The BBC has set out 5 strategic priorities in its annual plan, published Wednesday.
Over the next year the public broadcaster says it will be:
- Strengthening impartiality
- Creating distinctive, high-impact content
- Transforming its digital offer and capability
- Accelerating commercial and global growth
- Delivering reform of the BBC, getting closer to audiences across the UK, and managing the impact of the first year of the new licence fee settlement.
In a package of proposals, the BBC intends to improve personalisation of BBC iPlayer and Sounds and the rollout of a new BBC News app – the current app was first released in 2010.
“The BBC is performing an indispensable role delivering impartial news around the world, with 456 million people using our services globally every week and growing,” said Tim Davie, BBC Director-General. However, there was a hint at more cost-cutting across the organisation. “This Annual Plan shows significant progress has been made to reform the BBC, but we will continue to transform the organisation to provide value for all audiences in the digital age.”
The BBC needs to find find £285 million in annual savings by 2027/28 as well as coping with the spiralling costs of content, the so-called superinflation in the media market, driven by the appetite of the US streaming services. A detailed announcement is due in May.
BBC News teams are in the process of being transferred to new UK bases, including Newsbeat and Asian Network news to Birmingham, and News story teams to Salford, Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff.
There is also a new target for 25% of staff to come from low socio-economic backgrounds by 2027, as part of a plan to ensure the workforce is more representative of the UK as a whole.
