Tomorrow's BBC - Sunderland seminar

On 24 November 2015, the BBC Trust held a Charter Review seminar at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. The event was chaired by BBC Newcastle’s Charlie Charlton. BBC Trust Chairman Rona Fairhead opened the seminar by setting out the Charter process and the importance of ensuring that the public voice was heard.

A panel consisting of Graeme Thompson, Dean of Arts, Design and Media at University of Sunderland; BBC Trust member Richard Ayre; author and poet Kate Fox; John Tulip, Managing Director, Northern Film & Media Ltd and Tim Davie, CEO, BBC Worldwide & Director, Global discussed a range of issues.

The discussion was then opened up to other attendees.

Amongst the topics raised were:

• How the BBC could be distinctive while still providing popular mainstream programmes and content which appealed to large audiences
• Whether the BBC was in any way crowding out the market
• How to achieve better and more authentic presentation of life in the north east of England
• The lack of recognition in the Government’s Green Paper about socio-economic diversity – and the importance of the BBC recognising the socio-economic barriers which in making voices heard
• Whether, given the geographic distance, that the BBC North operation in Salford had made a significant impact on audiences and the creative community in the north east
• Opening up the BBC’s commissioning structure to ensure that people based outside of metropolitan centres, and London in particular, have equal opportunities to develop their ideas
• How the BBC could be a better partner – with educational, cultural and media organisations
• The importance of the BBC in developing and sustaining television production in the north east of England - and what more could be done
• How the BBC could develop a more participatory relationship with its audience, be more open, and how technology could be used to facilitate this.