Viewers dissatisfied with impartiality of BBC and "coverage of extreme views” - Ofcom

In its report into BBC news, Ofcom wrote: “Our research found that people’s views of the BBC’s impartiality are shaped by a range of factors, with only some relating directly to its news and current affairs content.

"Some told us their views were influenced by the BBC brand, its funding mechanism and its portrayal in wider media.

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“When it came to content, audiences perceived the BBC as giving too much coverage to extreme voices while others criticised ‘false equivalence’ in its reporting.

“Those who were critical of the BBC’s impartiality also tended to hold the strongest political views. The current polarised political climate presents a challenge to the BBC in how it approaches due to impartiality.” 

The report also found that the BBC may not be sustainable in its current form if it fails to regain younger audiences who are increasingly tuning out of its services. 

In the report, which covers performance between April 2018 and March 2019, Ofcom said there is an “absence of a clearly articulated and transparent plan” to address concerns, making it “difficult for us to judge how much progress is being made and whether these steps will be far-reaching enough to deliver substantive progress for audiences in these key areas.”

It continues: “We expect the BBC to now set out publicly its plan for addressing these recurring themes: engagement with young people; representation and portrayal; commitment to transparency; and commitment to new original UK programmes, as well as how it will engage with the recommendations of review of news and current affairs.

“This will enable audiences to see for themselves, and for us to be able to judge, whether the BBC is taking appropriate steps.”

The watchdog has written to the director-general alongside the report, calling on him to make clear through the BBC’s next annual plan and budget-setting process how it intends to respond to these concerns and the specific issues raised.

The report adds: “We have asked the BBC to set out for the public a clearly articulated plan for making and then tracking progress in these areas by the end of March 2020.

“If we do not see transparent signs of progress, we will step in and place additional conditions on the BBC.”

Ofcom’s chief executive Sharon White said: “The BBC is still a vital, valued part of British culture. But we’re concerned that a new generation is tuning out of its services. So, the BBC must set out bolder plans to connect with younger viewers and listeners.”

Ms White also said the BBC needs to “broaden the appeal of its news, which some viewers and listeners feel isn’t relevant to their lives. And the BBC must find ways to be more distinctive online, where our research shows younger people are passing it by”.

The regulatory body said it will be launching a review of BBC Studios, which is a commercial arm of the corporation.

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Ofcom said it will look at the “boundary between the BBC’s public and commercial services.

“As part of the review, we will be considering whether the BBC’s changes to its lines of business within BBC Studios provide sufficient transparency for stakeholders and for Ofcom,” it added.

A BBC spokesman said: “We welcome Ofcom’s recognition that audience satisfaction remains high and that the BBC continues to deliver for British audiences by producing high quality, distinctive and creative content as well as the most trusted and accurate news.

“The BBC has a clear plan in place to meet the needs of younger and diverse audiences, outlined in this year’s annual plan.

“It is focused on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and BBC News Online. All three have grown strongly in the last year. So our plan is clearly working. But we want to do even more for young and diverse audiences, and we will set out our next steps in our upcoming annual plan”.