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Audience Councils

Your voice

A key part of our role is to understand what audiences in England want from the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ and identify any particular issues or concerns. To do this we discuss the feedback and discussions from the meetings we have with our panel members in the spring, summer and autumn across England. From time to time we also meet in smaller working groups by conference call and by email - as well as using other sources of audience data and insight.

The advice we have submitted to the Trust as a result of our discussions on various Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ services and strategies can be seen below. The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust carries out regular in-depth reviews of each of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ's services, as part of its Charter responsibilities. The Trust has looked at every Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ service over the last five years and has now begun a second round of reviews. The first of these covered Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online and Red Button.

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust Charter Review consultations

Our submission to the Trust’s consultations on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Charter Review and the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s proposals in British, Bold, Creative is set out in two parts. The first is based on discussion and consideration of the key questions of relevance to audiences in the government’s Green Paper, published in July 2015 on the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s future, its mission, scope, funding and regulation.  The second part considers the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Executive’s proposals in British, Bold, Creative for future programmes and services in the next Charter period. In particular the members deliberated on how the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ might evolve to meet the priorities and needs of audiences in England as both consumers and citizens in the digital age.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:

The Trust’s second round of service reviews 2012 - 2017

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio and Local News and Current Affairs in England 

The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review looked at Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio and local news and current affairs in England. It covered Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio in England, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ regional and current affairs on TV, and Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ local news online. The Trust previously reviewed Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio in 2012, but this was the first time the whole of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s local and regional news and current affairs output in England was looked at together.

In preparing our submission to the Trust we discussed how licence fee payers are using the services and their appeal; how effectively the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ is performing on behalf of local and regional audiences in England; and how the services contribute to the delivery of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s public purposes.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Speech Radio – Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 4, Radio 5 live and their digital sister stations Radio 4 Extra and 5 live Sports Extra 

The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s speech radio stations, announced in December 2014, looked at how well the radio stations are serving audiences, the future plans of the stations, and whether they are responding effectively to changing audience expectations and listening habits. The review also involved a public consultation.

In our submission to the Trust’s review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Speech Radio we said that the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s speech radio services – Radio 4, Radio 5 live, Radio 4 Extra and 5 live Sports Extra - continue to play a valued and important role for the audience in daily, contemporary life across the UK. In general, we consider that the speech radio portfolio is performing well and meets the individual service licences in many respects. 

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:


The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust's provisional conclusions on proposed changes to Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ television and online services

The Trust  published its provisional conclusions on the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Executive’s proposals to reinvent Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Three as an online-only service, launch a +1 channel for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ One; evolve Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ iPlayer; and extend the hours of CÄ¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ:

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Music Radio – Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 6 Music and Asian Network

The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s six music radio stations, announced in February 2014, was the first to look at all six stations together. The review also involved a public consultation.

In our submission to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Music radio we said that the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s music radio services - Radio1, Radio1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 6 Music and Asian Network - together offer a diverse range of high quality, creative, varied and distinctive content that is widely appreciated and valued by audiences. We consider that the six music radio stations are performing well against many aspects of their service licences, delivering an impressive breadth of entertaining, engaging and informative programming and providing some outstanding new, UK and live music which appeals to a variety of different audience interests.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Television Services – Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ One, Two, Three and Four

The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Television, announced in February 2013, is the Trust’s second review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Television, but the first to look at all four channels together. The review also involved a public consultation.

In our submission to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ television we said that the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s main television services are performing well against some aspects of their service licence. Many of the programmes are high quality and enjoyed by audiences, and there is a good range of different types of programmes, some of which gain large numbers of viewers, others with more niche appeal.

We hoped that this service review can help to clarify the roles and remits of each of the channels, in order for the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ to continue to provide such high-quality programmes for all audiences.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:

The Trust’s findings


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Network News and Current Affairs

In February 2013 the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust announced a review of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ network news and current affairs, which also involved a public consultation, which examined how well news and current affairs performed against commitments set by the Trust in the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ's service licences, and against the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ's broader public service role.

In our submission we found that for many people the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ continues to be a prime source of reliable and accurate news. We considered how increased choice has impacted on the development of editorial content and we said that the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ news offer was successful because of the range, breadth and balance of news services and coverage.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:

The Trust’s findings


Children's Services

In our submission to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Trust’s review of Children’s Services we said that CBeebies and CÄ¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ delivered high quality programmes, largely made in the UK, for a range of children. The services were trusted by parents and enjoyed by children.

We also said that:

  • The range of programmes differentiated the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ’s children’s channels from others, though believed there could be more educational content on CÄ¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ. 
  • The channels were largely successful in representing a diverse UK but more could be done to reflect different geographic areas or socio-economic groups. 
  • It was very important the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ continues to invest in services for children.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:

The Trust's findings


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online and Red Button

The Trust considered the performance and future direction of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online and Red Button and as a result set out a number of actions to improve the service, including:

  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ management should consider how to improve navigation across Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online.
  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ management should explore opportunities to develop and implement greater personalisation.
  • The Trust will assess the success of the re-launched Knowledge & Learning product.
  • Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ management should develop plans for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online to provide a better local offer.
  • The Trust supports Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Online becoming a more integrated single service and will monitor progress towards this.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here:

The Trust's findings

The Trust’s first round of service reviews 2007 - 2012

Delivering Quality First

Delivering Quality First set out the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ's plan for delivering cost savings and changes to services while preserving the highest quality programmes and content to audiences until the end of the Charter in 2017. The consultation ran during 2011.


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Asian Network

The Trust considered the performance and future direction of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Asian Network through a service review which concluded in December 2011.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here

The Trust's findings


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio

The Trust considered the performance and future direction of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio through a service review which concluded in December 2011.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here

The Trust's findings


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Parliament and the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ News Channel

The Trust considered the performance and future direction of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Parliament and the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ News Channel through a service review in 2011.

On this occasion the four Audience Councils submitted a joint response and you can read our joint submission and the Trust’s findings via the links here

Our submission to the review

The Trust's findings


Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 5live and Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 5live sports extra

The Trust considered the performance and future direction of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 5Live and Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 5live sports extra through a service review in 2011.

You can read the submission from the Audience Council England and the Trust’s findings via the links here

Our submission to the review

The Trust's findings