Image: the ±«Óãtv's Royal Charter from 2017. Video: Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at The University of Westminster, and the Official Historian of the ±«Óãtv explains the importance of continuity in the ±«Óãtv Royal Charter.
The Royal Charter is the constitutional basis for the ±«Óãtv. It sets out the public purposes of the Corporation, and guarantees its independence. The ±«Óãtv’s new Charter commenced on 1 January 2017.
The ±«Óãtv started life as a Company, changing to a Corporation following a report by the Crawford Committee. The Government accepted the Committee's findings and established by Royal Charter, the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Charter set out the way in which the ±«Óãtv would be governed.
The first Charter ran for 10 years from 1 January 1927 and recognised the ±«Óãtv as an instrument of education and entertainment. Subsequent Charters expanded this remit to include the dissemination of information. The eighth Charter (1 January 2007) charged the ±«Óãtv with delivering the latest technology to the public and taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television, and the latest (from 1 January 2017), sets out major changes to the way the ±«Óãtv is to be run for an 11 year period.
Key elements of the ±«Óãtv Royal Charter, 2017, include:
- OFCOM to be the external independent regulator of the ±«Óãtv.
- The government to provide "guidance" to OFCOM on "content requirements" for the ±«Óãtv.
- A new "unitary board" consisting of four government appointed members and a Chair, and nine ±«Óãtv appointed members, to consider any "issues or complaints that arise post-transmission".
- Editorial decisions to "remain the responsibility of the Director-General".
- The possibility of production by independent companies to exist for all ±«Óãtv programmes except news and some parts of current affairs.
- The National Audit Office to have a "stronger role" in looking at how the ±«Óãtv spends its money.
1927 Charter
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Charter for ten years from 1 January 1927 to 31 December 1936.
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Amendment regarding financial arrangements.
1937 Charter
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Charter for ten years from 1 January 1937 to 31 December 1946.
1947 Charter
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Charter for five years from 1 January 1947 to 31 December 1951.
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Extended 1947 Charter for six months.
1952 Charter
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Charter for ten years from 1 July 1952 to 30 June 1962.
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Extended 1952 Charter for two years.
1964 Charter
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Charter for twelve years from 30 July 1964 to 31 July 1976.
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Transferred powers from Postmaster General to Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.
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Relevant ministry changed from Post Office to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and from thence to ±«Óãtv Office.
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Extended 1964 Charter for three years.
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Supplemental Charter extending 1964 Charter for two further years.
1981 Charter
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Charter for fifteen years from 1 August 1981 to 31 December 1996.
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Amendment regarding satellite broadcasting.
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Amendment regarding financial borrowing.
1997 Charter
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Charter for ten years from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006.
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Searchable copy of the 1997 Charter.
2007 Charter
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Charter for ten years from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2016.
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2017 Charter
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Charter for eleven years from 1 January 2017 to 1 January 2028.
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