PUBLIC SUPPORT BBC’S DIGITAL PLANS

THE BBC have announced that the public have given a strongly positive response to the BBC’s plans to change their digital television services and to launch five new digital radio services.
In the BBC’s largest ever public consultation, there was particularly strong support for the proposal to create two new daytime children’s channels, which will not carry advertising and will be available free in every digital home. Even stronger support was found for all the proposals in a parallel survey carried out by independent researchers BMRB.
Subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the BBC hope to replace their existing digital television channels -BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge - by launching four new digital television services, including BBC Three, BBC Four and two daytime channels.
The BBC also plan to launch a portfolio of five national digital radio stations, with three quarters of respondents to the public consultation believing these proposals represent a valuable addition to the Corporation’s range of services. A similar number said they trusted the BBC to create quality TV and radio programming for the new services.
While around half of the respondents supported radio proposals to create a black music station and to make the locally based Asian Network a national service, both proposals were supported by over 80 per cent of Caribbean and Asian respondents respectively.
BBC Director-General, Greg Dyke said: "This is a strong and welcome endorsement of our proposals to provide viewers and listeners with imaginative and distinctive services over the next few years. I am particularly pleased that those services aimed at specific audience groups have met with widespread approval within those groups."
Before approaching the Secretary of State for Department of Culture, Media and Sport for approval of their proposals, the BBC are obliged to seek the views of licence fee payers through a formal process of public consultation. The results of this exercise are included in the BBC’s submission to the Secretary of State asking for permission to implement the plans.
BBC Chairman, Sir Christopher Bland, said: "The Governors of the BBC are satisfied that these services meet their criteria for BBC public services. The consultation results show, in particular, that the services have strong public approval." (CD)