BBC publish response to Lambert Review

The BBC have published their response to Richard Lambert's review of BBC News 24.
The BBC's response - submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at the end of January - reaffirms the BBC's commitment to "quality first" on News 24 by pursuing a "broadsheet" news agenda and aiming be the highest quality and most respected continuous news service in the UK.
Lambert clearly endorsed the decision to launch News 24 and said it had an important role to play in the BBC's public service digital portfolio.
However criticism included Lambert's recommendation to restate the remit of News 24 more clearly and concerns over value for money, but the Secretary of State Tessa Jowell, acknowledging the BBC response, said she will not be imposing a further condition on the BBC Governors to report more fully on the costs of News 24 at this stage.
Lambert had also criticised early governance of the service.
However, in its response, the BBC clearly outlined that News 24 had been discussed in substantive ways on many occasions by Governors, who had adopted an approach of internal criticism and public support.
The Governors have, in future, agreed to adopt a more demonstrative approach to their oversight of all new services, including News 24, and believe that new objectives-based governance reforms will demonstrate improved rigour and transparency.
There will be fuller accounts of News 24's delivery in future Annual Reports and the Governors will, explicitly, consider the BBC News/BBC World relationship on fair trading grounds every year, verified by fair trading auditors.
The BBC's Lambert response also underlines the commitment to a more analytical and international news agenda, with state-of the-art interactive services.
A £100,000 commissioning budget will be available for live coverage from Europe and there will also be improved coverage from around the UK, with special broadcasts from Scotland and Wales ahead of this year's parliamentary and assembly elections.
The amount of pre-recorded programming will be reduced, but of a higher quality, and there will be an increased profile for breaking news.
Head to Head, the weekly debate programme, will now run all year round and there will be a new, late-evening business programme.
News 24's profile on BBC One will be increased and some news specials will be branded under the News 24 banner.
(GB)