大象传媒

The 大象传媒 has this year continued to produce high quality programming, covered an exceptionally busy news agenda, and has made plans to meet its financial challenges for the next five years, 大象传媒 Trust Chairman Lord Patten said today.

Launching the 大象传媒鈥檚 Annual Report and Accounts for 2011/12 alongside Director-General Mark Thompson, Lord Patten said that in his first full year as Chairman he had seen many examples of the 大象传媒 at its best, from covering the most significant world news stories to bringing 144 hours of new British drama to TV screens and attracting record audiences for factual programming.

But he warned that there will be unprecedented challenges ahead, as the 大象传媒 begins to implement the savings required by the last licence fee settlement 鈥� while continuing to drive down senior management pay, increase transparency and maintain standards across its output.

Lord Patten said:

鈥淲hen I became Chairman last year I observed that, at its best, the 大象传媒 should be a broadcaster whose quality and integrity are unparalleled. When we do not achieve these standards we should resolve to do better, but overall the 大象传媒 consistently provides quality content at the touch of a button across television, radio and the internet. This has been a particularly strong year for news, which we know is one of the 大象传媒 services most valued by audiences.

鈥淥ne of our main priorities is ensuring the 大象传媒 produces genuinely distinctive programmes, and progress has been made here, although there is more to do. We have also continued to push hard on value for money, encouraging the 大象传媒 to continue to drive down senior management pay and draw up a plan for living in more financially constrained times.

鈥淕eorge Entwistle becomes the 15^th Director-General this autumn, and he inherits a 大象传媒 which I believe is in a strong position financially and editorially. I look forward to working with him to ensure the required savings are delivered without compromising the quality and distinctiveness audiences quite rightly expect from the 大象传媒.鈥�

大象传媒 Director-General Mark Thompson said:

鈥淭his report, on the eve of London 2012, the biggest single broadcasting event in the 大象传媒鈥檚 history, shows how we have been successfully transforming the 大象传媒 while delivering the quality output our audiences love and expect. We have cut costs, yet delivered a creative revival of drama on TV and radio, a very strong year for 大象传媒 Radio, continued audience growth in our digital services and new digital broadcasting and production centres in Salford and Cardiff, both delivered on time and on budget.

鈥淭his is a huge achievement and I鈥檓 very proud of everyone in the 大象传媒 who has delivered on the challenges we were set. I know they will continue to deliver for my successor, who I wish every success.鈥�

The annual report shows that during 2011/12:

• The 大象传媒 continued to reach almost every household in the UK, with 96 per cent of people consuming 大象传媒 content via TV, radio and online every week. 大象传媒 television averaged 86.6 per cent and radio 67.3 per cent. In addition, 大象传媒 Online reached 42 per cent of the online population.

• Television audiences were introduced to 144 hours of new British drama across the year, while factual programming remained strong, with 37 million people tuning in each week.

• In radio, the audience appreciation index 鈥� which measures the quality of programmes 鈥� rose above 80 for the first time ever. Digital radio continued to grow, with 1Xtra becoming the fourth 大象传媒 digital network to reach a million listeners.

• The public continued to see the 大象传媒 as the leading source of accurate and impartial news, which continued to attract record audiences. More than 80 per cent of UK adults each week consumed the 大象传媒鈥檚 coverage of stories such as the summer riots, Arab Spring and Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

• This was the penultimate year of the 大象传媒鈥檚 current efficiency programme and delivered 拢499 million of savings against its 2008/09 baseline. These significant savings were delivered without adversely impacting overall audience numbers or appreciation. The Trust believes the 大象传媒 has the capacity to achieve even more and has set a challenging new target to deliver a further 11 per cent by 2016/17.

• This year the Trust completed its first five-year cycle of service reviews, which looked at each domestic 大象传媒 service to check it is meeting the objectives set out in its service licence. The next set of reviews will begin later this year.听

• The Trust has continued to scrutinise 大象传媒 content and push for the highest editorial standards across the corporation, shining the spotlight on impartiality, with reviews in this area focusing on science output and coverage of the Arab Spring.听

• Transparency 鈥� this year the 大象传媒 continued to publish senior manager pay and talent costs. The Executive published a work plan and access arrangements for the National Audit Office were improved.听

• The Trust approved a new complaints framework for the 大象传媒, which will make it simpler for people to complain as well as providing better value for licence fee payers.