Recommendation 10

The BBC told us that the third phase of the programme, which will run from April 2025 to the end of March 2028, would focus on maximising the impact of the strategy and, where necessary, make changes to its commissions to ensure that it was getting the maximum return and value to audiences. We asked whether it was able to make changes to the programme at this later stage. The BBC explained that it had a responsive and flexible approach to its TV commissioning, making changes on an ongoing basis. The BBC described itself as “very footloose” regarding where it made TV content. It told us that this enabled it to be responsive to editorial and creative opportunities. We asked the BBC if it understood that it could be a big shift for a local partner to have agreed a deal for a network programme to be made in its local area, but then editorially have the 13 Qq 17–20; C&AG’s Report, paras 7, 1.12, figure 4 14 Q 39; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.2–2.3 15 Qq 27, 72–73 ; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.3, 2.5, 3.5 The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK 11 programme moved somewhere else. The BBC explained that certain regions were priority regions for it and that its commitments were to provide production investment to those regions, but what the money was spent on might change over time.16