The BBC is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world. Its mission is to enrich people's lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain. It is a public service broadcaster, established by a Royal Charter and funded by the licence fee that is paid by UK households. The BBC uses the income from the licence fee to provide services including 8 national TV channels plus regional programming, 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive website.
BBC World Service broadcasts to the world on radio, on TV and online, providing news and information in 32 languages. It is funded by a government grant, not from the licence fee. The BBC also has a commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. Its profits are returned to the BBC for investment in new programming and services.
Most of the BBC's services in the UK are funded from income from the licence fee: 8 national television channels (BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament) BBC Red Button interactive TV BBC HD 10 national radio stations (Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra, Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, 6 Music, BBC Asian Network) National TV and radio services for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and over 40 local radio stations for England BBC Online, BBC iPlayer, BBC Mobile and the BBC channel on YouTube
Other services are funded differently.
Community Channel (TV) is supported by the BBC through a partnership agreement.
BBC World Service (radio) is funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Around the world, there are separate commercial ventures whose profits help fund BBC public services, including BBC America, BBC Prime, BBC World News and BBC Worldwide on YouTube.
About the licence fee
Everyone in the UK who watches or records TV as it is broadcast needs to be covered by a TV licence. This includes TV on computers, mobile phones, DVD/video recorders and other devices.
The Government sets the level of the licence fee. In January 2007 the licence fee was agreed for a six-year period with the amount being approved each year by Parliament. More recently the Government decided to freeze the licence fee at its 2010 level of £145.50 until the end of the current BBC Charter period in 2016.
BBC Television
BBC One
BBC One's remit is to be the BBC's most popular mixed-genre television service across the UK, offering a wide range of high-quality programmes. It should be the BBC's primary outlet for major UK and international events and it should reflect the whole of the UK in its output. A very high proportion of its programmes should be original productions.
BBC Two
BBC Two's remit is to be a mixed-genre channel appealing to a broad adult audience with programmes of depth and substance. It should carry the greatest amount and range of knowledge-building programming of any BBC television channel, complemented by distinctive comedy, drama and arts programming.
BBC Three
The remit of BBC Three is to bring younger audiences to high-quality public service broadcasting through a mixed-genre schedule of innovative UK content featuring new UK talent. The channel should use the full range of digital platforms to deliver its content and to build an interactive relationship with its audience.
BBC Four
The remit of BBC Four is to be a mixed-genre television channel for all adults, offering an ambitious range of innovative, high-quality output that is intellectually and culturally enriching. Its focus should be on the provision of factual and arts programming.
CBBC
The remit of CBBC is to provide a wide range of high-quality, distinctive content for 6–12 year olds, including drama, entertainment, comedy, animation, news and factual. The great majority of this content should be produced in the UK. The remit of CBBC is to provide a wide range of high-quality, distinctive content for 6–12 year olds, including drama, entertainment, comedy, animation, news and factual. The great majority of this content should be produced in the UK.
CBeebies
The remit of CBeebies is to offer high-quality, mostly UK-produced programmes to educate and entertain the BBC's youngest audience. The service should provide a range of programming designed to encourage learning through play in a consistently safe environment for children under six years old.
BBC News
BBC News Channel should deliver up-to-the-minute, accurate, impartial and independent news, analysis and insight. It should provide fast and comprehensive coverage of local, UK and international events as they unfold and specialist analysis to put the news in context.
BBC Parliament
The remit of BBC Parliament is to make accessible to all the work of the UK's parliamentary and legislative bodies and the European Parliament. The service should also analyse and set in context the issues and politics behind parliamentary debates.
BBC Red Button
The remit of BBC Red Button is to offer continuous and constantly updated news, information, education and entertainment to digital television audiences in the form of interactive video, audio, pictures and text.
BBC Red Button should offer content which supports and enhances some linear television programmes. It should be an access and navigation point for BBC non-linear television and radio content, offering supporting material and enhancements for linear broadcast output.
BBC HD
The remit of the BBC HD channel is to offer a mixed-genre schedule of programming in high-definition (HD) format, most of which has been originated by the BBC's other television channels.
BBC Radio
BBC Radio 1
The remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. It should reflect the lives and interests of 15–29 year olds but also embrace others who share similar tastes. It should offer a range of new music, support emerging artists – especially those from the UK – and provide a platform for live music. News, documentaries and advice campaigns should cover areas of relevance to young adults.
BBC Radio 2
The remit of Radio 2 is to be a distinctive, mixed music and speech service, targeted at a broad audience, appealing to all age groups over 35. It should offer entertaining popular music programmes and speech-based content including news, current affairs, documentaries, religion, arts, comedy, readings and social action output.
BBC Radio 3
The remit of Radio 3 is to offer a mix of music and cultural programming in order to engage and entertain its audience. Around its core proposition of classical music, its speech-based programming should inform and educate the audience about music and culture. Jazz, world music, drama, the arts and ideas, and religious programming should feature in its output.
The service should appeal to listeners of any age seeking to expand their cultural horizons through engagement with the world of music and the arts.
BBC Radio 4
The remit of Radio 4 is to be a mixed speech service, offering in-depth news and current affairs and a wide range of other speech output including drama, readings, comedy, factual and magazine programmes. The service should appeal to listeners seeking intelligent programmes in many genres which inform, educate and entertain.
BBC Radio 4 Extra
BBC 7 launched in December 2002. It was renamed BBC Radio 7 in October 2008. It relaunched in April 2011 as BBC Radio 4 Extra. The digital network is the principal outlet for the BBC's archive of speech entertainment, including comedy, drama and readings.
BBC Radio 5 Live
The remit of Radio 5 Live is to be BBC Radio's home of continuous news and live sports coverage. It should aim to bring its audience major news stories and sports events as they happen, and provide context through wide-ranging analysis and discussion. Programming should be designed to inform, entertain and involve. The service should appeal to news and sports fans of all ages and from all ethnic backgrounds and areas across the UK.
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
The remit of 5 Live Sports Extra is to bring a greater choice of live action to sports fans by offering a part-time extension of Radio 5 Live. The service should aim to provide increased value for licence fee payers from the portfolio of sports rights already owned by the BBC by offering alternative coverage to that provided on other UK-wide BBC services. All output on 5 Live Sports Extra should be live sports coverage.
BBC 1Xtra
The remit of 1Xtra is to play the best in contemporary black music with a strong emphasis on live music and supporting new UK artists. The schedule should also offer a bespoke news service, regular discussion programmes and specially commissioned documentaries relevant to the young target audience (15–24 year olds), particularly, although not exclusively, those from ethnic minorities.
BBC 6 Music
The remit of 6 Music is to entertain lovers of popular music with a service offering music from the 1960s to the present day. Its programmes juxtapose current releases outside the mainstream with earlier recordings, including music from the BBC Sound Archive. It should provide context for the music it plays, and support live music and new artists.
BBC Asian Network
The remit of BBC Asian Network is to provide speech and music output appealing to the British Asian communities. It should be primarily in English, but some programming should be provided in a range of South Asian languages. The primary target audience is British Asians under 35 (reflecting the age profile of the Asian communities), but the station should also appeal to anyone with an interest in British Asian issues, music and culture.
BBC Worldwide
BBC World Service
BBC World Service is the world's most respected voice in international broadcasting. It provides authoritative and impartial news and information in 33 languages worldwide. In the UK, its English service is available via DAB digital radio, digital television (terrestrial, satellite, cable and broadband) and online. BBC World Service is trusted for its accuracy, editorial independence and expertise and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas across cultural, linguistic and national boundaries. It projects British values of trustworthiness, openness, fair dealing, creativity, enterprise and community. BBC World Service is a public service funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It is permitted to generate additional income subject to the BBC's Fair Trading Commitment and Commercial Policy Guidelines. It is financed separately from the UK licence fee and cross-subsidies are forbidden.
BBC America
BBC America brings award-winning British television to the United States from the BBC and other broadcasters. It features razor-sharp comedy, groundbreaking movies, provocative drama and news with a global perspective. BBC America was launched in March 1998. It is wholly owned by BBC Worldwide Ltd, one of the BBC's commercial subsidiaries, and distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available via digital cable and satellite TV. Programmes on BBC America include The Office, Coupling, So Graham Norton, Manchild, Changing Rooms, Ground Force, What Not To Wear, Wire In The Blood, Waking The Dead, Tipping The Velvet and BBC World News.
BBC Canada
BBC Canada is home to the best and boldest BBC television, featuring a contemporary feast of wickedly entertaining programming including award-winning comedies, gritty dramas and lifestyle shows. It launched in September 2001 and has consistently been ranked in the top five of all 40 Canadian digital channels. The programme line-up includes Little Britain, Nighty Night, continuing series such as EastEnders and Casualty, and new episodes of What Not To Wear.
BBC Lifestyle
BBC Lifestyle is the BBC's international lifestyle channel and broadcasts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The channel features the best lifetsyle, food and home programmes from the BBC and other leading broadcasters. BBC Lifestyle is wholly owned and managed by the BBC's commercial consumer organisation, BBC Worldwide.
BBC Kids (Canada)
The first ever international BBC children's channel, BBC Kids offers high-quality children's programming to audiences across Canada. With exclusive access to programmes never before shown in Canada, the channel helps children see their world in a new and exciting way. It launched in Canada in November 2001. BBC Kids devotes 40 hours per week to commercial-free pre-school programmes and features series such as Balamory and Little Robots. The channel also has school-age series such as S Club 7, Stitch Up and Groovy Movies.
BBC World News
BBC World News is the BBC's commercially funded international news and information television channel, broadcasting in English 24 hours a day for a global audience. BBC World News provides hourly bulletins with news, business, sport and weather information, and also broadcasts the best of the BBC's current affairs, documentary and lifestyle programming. BBC World News offers in-depth analysis of breaking news, looking at the stories behind the news and important live events and explaining not only what is happening but why. The channels dedicated 24-hour fully digital newsroom and studio is located at BBC Television Centre in west London. BBC World News was launched in its present format in January 1995. It is now available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It is owned and operated by BBC World News Ltd, one of the BBC's commercial subsidiaries.
Animal Planet
Animal Planet features programmes with extraordinary wildlife images, action adventure, compelling real-life dramas and amazing human and animal encounters. Animal Planet is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide Ltd, one of the BBC's commercial subsidiaries, and Discovery Communications, Inc. It was launched in June 1996.
People+Arts
People+Arts is customised in both Spanish and Portuguese. It features commissioned programmes for viewers in Latin America and the Iberian peninsula. Launched in October 1997, People+Arts is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide Ltd, one of the BBC's commercial subsidiaries, and Discovery Communications, Inc. People+Arts explores the human experience with compelling programmes that include powerful real-life drama, provocative human stories, exclusive regional and international productions, and suspense thrillers.
UKTV
A joint venture between Flextech Television and BBC Worldwide, UKTV is the second largest multi-channel broadcaster in the UK. With more than 15 million viewers every week, UKTV's network of 10 channels offers British viewers pure entertainment and real choice between quality comedy, drama, lifestyle programmes, documentaries, history and more.
Watch - entertainment, including Richard & Judy, comedy, reality drama and blockbuster films (launched 2009)
G.O.L.D. (previously UKTV Gold) - comedy, film and drama favourites (launched 1992)
Dave (previously UKTV G2) - cult comedy, quiz shows and entertainment (UKTV G2 launched 2003, relaunched as Dave 2007)
Alibi (previously UKTV Drama) - the home of award-winning drama (launched 2000)
Home (previously UKTV Style) - Britain's leading lifestyle channel covering homes, gardens and a range of personal makeover shows (launched 1997)
UKTV Food - a channel dedicated to celebrating fantastic food (launched 2001)
UKTV Gardens - the UK's only specialist gardening channel providing expert advice and inspiration to gardeners throughout the year (launched 2005)
Eden (previously UKTV Documentary) - factual programming that explores themes, passions and interests that matter to us today (launched 2004)
Blighty (previously UKTV People) - high-energy programming and factual entertainment (launched 2004)
Yesterday (previously UKTV History) - the home of compelling and challenging programming that helps us understand the world we live in today (launched 2002)
UK.TV (Australia)
UK.TV is Australia's only television channel dedicated to bringing audiences the best of British television. UK.TV is available in Australia through subscription TV carriers. It launched in August 1996 and is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial consumer arm, FOXTEL and FremantleMedia. Programming includes EastEnders, Holby City, Waking The Dead, The Smoking Room, Monarch Of The Glen, Dead Ringers, The Weakest Link, Casualty, Clocking Off and The Office.
BBC Worldwide on YouTube
The BBC Worldwide channel on YouTube can be seen around the world. Worldwide's dedicated entertainment channel includes a limited amount of advertising and offers clips from shows such as Top Gear, Spooks, The Catherine Tate Show and David Attenborough programmes.
BBC Online
The remit of BBC Online is to serve the BBC's public purposes through the provision of innovative and distinctive online content, and through distinctive propositions that reflect and extend the range of the BBC's broadcast services, available to all. BBC Online should enable the BBC to develop a deeper relationship with licence fee payers and strengthen accountability. It should act as a starting point on the internet from which users can develop their use of the medium and provide a trusted guide to the wider internet. BBC Online should, at all times, balance the potential for creating public value against the risk of negative market impact.
BBC on YouTube
The BBC channel on YouTube offers trailers and short features on new and current programmes such as EastEnders and Doctor Who, and clips from the archives including Spooks and Top Gear. The BBC channel is only available in the UK.
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer is the easy-to-use service that lets you access television programmes via your PC. It offers seven-day catch-up television and now also incorporates radio 'listen again' and live streaming. The TV programmes are free for UK licence fee payers, at high quality and with no advertising. Once you have downloaded a programme to your computer you have 30 days within which to start watching and seven days to finish watching it. The BBC is looking at offering BBC iPlayer on a range of platforms including cable and mobile.
Commercial businesses
These separate divisions and companies operate at arm's length from the BBC. They provide commercial services to businesses and consumers, subject to the BBC Fair Trading Guidelines. Their profits are returned to the BBC to help fund public services and keep the licence fee lower than it otherwise would be.
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide realises the commercial value of BBC programmes and services. It sells programmes and footage, runs commercial TV channels and joint ventures worldwide, and produces magazines, books, tapes, DVDs, CDs and other merchandise.
BBC Studios and Post Production
BBC Studios and Post Production is the largest studios and post facilities provider in the UK, offering world-class creative and technical production solutions to the media industry. Working in partnership with a broad range of media companies, it helps create content across all genres for a variety of broadcasters.
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring supplies news, information and comment gathered from mass media around the world.
BBC International Unit
The BBC International Unit supplies TV facilities to overseas broadcasters transmitting from the UK.
BBC Academy
BBC Academy provides courses and tailored training in television, radio, journalism, new media, health and safety and broadcast technology skills to individuals and companies. Part of BBC Academy, the College of Journalism, also has its own website and much of the content is available for use externally (free in the UK, by paid subscription overseas).
BBC Shop, BBC America Shop, BBC Canada Shop
These are internet shopping services from BBC Worldwide.
Ariel
Ariel is the BBC's weekly staff newspaper.
