Category: BBC
Date: 12.07.2006
Printable version
The BBC Governors are holding their Annual General Meeting in Norwich tomorrow evening, Thursday 13 July 2006.
The event concludes a week of external scrutiny of the BBC and offers members of the public their opportunity to question the Governors about the programmes and services they receive in return for their licence fee.
The Board of Governors, and in future the Trust, is responsible for ensuring the BBC operates in the interests of licence fee payers by offering them quality and distinctive programmes and services they value.
Over the past year the Board has met licence fee payers at public meetings in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast and last summer around 150 members of the public attended the first public AGM in London.
Looking ahead to the event, BBC Chairman Michael Grade said: "The AGM is key to improving our accountability and to building our relationship with licence fee payers - ensuring the Governors and in future the Trustees can truly represent their interests.
"I'm looking forward to hearing what the public has to say tomorrow night and hope the audience in Norwich will be as frank as those who have taken time to attend our previous meetings around the UK."
So far, more than 200 questions have been sent in by members of the public to the Governors' website.
Topics range from programme quality; problems in accessing digital television and concern about paying for services which cannot be received; watershed and use of language; level of repeats; talent pay; use of programme trails; and the use of background music.
For example:
"How can the BBC justify spending the licence fee on digital services when not everybody can receive digital?"
"Is it appropriate for peak-time shows to contain bad language, sexual content and violence?"
"Why is there so much sport on television?"
And interestingly, a request for a repeat: "Could the BBC repeat the best programme each week which has been voted the best by the public?"
Michael Grade will be taking part in a series of national and local radio phone-ins in advance of the meeting, giving those licence fee payers unable to attend the AGM a further opportunity to have their say.
Notes to Editors
On Thursday 13 July Michael Grade will be on
BBC ONE Breakfast at 8.18am
Radio Five Live, Victoria Derbyshire at 9.00am
Radio Suffolk at 11.10am
Radio Kent at 11.20am
Radio Stoke at 11.30am
BBC WM at 11.40am
Radio Norfolk at 12pm
Over the past year Michael Grade has taken part in phone-ins on the following BBC stations/programmes: Radio Five Live, Radio Sheffield, Radio Berkshire, Radio Solent, Radio Scotland, Radio Wales, Radio Newcastle, Radio Ulster, Radio 4's You and Yours and Radio Oxford.
The AGM will start at 7.00pm.
Governors on the panel include Michael Grade, Anthony Salz, Jeremy Peat, Ranjit Sondhi and Deborah Bull.
In the audience, Mark Thompson (BBC Director-General), Mark Byford (Deputy Director-General), Caroline Thomson (Director, Policy, Strategy, Legal & Distribution) and Zarin Patel (Group Finance Director) will be available to respond to questions about their areas of responsibility.
BBC Governance Unit
