The remit of BBC 7 is to provide speech-based entertainment. Its schedule should include comedy, drama, stories, features, and programmes for children. Most output should come from the BBC archive, but the station should commission some original content, particularly of types of output rarely found on BBC Radio.

The station should also be the home of children's speech radio from the BBC.

BBC 7 will continue to contribute towards the delivery of the BBC's public purposes in the range of ways set out in its service licence. Key developments in the way in which the service will contribute to each purpose are outlined below. These are designed to address the priorities identified by the BBC Trust, future-proof the delivery of the purposes, and address perceived gaps in delivery in line with strategies in the BBC's purpose plans.

1 Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence

• Priority: We will work closely with other BBC radio stations to create high-impact seasons of programming, for example an autumn sci-fi season in conjunction with Radio 3 and Radio 4 to include a new commission of a 10-part sci-fi drama.
• BBC 7 will extend the creative range of its output through more first-time commissions from independent producers, such as abridged crime and thriller readings.
• We will develop new and innovative ways for audiences to engage with BBC 7 output, for example by encouraging listeners to offer archive programme suggestions for broadcast, and through Chain Gang, an interactive drama project in which listeners develop the story.

2 Promoting education and learning

• Two new original productions will be launched in the CBeebies Radio strand:
  – A classical music series exploring simple elements of music composition and the musical instruments used to create it, all from the young child's perspective.
  – A poetry series designed to inspire interest in language and literacy for children aged 5–6.

3 Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities

• Priority: We will build programming around key events to increase impact. For example, a range of Merseyside comedy, drama and poetry will be broadcast to celebrate Liverpool as European Capital of Culture.
• BBC 7 will continue supporting nations and regions programming, with a crime and thriller season commissioning dramatisations from round the UK, for example Baldi (Northern Ireland), McLevy (Scotland) and Truman and Riley (Yorkshire).
• We will continue to tackle topics that reflect the cultural identity of the UK and encourage debate. For example, Small Island will mark the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush.

4 Delivering the benefit of emerging communications technologies

• BBC 7 will continue to offer broadcast and on-demand content that encourages people to listen to digital radio.

Unless otherwise stated, all commitments are minimum hours or percentages and include originations, repeats and acquisitions.
All conditions are annual unless otherwise stated.

Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence

• 50 hours of comedy each week
• 50 hours of drama each week
• Contribute to BBC Radio's commitment to commission at least 10% of eligible hours of output from independent producers

Promoting education and learning

• 1,400 hours of children's programming