Sustaining citizenship and civil society
BBC News 24 aims to provide accurate, impartial and independent news and analysis, exploring multiple viewpoints and giving voice to a wide range of opinions in order to serve all audiences.

We cover a diverse agenda, going beyond the headlines and bringing important stories to air, explaining these clearly by using specialist analysis and graphics to enhance viewers’ understanding.

Our parliamentary reporting includes significant debates and parliamentary occasions, as well as live coverage of Prime Minister’s Questions and the Prime Minister’s monthly press conference. Beyond Westminster, we cover key speeches from many party conferences – not just the major ones – which is particularly significant for audiences in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In European politics we aim to explain the institutions and their work.

To promote national debate, we encourage viewers to interact with the channel, to comment on issues and to put their questions to experts and those in authority.

Specifically this year:

• We will offer live discussions from around the UK on key policy debates.
• We will present live from Westminster for key political events.

Bringing the world to the UK and the UK to the world
We aim to be distinctive by offering a more international news agenda than the other main continuous news channel(s) in the UK, and so major international stories are a strong feature of BBC News 24. To cover them we draw upon the expertise of BBC correspondents based in newsgathering bureaux across the world.

Rolling news is regularly co-presented from the scenes of major breaking stories around the world, enhancing our coverage.

BBC News 24 includes a range of international voices across the output, including in-depth interviews with international politicians and public figures.

This year:

• We will offer live coverage and discussion of key international events.
• We will provide comprehensive coverage of the US mid-term elections and State of the Union address.

Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities
BBC News 24 offers strong regional coverage, drawing upon the expertise of BBC correspondents across the UK and trying to feature at least one regional perspective or a regional example from beyond London in major stories in order to highlight different impacts in different parts of the country.

We cover local, regional and national politics across the schedule, including proceedings of the devolved parliament and assemblies and all UK by-election campaigns and results.

We seek opinions not just from politicians but also from business people, academics, pressure groups and the public, and give opportunities to viewers to pose their questions to the channel’s guests.

This year:

• We will broadcast comprehensive coverage of May’s local elections.

Building digital Britain
BBC News 24 is available on all digital television platforms, and in the event of significant breaking news it is streamed live on the BBC news website. It is therefore available to viewers on a variety of digital devices.

Our presenters regularly explain how to access the BBC’s digital news services, including the BBC News website and BBC News on interactive television.

We augment our news coverage with video, still images and messages submitted by viewers, where appropriate, in order to offer first-hand accounts and a wide range of views. We aim to make it as simple as possible for audiences to make these contributions.

Promoting education and learning
BBC News 24 delivers informal learning to viewers via the provision of trusted news and information on a range of topics, such as business and economics, science and technology, arts and culture.

This year:

• We will increase the amount of business coverage on the channel.

Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence
BBC News 24 covers events of national and international significance.

The channel offers a comprehensive sports news service, working with BBC Sport to deliver coverage of major sporting events.

We also cover high-profile arts and culture events.

This year:

• We will broadcast a new, longer sports news round-up in the evening.
• We will offer comprehensive coverage of the FIFA World Cup, in collaboration with BBC Sport.

In 2005/2006, BBC News 24 covered a succession of major news stories both in the UK and around the world with speed and authority, delivering sober and comprehensive coverage supported by specialist analysis to put events in context. The channel’s achievements were recognised when it won the Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year award.

In UK news, we provided extensive coverage of the General Election, reflecting regional and national issues. International stories included an unequalled commitment to covering the Pakistan earthquake and reflecting the experience of those British families connected with the disaster.

BBC News and BBC News 24 are now looking to put extra resources into maximising the value we can offer audiences from user-generated content.

In 2006/2007, our priorities are to:

• Increase investment into high-impact coverage of major events, drawing upon the BBC’s worldwide newsgathering operation.
• In conjunction with the BBC News website, release added value from user-generated content, by using it to offer audiences first-hand accounts of news events or to give voice to a wide range of views.
• Use parts of the off-peak schedule to showcase further the best BBC journalism, locally, nationally and internationally.

The following targets are agreed with Ofcom each calendar year:

• 90% of hours to be originations (original productions include all BBC-commissioned programming, including originations and all repeats of programming first shown on any BBC public service channel).
• In conjunction with other BBC network television services, to spend at least 30% of relevant programme* production budgets, representing 25% of hours of productions by volume, outside the M25.

* “relevant programme” excludes news