Recommendation 8

The BBC has recently announced that it plans to reach out to audiences across the UK by increasing its spending on programming outside of London by £700 million by 2027–28.13 We asked the BBC how this ties in with the ongoing need to make significant financial savings, such as the forthcoming 600 redundancies in the Nations & Regions division. The BBC said that it understood the concern about whether this is new money, but assured us that, although the £700 million spending is already part of the existing TV and radio budget, it will be extra spending in the areas outside London and separate from the savings planned in its Nations & Regions division.14 The BBC also told us that, in network news, it is looking at moving 210 roles outside London over the next few years, but provided no further details on other role relocations or on the net job position out of London as a result of the redundancies in Nations & Regions and the relocated roles.15 We 7 Qq 25 to 27, 29, 30 8 Q23 9 Qq 4, 17 10 BBC Three to return as a broadcast channel in January 2022 - BBC Media Centre, 2 March 2021 11 Qq 5, 8, 10, 14, 16 12 Q 14 13 Q 31 14 C&AG’s report, para 2.16; Qq 31, 32, 89 15 Q 70 10 BBC strategic financial management pressed the BBC on whether the £700 million spending is guaranteed regardless of the licence fee settlement. The BBC responded that it regards everything to be subject to the licence fee settlement.16