Category: BBC
Date: 19.10.2004
Printable version
"The
Governors have received Tim Gardam's review of the BBC's digital radio
services: 1Xtra, Five Live Sports Extra, 6 Music, BBC 7, and the Asian
Network.
"We note the Review's overall assessment that the
BBC's digital radio services have gone above and beyond the conditions
of approval laid down by the Secretary of State and in so doing have
offered quality programming that is distinctive from the market.
"Tim Gardam's Review also
contains a number of recommendations about how the services should operate
in the future and raises some questions about the BBC's potential impact
on the commercial sector as the digital radio market develops.
"These are important issues that the Governors
are addressing as part of the changes to the BBC's governance arrangements
we announced in Building Public Value in June.
"These include a Service
Licence for each BBC service setting out the budget, remit and performance
targets each will be required to meet.
"The Service Licences will be published, providing
greater transparency of the BBC's future plans, and we will use the
Gardam Review to help inform our work in developing the licences.
"Also, new service proposals and plans for significant
changes to existing services will be subject to a Public Value Test.
This will balance their potential to create public value against the
risk of negative market impact. And the Governors have already said
they will draw on the expertise of Ofcom in the area of market impact.
"We will consider carefully
all the Review's recommendations before responding to the Secretary
of State in November."
