BBC Trust

All you want to know about BBC Trust

The BBC Trust logo

The BBC Trust is a body that oversees the BBC, being independent of BBC management and external bodies. Along with an Executive Board, the Trust took over the role of the old Board of Governors on 1 January 2007.

The Trust was established by the Royal Charter for the BBC which came into effect on 1 January 2007:

In summary, the main roles of the Trust are in setting the overall strategic direction of the BBC, including its priorities, and in exercising a general oversight of the work of the Executive Board. The Trust will perform these roles in the public interest, particularly the interest of licence fee payers. — BBC Royal Charter (2006)[1]

Contents

Trustees

The Royal Charter established that the Trust should have twelve trustees, including a Chair, a Vice-Chair and a member for each of the nations of the United Kingdom.[1] The Trust currently comprises:

The original trustees, three former governors and eight new members, were announced by Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in October 2006.[2] At the time of the announcement Michael Grade, then Chairman of the Governors, was to become Chairman of the Trust. After his move to become Executive Chairman of ITV in November 2006, Chitra Bharucha, then Vice-Chair, became the Acting Chair,[3] with Michael Lyons taking up the position from 1 May 2007.[4]

Trustees serve for a four year term, after which they may seek a further and final term on completion of their first. Members of the former Board of Governors continue their existing terms.

Remuneration of Trustees

The table below states the remuneration for trustees of the BBC Trust as released in the Annual Report and Accounts 2007/2008.[5]

Name Position Total 2007/08 (£)
Sir Michael Lyons Chairman 163,000
Dr Chitra Bharucha Vice-Chair 103,000
Alison Hastings Trustee (England) 42,000
Rotha Johnston CBE Trustee (Northern Ireland) 40,000
Janet Lewis-Jones Trustee (Wales) 41,000
Jeremy Peat Trustee (Scotland) 41,000
Dr Diane Coyle Trustee 36,000
Dermot Gleeson Trustee 36,000
Dame Patricia Hodgson DBE Trustee 35,000
David Liddiment Trustee 35,000
Mehmuda Mian Pritchard Trustee 35,000
Richard Tait CBE Trustee 35,000

The Trust's work

In October 2007, the Trust approved the BBC's strategic direction for the next six years, demanding a high quality and more distinctive BBC.

The Trust has approved several new services, including the iPlayer, HDTV and the Gaelic Digital Service. The Trust is due to consider a proposal to launch a new local video service later in 2008. The Trust has also recently demanded that the BBC makes more programmes outside of London.

In May 2008 the Trust published its review of the BBC's website (bbc.co.uk), criticising the service for financial mismanagement, including a £36 million overspend. The departure of Ashley Highfield, Director of the BBC's technology department has been linked to the findings of the review. In June 2008, the Trust was highly critical of the BBC's news reporting of issues in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Trust was heavily criticised in the popular press for its review of the amount the BBC pays for "top talent" for failing to answer whether stars like Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton were worth their large licence fee funded salaries. Ross is thought to earn £6 million each year.

Expenses

Trustees were subject to severe press criticism in February 2008 after it emerged four Trustees had hosted a group of "opinion formers and stakeholders" at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, at a cost of over £20,000 of licence fee payers' money. The Trust members were vice-chairman Chitra Bharucha, Dermot Gleeson, Jeremy Peat and David Liddiment.

The Trust has also admitted that Sir Michael Lyons, the Trust chairman, claimed £13,000 in expenses between May and September 2007. This included £2,500 in taxi fares – even though he is provided with £25,000 annually towards the cost of a car and chauffeur.

The Trust Unit

The Trust is supported by a team of around 60 staff, known as the Trust Unit. These staff are independent from the BBC Executive and include specialists in audience research, performance analysis, and finance. The Trust Unit is headed by its Director Nicholas Kroll and Deputy Director Chris Woolard.

The BBC Trust costs approximately £1,000,000 per month to run.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Department for Culture, Media and Sport (on behalf of Elizabeth II) (2006-09-19). "BBC Royal Charter" (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  2. ^ BBC (2006-10-12). "Press Release: New BBC Trust to represent the public interest". Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  3. ^ BBC (2006-11-28). "Press Release: Michael Grade resigns as BBC Chairman". Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  4. ^ BBC Trust (2007-04-05). "Press release: Sir Michael Lyons appointed BBC Chairman". Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  5. ^ BBC Trust (2008-06-19). "Annual Report and Accounts 2007/2008". Retrieved on 2008-07-31.

External links

BBC portal
v • d • e
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Services
Nations and regions
Subsidiaries
History
Departments
Key properties
Finance
Management
Projects
Category · Portal
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Trust"

No comments have been added.



Your name:

City:

Country:

Your comments:

Security check *
(Please enter the number into adjoining box)

 

  • Ads

           
eXTReMe Tracker