Policy paper · Oct 2023

Rebuilding the BBC for Britain and the world: A vision for the future

A vision for the future

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PUBLISHEDOctober 2023

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Summary Key points

Summary

In October 2023, the British Broadcasting Challenge published Rebuilding the BBC for Britain and the world: A vision for the future — a report making the case that a revitalised, properly funded and independent BBC can flourish once its strengths and value to the nation are recognised by the government of the day. For too long, debates about the BBC’s future have focused on marginalising or weakening it rather than building on its historic remit to inform, educate and entertain.

Our Chair, Pat Younge, set out the argument in a Guardian op-ed published alongside the report.

Key points

Independence

The BBC needs to be structurally protected from political and commercial pressure, so its journalism and programming can be trusted to serve the public rather than any government of the day.

Universality

Public service broadcasting should remain free at the point of use and available to everyone, regardless of income, location or platform.

Fair funding

A funding settlement that reflects the BBC’s value to the country, reversing the real-terms cuts of the past decade rather than compounding them.

Global reach

The BBC’s international services project British values and reliable information abroad, at a moment when that reach is more contested and more valuable than ever.

Values-led technology

A public purpose for how the BBC builds and deploys technology, so digital services serve the public interest rather than following the incentives of commercial platforms.

These five principles anticipate much of what the British Broadcasting Challenge went on to submit in full to the 2025–27 BBC Charter Review — see our five proposal papers below, and our response to the DCMS “Watch this space” consultation.