What this means for the BBC Governors

The Government has decided that the Board of Governors will be replaced by the BBC Trust. The new Trust guarantees BBC independence, but will mean big changes to the way the BBC operates.

The Trust will comprise a Chairman, a Vice-chairman and ten other members, appointed by HM The Queen through the privy Council for five years, which can be renewed for another five years.

Of the ten ordinary members, one shall be designated to serve as the Trust member for each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Trust will:

ensure transparency to demonstrate BBC is delivering public value
be directly accountable to licence fee payers, reinforced by clear separation between the Trust and the Executive, and openness and transparency
set overall strategic direction and priorities and oversee the Executive Board
be equipped with new tools to deliver firm and fair governance in the interests of licence fee payers, these include purpose remits, service licences and the public value test
will take account of BBC potential market impact and ensure it operates only in the public interest

The Board of Governors has responded positively to these recommendations. You can read their press statement here.

Following parliamentary debate a new Charter will be granted to the BBC by Her Majesty the Queen and the Agreement signed. Top

DCMS

To find out the latest from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport you can visit their Charter review website