Extra
£5 million and more hours for political coverage on BBC ONE
The
BBC is investing an extra £5 million and creating more hours
of political programming on BBC ONE to strengthen and enhance existing
coverage and develop new programmes to engage new viewers with politics,
it was announced today (19 September 2002).
New
documentaries, events, new strands of analysis programmes on BBC
ONE and BBC TWO, and interactive services will be developed, aimed
at reconnecting audiences, particularly those aged under 45, with
the political process.
In
particular the aim is to increase the number of people watching
Parliamentary programmes on BBC television by 20%.
The
new strategy for political coverage on the BBC was approved by the
BBC's Board of Governors yesterday having first discussed developing
plans with the BBC's Executive at their July meeting.
BBC
Chairman Gavyn Davies said today: "The Governors have given
detailed scrutiny to these plans on two occasions.
"We
believe that they will both enhance serious political coverage on
the BBC and widen its appeal.
"The
Governors will monitor implementation of the strategy and performance
of the new programmes and will welcome feedback during the process."
Specific
initiatives in the new strategy include a new 45-minute weekly political
review on BBC ONE following Question Time on Thursday evenings,
plus the first new political strand on the BBC in a decade.
BBC
ONE will devote substantially more hours to political programmes
over the year.
Weekly
political programmes in the English Regions will move to BBC ONE
from BBC TWO.
A new
political programme on BBC ONE will also be created in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
It
is hoped that improved access to the Palace of Westminster will
help revitalise and modernise coverage across all bulletins and
programmes.
The
BBC's new politics initiative is the result of nearly 12 months'
work to tackle the growing issue of audience disinterest in the
political process.
Widespread
disengagement emerged from specially-commissioned research by the
BBC last year, which led to a conference including politicians,
programme makers and opinion formers - Beyond the Soundbite: The
BBC and the Democratic Challenge.
The
BBC's Director of News, Richard Sambrook, led the initiative with
former Newsnight editor Sian Kevill.
He
said today: "There have been a lot of misleading rumours about
this initiative that detract from the real question of how the BBC
should respond to the audience's growing lack of interest in the
political process.
"The
BBC has an important public service role to play in engaging people
with important issues and democracy.
"These
plans are about improving the best of what we do already and creating
new strands that will modernise our coverage for the 21st century,
particularly on BBC ONE.
"We
are investing an additional £5 million a year to reinvigorate
our existing and valued coverage and create new and inventive ways
of reaching audiences with an extra 36 hours of political programmes
a year."
Sian
Kevill said: "Our research revealed the growing apathy and
disillusion among audiences with the wider political process. We
hope these changes and ideas will increase the number of people
watching and engaging actively with the democratic process."
The
initiatives include:
·
A new 45-minute programme on BBC ONE looking at the week in Westminster,
which will follow Question Time at 11.35pm on Thursday nights.
·
A new specialist team of journalists will deliver in-depth analysis
of big issues for the main networks, providing, amongst other things,
up to three hours a year on BBC ONE when crises such as Foot and
Mouth or September 11th arise. BBC TWO will also do six specials
a year devoted to analysis of complex subjects.
·
BBC ONE will cover big single issues like health and crime in three
'event days' a year, such as this week's Cracking
Crime.
·
Pilots for a new one hour Sunday morning programme, presented by
Jeremy Vine, will be made this Autumn to replace On the Record.
They will take a serious approach. The centrepiece will be a long
form interview and it will also include 20 minutes for political
coverage in the English Regions for the first time on BBC ONE.
·
Westminster Live will be relaunched and, on Wednesdays, will move
to an extra two hour morning slot on BBC TWO, for live coverage
of the proposed earlier scheduling of Prime Minister's Questions.
The programme will provide an important platform for backbenchers
and will link MPs and their constituencies more directly. The Tuesday
and Thursday programmes remain as scheduled.
·
Pilots start this Autumn for the first new political programme on
a mainstream network for 10 years. The aim is to find a format that
treats politics seriously, but less formally, and will be scheduled
on Saturday mornings on BBC TWO.
·
Despatch Box will not be recommissioned.
·
I-Can - an interactive service using the web and digital TV, connecting
the public with decision makers and encouraging direct participation
- particularly among younger voters - allowing the public to set
and influence the agenda on issues important to them.
·
BBC News is also working with other production areas across the
BBC to develop mainstream documentary programme ideas. Michael Portillo
and Mo Mowlam are joining forces for a four-part series from Robert
Thirkell's Back to the Floor team. They will spend a week together
finding out what it's like at the sharp end in prisons, schools
and other areas.
·
A new five minute digest of yesterday in Parliament on BBC ONE's
Breakfast.
·
A new seven minute nightly summary of the day's proceedings on BBC
News 24.
·
A new website and interactive service for BBC Parliament.
·
Continued development of a more consumer-led approach to politics
such as Your Politics with Denise Mahoney on the Six O'Clock News.
·
Regional news programmes are already experimenting with new formats.
The Reynolds Report in BBC Look East has led to action by local
authorities on issues such as waste disposal and housing the homeless.
Seat of Power in BBC Points West allows the audience to 'rule the
West' for a day.
·
Parliamentary coverage on radio remains unchanged and continues
to increase its audience.
Notes
to Editors
Review
of political programmes: BBC statement (16.07.02)
BBC
announces teams in search of "new politics" solutions
(28.02.02)
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