The BBC's Royal Charter (which took effect on 1st January 2007) defines the Corporation's core purposes and governance arrangements. It is complemented by a Framework Agreement with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which provides greater specificity about the nature of the BBC's services, regulatory and other issues. The Charter makes provision for the establishment of BBC Audience Councils and the appointment of national Trustees with specific responsibility for Northern Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland. You can read the full Charter document at the DCMS website. Its provisions relating to Audience Councils are detailed below. Such material is supplemented by an Audience Council Protocol which has been published following its approval by the BBC Trust.

The BBC Royal Charter (Article 39) states:

• There shall be Audience Councils the purpose of which is to bring the diverse perspectives of licence fee payers to bear on the work of the Trust, through the Councils' links with diverse communities, including geographically-based communities and other communities of interest, within the UK.

• The Councils must use their engagement with and understanding of communities to advise the Trust on how well the BBC is promoting its Public Purposes from the perspective of licence fee payers, and serving licence fee payers, in different parts of the UK.

• There shall be four Councils, corresponding in geographical remit to the four nations for which Trust members are designated under article 14. Each Council shall be chaired by the designated Trust member for the nation concerned.

• In addition, there must be mechanisms for bringing together members from different Councils to consider how well the BBC is serving audiences in promoting the Public Purposes.

• The network of members across the four Councils must be recruited to ensure that they reflect the diversity of the UK, have connections with communities, and are able to take a view on how the Public Purposes should be promoted.

• The Councils have the following remit -

(a) to engage with licence fee payers including geographically-based communities and other communities of interest;

(b) to be consulted on all relevant proposals that are required to be subject to a Public Value Test by virtue of any Framework Agreement;

(c) to be consulted, as part of any review of service licences which the Trust undertakes in accordance with the requirements of any Framework Agreement, on the content of the service licences and the performance of the services to which the review relates;

(d) to be consulted on the BBC's performance in promoting the Public Purposes;

(e) to submit a report to the Trust each year on the BBC's performance in each nation and advise on issues arising; and

(f) to publish an Annual Review Report each year in the nation concerned, assessing how well the BBC is meeting the needs of licence fee payers in that nation.

• The detail of how the Councils are to be set up, run and recruited must be set out in a Protocol.

• The Trust shall make whatever arrangements it considers appropriate for supporting the work of Audience Councils, within a framework established by a Protocol.

BBC Royal Charter in full

The Council would like to hear your thoughts about how it is reflecting your views and any suggestions you may want to be considered in the future.

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