Conclusion 6

The BBC is a trusted institution but its relevance across the UK is under pressure. While the economic benefits of the “Across the UK” programme moving production outside of London are now clearly quantified, in response to this Committee’s past recommendations, there remain gaps in how well different audiences feel represented. The BBC highlighted steps it has taken, including, for example, relocating the Asian Network to Birmingham and commissioning content set in Scotland and Yorkshire. However, audience data shows that some groups—across nations, regions and socio-demographic lines—remain less engaged and feel less reflected in BBC content. We are also concerned that decisions labelled as “local”, such as moving operations to Manchester or Birmingham, risk overlooking the identity and needs of smaller communities, especially in radio, where consolidation has widened geographic footprints and reduced local specificity. Reforms such as the restructuring of regional news hubs and changes to the Local Democracy Reporting Service may have unintentionally diluted the BBC’s connection with the communities it aims to serve. recommendation As part of its response to this report, and in its Annual Report and Accounts, the BBC should clearly communicate how its Across the UK programmes and other initiatives will lead to better representation of the UK’s local communities, to sustain trust and relevance in the future. 5 1 Collecting the licence fee Introduction