The Stage

BBC1 and BBC2 to be scrutinised in trust’s review

Published Thursday 24 September 2009 at 13:19 by Matthew Hemley

BBC1 and BBC2 are being reviewed by the BBC Trust for the first time in a bid to assess how well the services are operating.

The channels will be assessed alongside digital offering BBC4 in a review the trust has described as “the largest and most significant service review” it has undertaken.

BBC trustee Diane Coyle, who is leading the effort, said the Corporation’s governing body had to “ensure these services are meeting audiences’ expectations”.

“We will be looking at how they are performing against their service licences and whether they are offering value for money. Our research tells us that audiences want and expect more fresh and new ideas on the BBC. This review will help us understand how best the BBC can provide distinctive programming that audiences love,” she said.

As part of the review, which is the trust’s fifth service assessment, a 12-week public consultation has been launched, to find out what viewers think and to discover what they would like to see done differently.

This will close on December 18 and will look at all content provided by the channels, excluding children’s, which was looked at in a review of children’s services published earlier this year.

Conclusions will be published in the spring, 2010.