BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle

This service licence describes the most important characteristics of BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle, including how it contributes to the BBC’s public purposes. Service Licences are the core of the BBC’s governance system. They aim to provide certainty for audiences and stakeholders about what each BBC service should provide.

The Trust uses service licences as the basis for its performance assessment and as the basis for its consideration of any proposals for change to the UK public services from the BBC Executive. A service may not change in a way that breaches its service licence without Trust approval. The Trust presumes that any proposed change to a stated Key Characteristic of a licence will require it to undertake a Public Value Test. Should it decide not to carry out a Public Value Test before approving any such change, then it must publish its reasons in full.

Part l: Key characteristics of the service

1. Remit The remit of BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle is to be a speech-led service for listeners seeking programmes about the life, culture and affairs of Northern Ireland. Its programming should combine extensive coverage of local issues, interests and events with coverage of national and international developments.

2. Scope of this Licence BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should be available every day for reception across Northern Ireland on FM and more widely on DAB digital radio and digital television platforms1, and it may be simulcast on the internet. It may also offer its broadcast content on fixed and mobile internet protocol networks or via other platforms2. On the same platforms, it may allow users retrospectively or prospectively via pre-booking to stream or download multiple episodes of first-run series (known as ‘series stacking’)3 until a date no later than seven days after the last episode in the relevant series. This includes series where there is a break in scheduling between sub-sections of the series. The aggregate volume of such "series stacked" content must represent no more than 15% of all content offered on-demand.

1 Service availability will be dependent on geographic coverage of DAB and digital television services 2 In accordance with the Trust’s Syndication Policy for BBC on-demand content. 3 Programmes may be series stacked if the series has a distinct run with a beginning and an end and a clear ‘narrative arc’ or if it has exceptionally high impact.

1 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

The service may offer its programmes streamed or for download on-demand for a limited period after broadcast.4 It may also offer broadcast radio content for download for an unlimited period of time after broadcast, although this must not include unabridged readings of published works nor full track commercial music nor classical music (even if recorded by the BBC), 5 and other interactive station and programme-related content via bbc.co.uk. Broadcast audio programmes may be visually enhanced.6

3. Service budget BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle has a service budget of £18 million in 2014/15. Any planned or actual change in annual expenditure on the service of more than 10% in real value requires approval from the BBC Trust and may entail variation of this Service Licence.

4. Overview of aims and objectives BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle programmes should exhibit some or all of the following characteristics: high quality, original, challenging, innovative and engaging, and it should nurture talent from Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the UK. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should provide accurate, impartial and independent news services and play a central role in reporting, explaining and scrutinising political and social issues in Northern Ireland, as well as providing platforms where different subjects can be debated by listeners and expert commentators. It should carry extensive sports coverage. Output should be all speech at the breakfast show and the service should be speech- led in daytime7. The station should provide support for music and the arts in Northern Ireland and should commission work from established and emerging talent. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should provide programmes in the Irish and Ulster Scots languages and which reflect the needs and interests of these communities. BBC Radio Foyle should reflect the needs and interests of listeners in its particular transmission area. The presentation style and tone should encourage participation. Programmes should offer listeners the opportunity to contribute in a variety of ways.

4 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle currently offers a limited amount of mainly speech content on-demand for an unlimited time period after initial broadcast. Any expansion of the scope of this requires the approval of the BBC Trust. 5 Download of classical music in the form of incidental music, signature tunes or clips of up to two minutes duration within speech based programmes with a specifically musical theme is permitted 6 This may include video related to output created for BBC broadcast, but should not include the commercial purchase of unrelated video rights. 7 Daytime is defined as 0600-1900hrs, Monday-Friday and 0800-1400hrs, Saturday-Sunday.

2 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should use digital and interactive technologies to extend its availability, and introduce users to related content and services. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should promote awareness, understanding and usage of digital technologies amongst its audience.

3 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

Part II: Contribution to public value

5. Contribution to the promotion of the BBC’s public purposes

5.1 Sustaining citizenship and civil society BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should make a very important contribution to this purpose amongst its audience, primarily though its provision of accurate, impartial and independent news and current affairs. News should be scheduled in all speech programmes at breakfast and drivetime, and news bulletins should be broadcast frequently across the day. Political coverage should focus on issues and events in Northern Ireland, but should also include relevant developments elsewhere in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It should include coverage of Local Government, the Northern Ireland Assembly, Westminster and European Parliaments, and should include substantial election reporting and analysis. Listeners should be assisted in their understanding of, and engagement with, a broad range of subjects and should be facilitated in interacting with local programmes and services. It should version the BBC’s wider media literacy initiatives for its own audiences. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should aim to be the primary source of information during weather crises or other civil emergencies.

Conditions • BBC Radio Ulster should broadcast at least 27 hours of news and current affairs8 each week9 • BBC Radio Foyle should broadcast at least 8 hours of news and current affairs10 each week11

5.2 Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should make a very important contribution to this purpose amongst its audience by broadcasting a range of original content for its listeners each day. Its output should reflect the diverse communities, cultures and faiths of Northern Ireland, and will include programming specifically for audiences in the North West on Radio Foyle. It should provide significant coverage of sports in

8 Including repeats 9 Schedule may vary seasonally and in response to major events 10 Including repeats 11 Schedule may vary seasonally and in response to major events

4 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

Northern Ireland. Outside broadcasts should be transmitted from different locations in Northern Ireland and should include major cultural, community and other events. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should provide programmes in the Irish and Ulster Scots languages and which reflect the needs and interests of these communities.

Conditions Radio Ulster/Foyle should: • Broadcast at least 220 hours of indigenous minority language programming, including Irish and Ulster Scots output, each year12

5.3 Promoting education and learning BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should contribute to this purpose amongst its audience by providing opportunities for informal learning and personal development across a wide range of subjects in its feature, factual and documentary output. BBC Radio Ulster should lead BBC-wide social action campaigns in Northern Ireland, adapting them where necessary to enhance their appeal to local audiences.

5.4 Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should contribute to this purpose amongst its audience. It should support both established and emerging writing, performing and production talent. It should commission programming from the independent sector and contribute to the growth of the creative economy in Northern Ireland. It should support the music and arts of Northern Ireland. BBC Radio Ulster should provide mainly specialist music, including a nightly specialist music programme, but it may also offer some popular music.

Conditions Radio Ulster should: • Broadcast at least 20 hours of new comedy each year13

5.5 Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should play its part in this purpose primarily by bringing global issues and developments to the attention of local audiences through the regular coverage of international stories and events in its news and current affairs output. It

12 Including repeats and acquisitions 13 Excluding repeats

5 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014 brings Northern Ireland to the world by making BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle content available on bbc.co.uk.

5.6 Emerging communications The BBC’s sixth public purpose is defined in the Charter as "in promoting its other purposes, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television". BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle should contribute to the promotion of this purpose in a variety of ways which are described in this Service Licence.

6 BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle Service Licence. Issued April 2014

6. Annexes to this Licence

6.1 Annex I – Performance assessment The performance of BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle will be assessed by the Trust using the framework described in Annex I. BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle’s compliance with any Conditions, as described in section 5, will also be measured on an annual basis and reported in the Annual Report and Accounts. The BBC Trust will expect BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle to comply with the commitments described in sections 4 and 5 of the Service Licence. The BBC Trust will monitor compliance with these commitments retrospectively as part of its periodic service reviews and/or on an exceptional basis if there is evidence or allegation of non- compliance.

Annex I: Performance measurement framework

The BBC Trust has the function of assessing the performance of the Executive Board in delivering the BBC’s services and activities and holding the Executive Board to account for its performance.14 It uses the framework described below as the basis for its assessment of BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle. The framework uses a range of metrics based around the four drivers of public value: • Quality • Reach • Impact • Value for money. The Trust can amend this framework without this constituting formal variation to this Service Licence.

14 Charter, article 24 (c)

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