Classification: HIGHLY SENSITIVE June 2017 BBC Distinctiveness Report prepared for Ofcom Ipsos MORI 16-095393-01 | Version 1 | Internal Use Only | This work was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international quality standard for Market Research, ISO 20252:2012, and with the Ipsos MORI Terms and Conditions which can be found at http://www.ipsos-mori.com/terms. © Ipsos MORI 2017 Classification: HIGHLY SENSITIVE Ipsos MORI | [Report title] 16-095393-01 | Version 1 | Internal Use Only | This work was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international quality standard for Market Research, ISO 20252:2012, and with the 16-095393-01 | Version 1 | Internal Use Only Ipsos| This MORIwork wasTerms carried and Conditionsout in accordance which can with be the found requirements at http://www of the.ipsos international-mori.com/terms. quality standard © Ipsos forMORI Market 2017 Research, ISO 20252:2012, and with the Ipsos MORI Terms and Conditions which can be found at http://www.ipsos-mori.com/terms. © Ipsos MORI 2017 Contents Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Overall perceptions of the BBC .................................................................................................................................. 1 Opinions on the BBC’s role in society and the new public purposes ................................................................... 3 Distinctiveness and the BBC ........................................................................................................................................ 3 1 Background and objectives ....................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Research background ........................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Aims and objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 1: Overview of research methodology ............................................................................................................................................ 8 2 Overall perceptions of the BBC ................................................................................................. 9 2.1 The BBC’s perceived strengths and weaknesses ......................................................................................... 10 2.2 Views on the BBC as an institution ............................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Participants have unique and complex relationships with the BBC ........................................................ 13 Figure 2: Range of views about the BBC .................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 The BBC’s perceived strengths and weaknesses ......................................................................................... 16 2.5 Perceptions of different BBC platforms ....................................................................................................... 18 3 Opinions on the BBC’s role in society and the new public purposes ................................. 20 3.1 Spontaneous views of the BBC’s role in society .......................................................................................... 20 3.2 Views of the BBC’s public purposes .............................................................................................................. 21 4 Distinctiveness and the BBC .................................................................................................... 28 Figure 3: The BBC’s distinctiveness in terms and what it is and what it does.................................................................................. 28 4.1 How did participants describe BBC distinctiveness? .................................................................................. 29 4.2 Views of the distinctiveness of BBC TV ........................................................................................................ 30 4.3 Views of the distinctiveness of BBC Radio ................................................................................................... 33 4.4 Views of the distinctiveness of BBC Online ................................................................................................. 35 4.5 Views of Schedule 2 of the BBC Framework Agreement ........................................................................... 36 5 Appendix ................................................................................................................................... 39 5.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................................................... 39 5.2 Sampling ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 5.3 Workshop discussion guide ........................................................................................................................... 42 16-095393-01 | Version 1 | Internal Use Only | This work was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international quality standard for Market Research, ISO 20252:2012, and with the Ipsos MORI Terms and Conditions which can be found at http://www.ipsos-mori.com/terms. © Ipsos MORI 2017 Ipsos MORI | BBC Distinctiveness 1 Executive summary Introduction As part of Ofcom’s duties regulating the BBC, it is important that Ofcom takes account of changing public tastes, attitudes and habits. To do this, Ofcom carries out regular qualitative and quantitative research with audiences to ensure that they remain in touch with people’s priorities, concerns and what they want from the BBC. Each year Ofcom conducts research with over 3500 adults from across the UK to ask them about their views on public service broadcasting. This research, together with research from Ofcom’s third PSB Review, highlights how the BBC remains the cornerstone of public service broadcasting (PSB) and that it continues to deliver high quality services that are valued by people across the UK.1 2 However, the context in which the BBC operates is changing rapidly. Viewers now have more choice than ever before and are consuming ever more content on-demand and online. Younger people, in particular, are embracing online and on- demand services and watching increasing volumes of content off-schedule across a range of devices. As a result of these changes we are beginning to see a shift in in audience perceptions regarding the BBC, and indeed the other PSBs. It was therefore considered timely for Ofcom to re-engage with audiences and update their understanding of how they feel about the BBC and its public purposes before taking on its new duties. Ofcom commissioned qualitative market research to speak to people from across the UK’s Nations, regions and diverse communities about what they expect from the BBC and their views on the BBC’s five public purposes. In particular, the third public purpose, showing the most creative, highest quality and distinctive outputs, was a new and complex priority within the BBC’s purposes, which Ofcom wanted to explore to understand audiences’ expectations of this purpose. Overall perceptions of the BBC Overall the BBC was thought to offer consistently high quality output across its many different services, providing content that participants personally valued. People associated the BBC positively with being safe and reliable. It was also valued as a British institution, integral to British society, largely because of its long history and nostalgia for the influential role it has played in the lives of individuals, and the nation as a whole. Within this were a wide range of views, with perceptions of the BBC varying across different demographic groups. Views ranged from the very positive, where the BBC was seen as a trusted institution offering reliable, high quality services which were highly valued. Other views were more negative. Some felt that the BBC was too traditional, did not take enough risks, or offer enough content for them personally. Older and middle class participants were generally more positive about BBC services, feeling they could depend on them to meet high standards in terms of quality and professionalism. However, some younger and working class participants were more likely to view the BBC less favourably, describing it as old-fashioned or as offering very little of relevance for them. Related to this, there were mixed views on whether BBC content served all groups in society. Some felt that the BBC 1 https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/psb-review-statement 2 https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/information-for-industry/public-servicebroadcasting/public-service-broadcasting-annual-report-