systems have already been simplified by reducing the number of stages in the management complaints’ process.

    In future, BBC management must account to the Trust for its complaints’ system and, although the Trust still expects most complaints to be resolved by TV Licensing or BBC management, it now plans, for the first time, to hear appeals in serious cases.

    These could include appeals from people who feel they have repeatedly received an unsatisfactory response from the BBC or TV Licensing to their complaints about unfair treatment. For example, members of the public who have received a number of letters or house calls after they believe they have demonstrated they already possess a television licence or do not own a television set.

    The Trust believes that reducing the period of time in which complainants can request an appeal to the Trust after receiving a response from BBC management from two months to one month would lead to a more efficient system, enabling appeals to the Trust to be taken more quickly than at present.

  • BBC Trust approves plans to launch Freesat platform

    MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has provisionally approved UK pubcaster the BBC management’s proposal to develop and launch a free-to-view satellite platform, “Freesat”.

    BBC management envisages Freesat being achieved as a joint venture with other public service broadcasters. The Trust believes that the service would create significant public value by offering licence fee payers an additional means to access digital services, including the BBC’s digital television channels and radio services, which is subscription free and guaranteed to stay that way. It would be offered on the basis of a one-off initial payment only, to cover the cost of equipment and installation. The service would be future-proofed, through the designing in of high definition and personal video recorder compatibility, and would be marketed through retail outlets and via the internet. BBC management’s intention is to establish a joint venture company with other public service broadcasters to manage the marketing and technical aspects of the new platform. Set top boxes would be supplied by third parties working with retailers to a specification agreed with the joint venture company.

    The Trust has published its decision, and the evidence and analysis which informed its judgement, and opened a 28 day public consultation prior to making its final decision in April 2007.

    BBC chairman Chitra Bharucha said, “The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the Corporation to take a leading role in digital switchover which begins next year. From 2008 until 2012, as each UK nation and region switches to digital, all households that haven’t done so already will have to choose a new way to access television. One of the benefits arising from digital switchover will be greater choice for viewers. For those seven million homes yet to make the switch, it needs to be clear that the benefits of digital television do not need to equal ‘pay television’.

    “A new, guaranteed subscription-free satellite service would provide the public another option when deciding which platform to choose. Over half of those yet to switch fall outside the Freeview coverage area. For these homes, the new service would mean being able to access BBC digital services they have already paid for via their licence fee but until now have been unable to receive on a guaranteed subscription-free basis.

    “We have considered the market impact and whilst there may be some negative effects, in our view these should be balanced against the potential positive market impact of greater choice. Overall, we believe a “Freesat” service to be in the public interest and we hope that other public service broadcasters would join the BBC in a joint venture. We welcome all responses to our provisional conclusion during the consultation. “

    The BBC Trust has decided that Freesat meets the BBC’s Charter and Agreement definition of a ‘non-service’ activity and does not require a Public Value Test. Nonetheless, in reaching its provisional decision the Trust has considered the potential public value and market implications of launching the service.

    In particular, the Trust examined the proposition in four key areas:

    Whether the proposition would serve the best interests of licence fee payers:
    Of the 7 million homes yet to switch to digital, over half fall outside the Freeview coverage area. Inability to access free-to-view digital is an issue frequently raised by the public in its contacts with the BBC. For some, this would remain an issue until the analogue system is switched off entirely in 2012. The Trust considers failure to address this issue to be inconsistent with its public service duties.

    What public value the new platform might create:
    The Trust has provisionally concluded there is significant public value in the “Freesat” proposition. It believes such a service would have a positive impact by introducing choice to the market and a guaranteed subscription free alternative to Sky’s free satellite option. The costs to the BBC are modest and comparable with those of Freeview. Launching the proposition as a joint venture would further increase value for money.

    How the proposition fits with the BBC’s public service remit:
    The Charter and Agreement set out a number of public service duties for the BBC. The Charter includes a Public Purpose to help deliver the benefits of emerging technologies to the public, and to take a leading role in digital switchover. Meanwhile, the Agreement states that the BBC “must do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that viewers, listeners and other users are able to access the UK public services that are intended for them”. The Trust has provisionally concluded that the objectives of the proposition are consistent with, and enhance, the BBC’s public service remit.

    The competitive impact of the proposals on the wider market:
    The Trust’s provisional conclusion is that the proposition would have some negative impact on the wider market but increase choice for consumers. The Trust’s view takes account of analysis of the proposition’s potential market implications carried out by its own independent advisers within the Trust Unit and external independent economists.

    Under the terms of the previous Charter the BBC submitted a proposal, approved by the Governors, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2006 to launch a free open standard satellite service. However the Charter expired before the Secretary of State reached a decision and, in line with the terms of the new Charter, the decision now rests with the BBC Trust. The Trust received the open file from the Secretary of State in January. Further to detailed scrutiny at its Finance & Strategy Committee and the provision of further independent advice referred to above, the Trust reached its provisional conclusion at its meeting on 21 February.
        
          

  • Licence fee payers to help set the BBC’s agenda

    Licence fee payers to help set the BBC’s agenda

    MUMBAI: For the first time, licence fee payers will have a say in how UK pubcaster the BBC delivers its mission to inform, educate and entertain.

    The new Charter and Agreement outline six ‘Public Purposes’ for the BBC and task the new BBC Trust with ensuring the BBC delivers the best possible programming to promote them.

    The Trust has taken its first step to fulfilling this responsibility, publishing for public consultation six draft Purpose Remits which spell out proposed priorities and how the BBCs delivery of each purpose will be judged. The consultation and the first of the Trusts major audience research surveys will seek to find out what priorities are most important to licence fee payers and how the BBC is currently performing in those areas.

    BBC Trust acting chairman Chitra Bharucha said, “The new Charter makes clear that the BBC exists only to serve the public interest and the BBC’s main object is the promotion of its six Public Purposes. For each of these Public Purposes we are today publishing draft remits and asking licence fee payers whether they agree with the priorities proposed for the BBC. We also want to know how well licence fee payers think the BBC is currently performing in these priority areas.”

    The public consultation has begun formally and any individual or organisation can respond via the BBC Trust’s website. The Audience Councils – the Trust’s advisers in the UK’s four nations will provide responses from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and around England; and the Trust will seek to raise awareness amongst interest groups and the public directly.

    Bharucha said however that the Trust needed to do more in order to ensure the evidence on which the Trust based its judgements was properly representative of licence fee payers:

    “The Trust hopes as many people as possible will respond to the consultation. We owe it to all licence fee payers to ensure that the evidence we collect is truly representative. We are therefore also commissioning our first major survey of 4,500 adults to help identify the publics priorities for the BBC and where they think the BBC could do better. The Trust will take account of all views expressed before finalising the Purpose Remits. We will then request BBC management to respond with their plans for delivery.”

    The consultation will close on 10 April 2007. The Trust will publish responses to the consultation and the results of the survey alongside the final Purpose Remits later this year. This follows on media reports last month which had stated that UK’s culture secretary Tessa Jowell and chancellor Gordon Brown had agreed to a below-inflation rise for the TV licence fee. The agreement has not yet been approved by British PM Tony Blair.

    Under the plan, the fee would rise by three per cent next year and the year after, and two per cent for the following three years. The Retail Price Index is currently 3.9 per cent. The decision would mean the licence fee rising to £135.45 next year from its current level of £131.50. By 2012, the cost of a TV licence is set to be between £148.05 and £151. BBC DG Mark Thompson had told staff it would be a real disappointment if this move goes ahead. The BBC wanted an annual rise of 1.8 per cent above inflation.

  • BBC chairman Michael Grade quits to join ITV

    BBC chairman Michael Grade quits to join ITV

    MUMBAI: BBC chairman Michael Grade has resigned to become ITV executive chairman, with immediate effect.
    Commenting on his move and on behalf of the Board of Governors vice-chairman Anthony Salz said, “Michael Grade has been an inspirational leader of the BBC since his appointment in May 2004. His passion for quality and value for money has been a driving influence for major changes, all with the sole purpose of delivering a better service for the public. The Board is disappointed he is moving to ITV, but he leaves behind a BBC that is passionate about and committed to serving the public in new and exciting ways.”

    BBC Trust Vice-Chairman Chitra Bharucha said, “All of us recently appointed to the BBC Trust are disappointed we will not have an opportunity to work with Michael Grade. His success in securing a new 10 year Charter for the BBC that safeguards its independence and ensures it operates only in the public’s interest is testimony to his time as Chairman.

    “Importantly, and because of him, the Charter future-proofs the new governance arrangements which will be operational from January and place the interests of licence fee payers at the heart of our decisions. The BBC Trust wishes Michael Grade well for the future.”