The BBC needs to do more to reach and resonate with viewers and listeners on lower incomes, Ofcom has found in its annual report on the BBC’s performance.
The report finds that people in lower socio-economic groups – who account for almost a quarter of the UK population – are less engaged and less satisfied with the BBC.
This audience watches, listens to, or browses BBC content – including news – less than the rest of the population, and is least satisfied with how they are represented and portrayed in programmes.
Staff from lower socio-economic backgrounds are also under-represented within the BBC’s own workforce.
Ofcom will launch an in-depth review into how the BBC connects with audiences on lower incomes.
It also wants the BBC to set out, clearly and publicly, its overall strategy for improving perceptions among disenfranchised audiences – including how it is drawing and acting on viewer and listener research.
As it implements the Digital First strategy, the BBC must not lose sight of the importance of local content.
This includes proposed changes to news and current affairs.
Ofcom says it will scrutinise the BBC’s plans as they develop, and assess their impact. That includes keeping a close eye on programme sharing between local radio stations, to ensure the sustained provision of high-quality local content, including local news.
Separately, the News Media Association (NMA) has raised concerns about the BBC’s planned changes to its local online news offering.
Ofcom’s assessment of these proposals, which we expect to conclude shortly, will take account of the BBC’s analysis, the NMA’s concerns and its own data sources.
Meanwhile as the overall reach of the BBC’s broadcast channels continues to decline, use of its online services such as BBC iPlayer, is growing. According to the BBC, programmes were streamed more than 6.6 billion times on iPlayer in 2021/22, up 8% on the previous year.
Having carefully considered a request from the BBC, Ofcom are today giving the go-ahead for it to increase its catalogue of older content on iPlayer – such as past series of returning titles – meaning greater choice and better value for licence-fee payers.[7]
