Category: New
Media; BBC
Date: 05.07.2004
Printable version
"Philip
Graf has produced a thorough and insightful review of the BBC’s
online service.
"He is generally positive about the distinctiveness
of its content and its impact on commercial competitors.
"His report also contains a number of sensible
recommendations about how the service should operate in the future and
how it should be both managed and governed.
"These recommendations will receive detailed consideration
over the next few months, and the Governors will make a full response
by the end of October.
"Philip Graf recommends various changes in the
BBC's governance and accountability arrangements; his central recommendation
being that the Board should have access to more expert, and more independent
advice to assist Governors in their scrutiny of bbc.co.uk.
"The Board of Governors agree and indeed, in the
BBC's recently published contribution to the Charter Review debate,
Building Public Value, the Board announced it will create a new Governance
Unit, working separately from the rest of the BBC, to provide independent
advice across all the BBC's services.
"Among new initiatives and along with all other
BBC public services, bbc.co.uk will have a service licence granted by
the Governors defining its remit, performance targets and budget.
"This licence will take full account of the Graf
report recommendations. Any change in the terms of this licence will
require the permission of the Governors.
"BBC management will be held to account for delivering
against the terms of the licence.
"Furthermore, the Board will measure the performance
of all BBC services against four criteria to determine the public value
of BBC services, these are: reach, quality, value for money, and market
impact."
