BBC Trust Reviews Pubcaster’s Youth-Skewing Services

LONDON: The BBC Trust has issued its review of how the British public broadcaster is serving younger audiences—those in the 13 to 34 set—arguing that while outlets such as BBC Three are "doing a particularly good job," there are still areas where the BBC "could do more."

The Trust reviewed the BBC services and content specifically targeted at young people—including BBC Three, Radio 1 and BBC Switch—and assessed how well younger audiences are served across all BBC platforms. Trustee Alison Hastings, who led the review, said: "Young audiences are one of the hardest groups to reach. Our review shows that BBC Three, Radio 1 and 1Xtra are doing a particularly good job in serving young people. BBC Three’s strong reputation for comedy, Radio 1’s promotion of new U.K. music and ability to reach a large number of young people with its news bulletins, and 1Xtra’s support for music not heard elsewhere are all strong achievements."

She continued: "Although the BBC is doing well, there are areas where more can be done, for example through more ambitious speech output on Radio 1, continuing development of BBC Three’s online activities and encouraging young people to access BBC news in ways that suit them. We will now look to BBC management to build on the good work they have in place."

The Trust found that nine out of ten young people use BBC services every week. BBC One remains the most viewed service in the U.K. among young people, while BBC Switch is serving young teenagers well, especially on radio and online. Challenges ahead include engaging young people with news content and reaching teens on television. BBC Three was singled out for its achievements: "The evidence shows that the quality and range of the channel’s output is good overall, and we are supportive of its strong track record in taking creative risks and using new on-air talent," the Trust said.