BBC English Regions
Management Review
2013/14

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

If you wish to find out more about
the BBC’s year – including full financial
statements and performance against
other public commitment – then please
visit: www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport

Contents
01
02
04
11
11
12
13

Introduction
Two minute summary
Service performance
Future Strategy
Contacts
Senior management teamHeads of regional and local programming

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Front coverAs part of BBC Radio Cumbria’s 40th
anniversary, the radio station linked up
with the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Outreachand the Cumbria Music Service to create a
Cumbria Community Orchestra and Chorus

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Controller’s introduction‘‘We want to do all we canto play our part in helping
all forms of local journalism
to flourish not only inside
the BBC, but outside it too.’’Throughout the mayhem of the winter rain, the storms andthe flood surges audiences depended on our teams for news
and crucial information. It was a strong example of the special
responsibility we have in keeping communities in touch, but
it was also another demonstration of the unique, and highly
prized emotional bond we have with our audiences. Remarkably,
even in the face of huge adversity, people came to us to sharemoving accounts of how they and their families had been sobadly affected.
Our mission was also to ensure that those in positions ofresponsibility were asked the questions that count. As suggestions
grew that more could have been done to help those caught up
in the flooding, the Prime Minister, senior cabinet ministers andlocal politicians were among those quizzed both by our teams anddirectly by the audience. Our resolve to promote and facilitate
local accountability based journalism and robust local debate
continues to be one of our key priorities for the year ahead.
I am particularly proud of The World War One at Home project
which is one of the biggest editorial undertakings ever by BBC
English Regions and has already produced a wealth of captivating
stories which chronicle how the conflict affected communities
across the country. All of them will be published online and willremain available indefinitely , providing an extraordinary digitalarchive as part of the BBC’s wider venture to mark the centenaryof the Great War.

In the year ahead, our specialist network of political journalists
will report on, aim to make sense of, and seek to engage people
in the stories which matter to local communities ahead of next
year’s General Election. We will reflect the excitement of theCommonwealth Games and other major sports events. And wewill prioritise strengthening our social media and online presence,
including the BBC Local Live modules, which provide frequently
updated news, sport, travel and weather information in one place.
We want to do all we can to play our part in helping all forms of
local journalism to flourish not only inside the BBC, but outside it
too. To this end, we will build on a host of really exciting partnerships
we have started to develop with a wide range of other news
organisations in different parts of England – from local newspapers
and fledgling television stations to highly industrious citizen journalists.
Regardless of how people consume our programmes, content
and services, our determination to be the most trusted source ofhigh quality local news and information, blended with lively debate
and discussion which truly reflects as many different communities
as possible, will remain at the heart of our commitment toaudiences now and in the future.

David Holdsworth
Controller, English Regions

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

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Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Two minute summary
Our primary aim is to deliver a distinctive, high quality service of local and regional
news and information for communities across the country. There has been an
increasing emphasis on providing the audience with a platform to hold people inpositions of responsibility and power to account.
On television, we produce daily news output for twelve English
regions, along with weekly current affairs, politics and sports
programmes. There are 39 local radio stations and forty two

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

local websites. Alongside our established output, we aresuccessfully developing fresh ways of forming a relationship withexisting and new audiences through social media channels.

02

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Two minute summary
Television
49.8% of the adult
population watch
BBC regional news
in England during
an average week

Television
Our 6.30pm programmes
are the most watched news
programmes in the UK

49.8%

3.3m
Source: BARB/TRP,
BBC England SD, adults

Source: BARB/TRP, BBC England SD, adults

Television
Inside Out has an average
audience of 3.3 million

Source: BARB/TRP,
BBC England SD, adults

Radio
BBC local radio
is listened to by
7.2 million people

Television and RadioOur biggest audience of theyear was during the heightof the severe winterweather in February

7.2m
Source: BARB/TRP, BBC England SD, adults

Source: RAJAR/TRP, BBC LR in England TSA, 12 month weight, Q4 2013

Radio
2.4 million BBC local radio
listeners listen to no other
BBC radio station

Radio
1.1 million BBC local radio
listeners hear no otherradio output at all

1.1m
Source: RAJAR/TRP, BBC LR in England TSA,
12 month weight, Q4 2013

Source: RAJAR/TRP, BBC LR in England TSA, 12 month weight, Q4 2013

OnlineThere were 11.4 million
average weekly uniquebrowsers to English
Regions online content

Radio
Between 6am and 7pm 71%
of all BBC local radio
output is speech

71%

11.4m
Source: istats

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Source: BBC English Regions

03

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Service performance
As many areas of the country struggled to cope with the worst winter weather fora long time, BBC English Regions teams went into overdrive to provide communities
with an unrivalled service of news updates, critical information and a place where
people could share their thoughts and comments while also having the chance toquestion those in positions of responsibility.
Some BBC local radio stations moved into rolling news format
and broadcast around the clock. Live despatches from reporters
on the scene and emotional personal accounts from listeners
were shared with BBC online, social media and network outlets.
David Cameron and other senior politicians, together with theheads of local authorities and other agencies facing claims that notenough was being done to protect people, were questioned live
on-air. The coverage of this fast moving story received plaudits
from audiences, emergency services and key decision makers alike.
Regional televisionDuring the storms the audience for our early evening
programmes peaked at 7.3 million people in February. Midlands
Today was among the regions which regularly presented live
editions from flooded communities, while BBC London reporters
brought viewers dramatic pictures as they followed rescues
along the Thames. BBC Points West’s Somerset correspondent,
Clinton Rogers, showed the devastating emotional impact of theunfolding events on people living in rural parts of the county,
some of which had become inland islands, and frequently had totravel by boat to reach those at the heart of the story. His graphic
reports featured prominently too on the BBC News Channel
and national BBC One bulletins.

BBC Somerset’s presenters and reporters broadcast live
from the worst affected areas throughout the winter floods

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

A significant increase in collaboration between BBC regional andnetwork news teams has led not only to more sharing of stories
and a more efficient use of staff and technical resources, but also awider exposure for some strong examples of original journalism
generated by teams around the country. For example, the Prime
Minister described immigration as “a major concern” after seeing
pictures – filmed by South East Today – showing men climbing onto
the axles of trucks at Calais in an attempt to reach and enter
Dover. And Look East carried out an investigation into the plight ofeastern European migrants in the Fens and the unscrupulous gangmasters who take their wages and force them to live in terrible
conditions. Both stories had prominent coverage on all the BBC’s
main local, regional and national news outlets.
A pooling of minds and journalistic effort provided regional
television and local radio with a comprehensive insight into thegrowing relationship between local communities across Englandand the Far East during the BBC’s China Week. The expertise of
our business correspondents helped to drive the project, with animpressive range of regional material also appearing on the News
Channel and the 10 o’clock news.

BBC Look East presenter Stewart White preparing to broadcast live
from Shanghai04

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

North West Tonight explored one of the most controversial anddivisive energy issues since nuclear power with a week-long series
on fracking which set out to raise awareness of the issue, examine
the potential impact on the region and question those at thecentre of arguments surrounding the story. As a result of a tip off
to a member of staff, Look North in Hull was able to ensure the
BBC led the field on the story of a plane passenger who wastalked through making an emergency landing in the dark after thepilot collapsed. South Today was presented live from Portsmouth
to mark the Government’s decision to end naval shipbuilding in
the city after more than 500 years. And an interview on Spotlightin Plymouth, which revealed how the Police and Crime
Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall was spending more on
support staff than the authority he was elected to replace,prompted much comment from viewers.
East Midlands Today achieved success in the national Royal
Television Awards taking the title of Nations and Regions news
programme of the year, largely in recognition of the way in which
it has dealt with a series of big stories. At the same event, Look
East’s Stewart White was voted regional presenter of the year forthe second time in a row with the judges describing him as being ina class of his own.
Look North (Leeds) presenters Harry Gration and Amy Garcia
cycled all two hundred and fifty miles of the two Yorkshire stagesof this year’s Tour de France on a tandem to raise money forSport Relief. And the North West Tonight team spent a day usingsocial media to take viewers behind the scenes, with pictures andupdates, a live feed of the production gallery as the evening
output was broadcast and a question and answer session with theprogramme’s editor.

Look North presenters Harry Gration and Amy Garcia raised money forSport Relief by completing a 241 mile tandem ride of the Tour de France
stages through Yorkshire

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

During a series of special reports BBC North West Tonight exploredthe issues surrounding the controversial process of extracting gas
known as Fracking05Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Local radio
There has been an emphasis on further developing the role local
radio stations have in delivering original journalism and providing
the audience with a platform to hold people in positions of power
and responsibility to account. Our “hot seat” sequences, which
involve leading figures being questioned directly by the audience,
have continued to be popular and have made some strong output.
BBC Radio Lancashire, working with regional television colleagues,
built a week of output around unlimited access to the county’s
largest hospital, the Royal Preston. Reporters brought a great dealof insight into the intense pressure faced by the teams at thehospital and the coverage included a special “hot seat” with theOn the second anniversary of the murder of Daniel Pelka, BBC
local NHS chief executive.
Coventry and Warwickshire was allowed to embed a reporter with
Our network of specialist political reporters have originated many social services to report on how things have changed since thestrong stories which have also featured prominently on othertragic death of the 4 year old. BBC Radio Derby found itself at the
BBC outlets. The revelation that a college in Luton was claiming
forefront of reporting two particularly significant national stories.
nearly a million pounds for students it did not have a record of
As Mick and Mairead Philpott and their friend Paul Moseley wereteaching came from a leaked report to BBC Three Counties. It
found guilty of the manslaughter of six children in a house fire, thefollowed months of investigative work and the building of contacts station secured the first live interview with Mrs Philpott’s father.
for information. The tenth anniversary of the Morecombe Bay
And a few months later, BBC Radio Derby journalists broadcast an
tragedy led to some powerful output on all the BBC’s outlets in
exclusive live interview with the Al-Madinah School governors in
the North West, with BBC Radio Lancashire running a series ofwhich they revealed that they were going to change their rule on
outside broadcasts, reports and features. The lifeboat crews who making female staff wear a Hijab, regardless of religion. The
went out on the night were among those who shared theirrecording was also broadcast on Radio 4’s Today programme andthoughts and extremely painful memories. BBC Essex and Look
on Breakfast on Five Live, and quotes from it were used by
East told the stories behind the alleged cancer cover-up atcompetitors and newspapers.
Colchester hospital, providing interviews for many other outlets
across the BBC.

Recipients of the BBC Radio York Flood Hero awards

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Laura Rawlings presents the Afternoon Show
on BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Somerset

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Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

A special report by BBC Radio Stoke into the sex trade in North
Staffordshire uncovered evidence of prostitutes working to pay
university fees. The local Police and Crime Commissioner
described the investigation as a “real public service” whichbrought the issue back onto the priority list. BBC Radio Lincolnshire
went to the Romanian city of Cluj to investigate the likely outcomeof the dropping of work restrictions on people from there being
allowed to come to Britain. And an exclusive report by BBC
London 94.9 discovered that almost four thousand women andgirls have been treated for female genital mutilation in the capital’s
hospitals. The story, which ran across radio, TV and online as well
as BBC Arabic, heard powerful and moving testimonies fromwomen who have been involved.
BBC Radio Manchester took some of its main programmes on theroad for eight weeks for an ambitious outreach campaign, while
BBC WM’s summer tour, “Loving Where You Live”, involved
taking the station out for a month of outside broadcasts in June.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Torvill and Dean winninggold with Bolero, BBC Radio Nottingham went back to Sarajevo
with them. The station organised a reunion, which reduced Chrisand Jane to tears, with a girl who collected flowers from the rinkin their Olympic performance in 1984.
There has been a drive to increase the diversity of the teams who
produce and deliver BBC local radio programmes and content,with the aim of developing broadcasters and production staff
who better reflect the wide range of people and communities
we serve. A series of coaching and development workshops wererun jointly by BBC English Regions and the BBC Academy for
up-and-coming female presenters from both within and outside
the BBC who would like to advance their on-air skills. We havemade great strides forward towards achieving our goal toincrease significantly the number of female presenters who hostour most high profile output, particularly our Breakfast
programmes. And an apprenticeship scheme is being run toattract new members of the workforce from a wider range ofbackgrounds. All these initiatives are being directly supportedby the BBC’s Director-General, Tony Hall.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Torvill and Dean winning Gold with
the Bolero, BBC Radio Nottingham went back to Sarajevo with themManagement Review 2013/14 – English Regions

A programme recorded at BBC Birmingham – “The Asian
Silence? Rape, honour, violence: Are crimes against women thelast taboo?” marked the first anniversary of the Delhi rape case.
The debate brought key thinkers and activists together withordinary women – young and old – and was used across Asian
programmes on local radio stations as well as on the BBC Asian
Network.
BBC Radio Manchester’s first annual charity appeal raised morethan £770,000 for the Christie Cancer hospital which needed amobile chemotherapy unit. BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio York and
BBC Radio Suffolk also ran fundraising partnerships with local
charities in 2013, with two further stations starting them in 2014.
BBC Hereford and Worcester listeners and staff achieved a world
record for putting together the longest unbroken line of bunting
for Children in Need. They managed six miles.
BBC Radio Humberside did the double by taking the Station of theYear title at both the UK Radio Academy and Frank Gillard
awards. The station has been running an outreach project linked
to the bombing of Hull by Zeppelins in 1915 which has involved
working with a local playwright with the aim of engaging people innormally hard to reach areas by involving them in a uniquecommunity drama based on the story of the German raids. To
mark BBC Radio Cumbria’s 40th birthday the station worked inpartnership with the BBC Philharmonic to create a community
orchestra and chorus.
Following a long campaign by listeners asking for a bespoke
service for Dorset, a new weekday breakfast programme waslaunched for people living in the county.

BBC Radio Manchester’s Sam Walker and Bill Rice abseiling down
Old Trafford for the station’s Christie charity appeal

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Online and social media
The key issue for online this year has been refocusing our offering
in response to audience feedback. The demand has been for amore agile model of delivery that sees better use made ofmultimedia content and more frequent updates. Six indexes havebeen turned to this new format, with others to follow. Audience
response has been positive and the establishment of new ways ofworking in our newsrooms has improved communications
between journalists working on different media. Next steps will
be to add better video and audio functionality.
A significant piece of work has been done with a group of local
press titles to explore better ways of working together, surfacing
the most valuable content from outside the BBC on our websites
and beyond. We will build on this and develop our relationshipwith local press and other media providers such as the new Local
TV operators during 2014.
Editorially, we have focused on delivering distinctive added value
and original journalism with our work on the Hillsboroughinquests, several key trials such as that of Daniel Pelka’s parents,
the devastating flooding at the start of the year and World War
One commemorations receiving particular plaudits. We have also
improved our use of infographics and longer form journalism withwork on a Hillsborough ‘wall’ of the victims’ faces, significant workon fracking, the anniversary of the Kegworth air disaster and ourwork on the Mary Rose.
Original journalism highlights included work which employed theFreedom of Information act to expose errors at Kettering
hospital and revealed that structural issues at Bath Abbey werecaused by buried bodies.

BBC Hereford and Worcester listeners designed a flag forWorcestershire which now flies all over the county

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Our sports teams, fully restructured in the last two years,
generated some excellent journalism following the Portsmouth
football club takeover by fans’ group the Pompey Supporters’
Trust and an exclusive on Gareth Hock saying he was “unfairly
treated” after being kicked out of England’s Rugby League World
Cup squad. Strong local relationships have delivered dividends onstories such as the Leeds United takeover saga and sport has also
created more opportunities for covering events like the Aviva
using live text.
In social media we have rationalised our presence on key third
party sites, seeking to build on best practice in our own teams andin the wider BBC, to remove underperforming sites and to ensurethat we make the best of new developments. Engagement with
our third party pages, especially over events such as this year’s
widespread flooding, has been significant and we continue to use
social media as a way to drive reach and engagement with ourservices.
Weekly and special output
The BBC launched its coverage to mark the centenary of WorldWar One with the BBC Nations and Regions-led World War One
at Home project at the heart of the plans. More than a thousand
stories linked to places around the UK are being created in an
ambitious partnership involving the Imperial War Museum andacademics from across the country. As well as featuring across
BBC Local Radio, regional news and local online services, thestories have appeared on network programmes including The One
Show, Five Live breakfast and Breakfast on BBC One. More stories
will be told throughout 2014 and a website featuring the collectionof a hundred stories per region is now growing, full of stories of
how the conflict rippled down every street.

BBC Radio York presenter Jonathan Cowap broadcasting live fromthe Great Yorkshire Show08

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Inside Out continued to deliver moments of original journalism,in spite of BBC financial cutbacks coming into force. As well as
regions continuing to focus on challenging local journalism, we
continued to find success, in audience terms, when we joined up
to highlight a particular topic, such as energy theft, food safety or
immigration issues. The Inside Out run finished strongly, althoughconcerns around the pressures on our teams, and the amount ofinvestigative journalism they can deliver, is something we continue
to monitor.

We have looked for opportunities to provide a broader range ofstories reflecting the life of the region for TV viewers acrossEngland. In the autumn we looked at the issue of threatenedbuildings, pegged loosely to the tenth anniversary of the BBC
Restoration series; and we revealed the rich abundance of wildlife
as part of BBC Learning’s Urban Wildlife season (which went on to
be repeated as a network series on BBC Two).

We enjoyed continued success in getting local programmes
shown on the network – thus extending both the reach and theenjoyment for the audience. A three-part, fly-on-the-walldocumentary following life at York Minster over the course of theyear, for instance, has been transmitting in Yorkshire and theNorth East, and is now going on to be repeated on BBC Two. Our
aim is to continue this trend and try to do more with networks –from BBC Four, to BBC Two, to the News Channel.

Meanwhile our weekly rugby league programme The Super League
Show produced more programmes than ever, featuring, for the
first time on TV, highlights from all sixteen ties in the Challenge
Cup fourth round in one edition. The programme has a national
repeat, while its presenter, Look North’s Tanya Arnold, has also
become a key member of the BBC’s network rugby league
coverage team, presenting World Cup highlights shows in
the autumn.

BBC Radio Jersey’s Sports Editor Tim Pryor at the2013 Island Games in Bermuda

The teams run out for BBC Radio Derby’s Legends football match whichraised money for Sport Relief

Despite being ostensibly a regional broadcast, we continue toenjoy the occasional network-only commission. Children’s
It has also been the first year of a fruitful collaboration between
Emergency Rescue, an off-shoot from the successful Helicopter
Inside Out and The One Show, with local journalists regularly
Heroes series made in Yorkshire, was a three-part hit forcontributing ideas and items to the One Show when Inside Out is off BBC Two, while Helicopter Heroes Down Under has been reair, or when a current affairs story develops in a particular regioncommissioned and is already in production for 2015.
or patch. Examples have included the coastal erosion story fromBBC East and the Dawlish railway crisis from BBC South West.
Sport
English Regions sport continues to follow, reflect and celebrate its
Meanwhile, the same teams were also very active in delivering
teams and stars, whether large or small.
one-off specials for television, funded through the ‘Impact Fund’
we hold in reserve in order to invest in journalism outside the
The BBC West Midlands edition of Late Kick Off, our late Monday
Inside Out run, or mark particular events in the life of a region. Two night TV football programme, won a prestigious Prix Circom
strong examples were a very moving investigation into theaward for best regional sports output. The strand, now into its
Birmingham Pub Bombings, called Who Murdered Maxine? by thefifth series, continues to reflect the ups and down of local teams
West Midlands team, and a half-hour programme to mark anwith strong sports journalism. The version for London and theamazing archaeological discovery on Dartmoor. Mystery of theSouth East regions spotlighted the change of ownership at
Moor almost doubled the audience normally watching BBC One at Charlton and had the first interview with manager Chris Powellthat time in the South West.
after his sacking.

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions09

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

BBC Local Radio stations have a special place for sports fans,following their local sides through thick and thin. While moststations have commentated on their sports teams at home andabroad for years, BBC Radio Guernsey began to do commentary
for the first time on all Guernsey FC’s games this season, reflecting
their rise up the Isthmian Leagues. Their away matches are all on
the UK mainland at tiny grounds, so it has been challenge to get
the outside broadcast on air.
In unique partnerships with BBC Sport and the ECB, a majorinnovation in the summer was our enhanced county cricket
service, with ball-by-ball commentary on every match the 18
counties play. This drew warm compliments from cricket fans,more than 700,000 page impressions and listeners from all over
the world. Many games were also re-broadcast on Radio 5 LiveSports Extra.

Three hundred replacement small video cameras have been
introduced for journalists to film their own material. Meanwhile,the use of mobile phone technology and tablets has continued totransform newsgathering and live broadcasting capability acrossEnglish Regions.
A major project to refresh and increase the size of the fleet of live
broadcast vehicles used across the BBC’s News Group has so far
resulted in the introduction of twenty nine new vehicles aimed
specifically at local radio, regional television and network news.
This will improve the capability of the overall news division to
respond to breaking stories.

Local TV
BBC English Regions has a key role in the launch phase of the UK’s
emerging local television industry. On behalf of the wider BBC,
we are leading on a plan agreed between the government and theLive boxing is not a regular part of BBC Local Radio schedules, but
BBC Trust which encourages the new independent stations to
BBC Tees covered local boxer Stuart Hall’s World Bantamweightdevelop strong news operations. A fund, worth up to £15m overtitle fight at the Newcastle Arena. It was a bold and ambitious
three years, allows us to buy news footage created by the stations.
piece of broadcasting, with unprecedented access to both fighters
The revenue they earn will help them in their crucial early years.
in the build-up.
The first station, Estuary TV, went on air from Grimsby in
Our online sports service, with a Birmingham hub and regional
November 2013. On their launch day, Look North aired theirjournalists around England, ensures that local stories are written
footage of Spanish nurses arriving to solve a staff shortage inup for www.bbc.co.uk/sport, with many becoming lead stories.
Lincolnshire. Mustard TV in Norwich launched in March 2014. An
original story emerging from the newsroom they share with theTechnology
Eastern Daily Press was used by BBC East on TV, on radio, andEnglish Regions’ presence on digital platforms has seen some
online.
welcome improvements, with regional news available earlier inthe evening and ‘listen again’ facilities for Local Radio now on the
We offer training to the new stations and provide the technical
BBC News app.
facilities for the video transfers. More stations will launch in the
coming year and most are keen to enter the partnership deal with
The multi-million pound refurbishment of the BBC South Westthe BBC.
headquarters in Plymouth got underway, and ambitious work totransform and modernise the technology at local radio sites
across the country has made great strides. Much of theequipment is centralised, while studio production and editorial
teams remain local. The first station, BBC Radio Northampton, is
expected to go live with the new kit in the summer of 2014.
BBC Radio Northamptonshire commentator Chris Egerton and
BBC Radio Kent’s Peter Guise enjoying refreshments at Canterbury

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

BBC Radio Derby’s Sally Pepper learning to Morris Dance

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Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

Future strategy

Contacts

One of our chief priorities will be to do more to ensure our
output, and our teams who are responsible for it, more closelyreflect the tremendous range of communities we serve. With
this in mind, we are delighted to be at the centre of the BBC’s
biggest ever apprenticeship scheme which is offering 45 placesacross English Regions – at all our local radio stations and someof our regional bases. The 15 month scheme, which wasannounced by the Director-General, is aimed at non-graduates
and will be run by the BBC Academy in partnership with theCity of Wolverhampton College. It will sit alongside another ofour key initiatives to increase the number of female presentershosting mainstream output on local radio.

If you wish to find out more about the BBC’s year –including full financial statements and performanceagainst other public commitment – then please visit
www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport

Building on the success of BBC North, the corporation has
launched Project England. This new initiative will work acrossEngland from our bases in Salford, Birmingham and Bristol
to increase the connection with audiences out of London.
The revitalisation of BBC Birmingham has already begun with
£23.5 million going into the city in the next two years and 200
jobs moving to the centre.

BBC Information
PO Box 1922
Darlington
DL3 0UR

Our aim over the coming year will be to increase the range,
ambition and quality of our original journalism even further
across television, radio and online – with a clear emphasis on
locally rooted, accountability based editorial content and debate.
We will seek to expand our reputation for providing audienceswith a direct route to question and challenge those in positionsof responsibility. This will be particularly evident as our dedicatednetwork of political reporters and correspondents report thetwists and turns which will inevitably surface in the run-up to
next year’s general election.
We will continue to take a lead with high profile BBC-wide
editorial projects – including the current season of output
to commemorate the centenary of World War One.

If you want to know more about how the BBC
is run, then please visit
www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc
BBC Information is our audience’s virtual front door
to the BBC. If you have a question, comment, complaint
or suggestion about the BBC, its programmes or services,then please write to us at:

Telephone: 03700 100 222*
(Lines are open 24 hours a day. Calls may be monitoredor recorded for training purposes.)
Textphone: 03700 100 212*
Fax: 0141 307 5770
To find out more about the BBC services where you live –including programmes, news, weather, travel, sport,
activities and events – visit us atwww.bbc.co.uk/england*0370 numbers are called ‘UK wide’ and cost no more than calls to 01 or 02
geographic numbers.

Our teams are involved in the BBC’s drive to increase andenhance coverage of the arts, including plans to work with the
RSC on a Shakespeare 2016 season. BBC Radio Bristol has been
piloting a format similar to BBC Introducing to give a voice tolocal comedians, poets and storytellers.
Additionally, our focus will be on improving our interaction withthe audience through social media platforms, our Local Live online
updates and other digital opportunities. This will not only enable
us to form a deeper relationship with members of our existingaudience, but will also help us to connect with new groups ofpeople who may not use our more traditional services.
Underpinning all these developments will be our determination
to nurture and grow even stronger the special relationship ourteams are able to achieve with their audiences by reflecting reallife at a local level in communities across the country.

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

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Senior management teamDavid Holdsworth
Controller English Regions

Laura Ellis
Head of New Media

Craig Henderson
Head of Programmes

Ian HughesNews Finance Director

Mary Picken
Head of Communications

Mary Picken
Head of Communications

Charles Runcie
Head of Sport

Liz Smith
Head of HR and Development

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

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Heads of regional andlocal programming

Helen Thomas
Yorkshire

Mike Macfarlane
London and South East

Stuart Thomas
East Midlands

David Jennings
East Yorks and Lincs(until Sept 2013, then West Midlands)

Phil Roberts
North East and Cumbria

Aziz RashidNorth West

Jason Horton
South

Mick Rawsthorne
East

Leo DevineSouth West

Cath Hearne
West Midlands (until Sept 2013)

Lucio Mesquita
West

Management Review 2013/14 – English Regions

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BBC English Regions Annual Review 2013/2014 compiled
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