CONFIDENTIAL ACEM(14) 3 MINUTES OF AUDIENCE COUNCIL ENGLAND MEETING Held on Wednesday 7 May 2014 in the Kari Blackburn room, New Broadcasting House, London Present: Alison Hastings (Chair) Trust member for England (to item 6) Nadine Boreland East Midlands representative Jo Curry North East and Cumbria Sanjay Dighe London Felicity Harvest South East Robin Jones West Midlands Shabana Kausar West Alvin Kofi North West Ian Palmer Yorkshire Sarah Ralph East representative Toni Shaw South David Sleight Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Liz Waugh South West Apologies: Wendy Andrews East Adrian Morgan East Midlands Attendees from the Trust Unit: Frances Bryant Adviser, English Regions, South Georgina Hodges Chief Research & Audiences Adviser Stephen Hooker Research Manager, Strategy Lydia Thomas Acting Chief Adviser, England Carol Webster Adviser, English Regions, North and Midlands From the Executive: Item 4 David Holdsworth Controller, English Regions Item 8 Adrian Van Klaveren Controller, World War One Centenary 1 CONFIDENTIAL ACEM(14) 3 1 MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING 1.1 The council approved the minutes of its meeting on 11 March as an ACEM (14) 2 accurate record of proceedings. There were no matters arising. 2 UPDATE FROM TRUST MEETINGS: MINUTES AND ACE (14) 10 REPORTS 2.1 The council noted the minutes and reports from the recent Trust meetings. 2.2 The Trust member for England updated members on issues since the last meeting. These included the Trust’s setting of the BBC’s objectives for 2014-2015; work towards Charter review; the implementation of the internal governance review; the Director-General’s Arts strategy and the appointment of new Non-Executive Directors to the BBC Executive Board. Members noted the publication of the Trust’s conclusions on its review of Network News and Current Affairs and the web-streaming of a discussion on the review’s findings by Director, News, James Harding, and Trust member, Richard Ayre at the BBC News Festival. In response to a question about the progress made by the BBC against its diversity targets, members noted that the Trust would continue to monitor progress. The BBC’s Head of Diversity would be invited to a future meeting. 2.3 Members noted the resignation of the Trust’s Chairman, Lord Patten, due to ill-health. 2.4 The Trust member for England thanked the members for their input and commitment during the regional panel recruitment process. 3 CONTROLLER, ENGLISH REGIONS: REPORT Oral 3.1 The Controller, English Regions updated members on the regional and local plans for debates on the European and Local elections across England; the latest audience figures for Inside Out; and the objectives for English regions across 2014-2015, with diversity issues a priority including increasing the numbers of women presenters on BBC Local Radio. 3.2 The Controller, English Regions reported on future options for the English regions news opt at 2225hrs. Members discussed the issues raised and considered the importance and value of the late news bulletin to regional audiences. 2 CONFIDENTIAL ACEM(14) 3 3.3 Members were updated on the post Delivering Quality First property plan relating to English regions district offices. 3.4 Members noted the progress of the three Local TV stations launched in England in Grimsby, Norwich and London. The Controller, English Regions would further report to the Council later in the year once more Local TV stations were operational. 4 THE TRUST’S PURPOSE REMIT SURVEY: ENGLISH Oral REGIONS 4.1 The Chief Audience and Research Adviser, BBC Trust and the Strategy Adviser, BBC Trust reported on the Trust’s Autumn 2013 Purpose Remit Survey and performance within the English regions. 4.2 Members discussed the findings for the UK and in relation to the English regions, noting the trends and data for the likelihood to miss the BBC; how much the BBC offers; perceptions of value for money; views on whether the BBC has lots of fresh and new ideas; the distinctiveness and high quality of BBC content and programmes; the representation of the English regions in network news, drama and entertainment; how the BBC helps to inform understanding of politics at both a national and regional level and how the BBC represents each English region in its news content and drama. 5 AUDIENCE INSIGHT AND THE WORK OF THE TRUST: ACE(14) 11 EMERGING THEMES 5.1 The Chief Audience and Research Adviser, BBC Trust briefed members on the main themes that had emerged following initial discussions by the four Audience Councils’ into audience insight and the work of the Trust, and where licence fee payer input could be further developed. 5.2 Members discussed the ideas and initiatives that were being explored to develop the Trust’s understanding of its audiences; including extending the reach of consultations through social media, interrogating external data and connecting audience insight to outcomes. 5.3 The members discussed the proposal to establish a standing online audience panel to supplement and complement the work of the Audience Councils. Members considered that the online audience panel should be evaluated by the Trust over time to identify its impact and ensure value for money. 3 CONFIDENTIAL ACEM(14) 3 6 BBC MUSIC RADIO SERVICE REVIEW 6.1 AUDIENCE COUNCIL ENGLAND’S CONTRIBUTION ACE(14) 12 6.1.1 The council received a presentation from the Acting Chief Adviser, England on the Trust’s service review of BBC Music Radio. 6.1.2 Members considered the contribution from the Audience Council and noted the background to the review, some performance information for each station and the scope of the review, including how different sections of the audience are served by the music radio portfolio. 6.2 BRIEFING FOR AUDIENCE COUNCIL ENGLAND’S SUMMER ACE(14) 13 2014 PANEL MEETINGS 6.2.1 The summer round of panel meetings were scheduled to take place between 12 May and 19 June. 6.2.2 Members noted the topics which would be considered at the panel meetings. These included discussion on the BBC’s music radio stations as further preparatory work for the Trust’s service review of BBC Music Radio. 7 PRESENTATION: CONTROLLER, WORLD WAR ONE Oral CENTENARY 7.1 The Controller, World War One Centenary, reported on his role and the plans for the BBC’s commemoration of the centenary of World War One over the next four years. 7.2 He described the aims, breadth and ambitions of the centenary events and coverage. Members were briefed on the intention to reach and engage with as many people as possible across all platforms, with content that was relevant and important locally, nationally and internationally. He explained the BBC’s role in bringing the nation together through the national commemorations, and the wider cultural impact that would be achieved through the creation and delivery of outstanding content, encouraging wider learning and working with an extensive range of partner organisations. 7.3 The council noted the presentation and discussed the challenges and opportunities for the BBC’s coverage including the local, regional and international contributions; how personal stories added to the relevance and understanding of the cultural and historical impact; and how the content would be archived to preserve the legacy of the centenary after 2018. 4 .