BBC Trust Holds Inaugural Meeting

The BBC Trust, the body set up under the new Charter to replace the BBC Governors as the BBC's sovereign body in January, recently held its first meeting.
Michael Grade, Chairman of the BBC Trust, said: "For the first time, the public will help set the strategic agenda for its BBC. Today we have begun to put in place the necessary arrangements to make that happen.
"One of our first tasks as Trustees will be to consult the public about the priorities we should set BBC management to meet the 'Six Public Purposes' laid out in the new Charter.
"This will include the first of the Trust's regular major audience research surveys, asking the public how the BBC is performing.
"There will also be an early meeting with the new Audience Councils – whose role is to help the Trust find out what the public around the UK think about the BBC."
The Trust was briefed today on the very different system of governance introduced by the new Charter.
Key areas included the proposed approach to engaging with the public; the new regulatory framework of public value tests and competitive impact codes; and the new Service Licences and Purpose Remits the Trust will deploy to monitor performance of the BBC in delivering its public service remit.
Michael Grade said: "The BBC Trust faces a busy and challenging first year. We must establish the new regime for overseeing the BBC's services and in the months ahead consider the BBC's latest creative proposals.
"We must establish relationships with our key partners – outside and inside the BBC.
"And, most of all, the Trust must ensure the infrastructure is in place to allow us to work on behalf of all licence fee payers. We are required to ensure that the BBC provides high quality output and value for money. Accountability to licence fee payers and understanding their needs and expectations is our key task. All future judgements will be informed by evidence gathered from licence fee payers."
At the meeting, the Trust agreed that one of its first priorities is to meet the Charter requirement to issue Service Licences before 1 January 2007 to each of the BBC's existing 27 services, reflecting the services as they are currently delivered.
Once issued, these Licences will be the baseline against which the Trust will consider any future proposals from BBC management to change services or applications for new services.
The first set of Service Licences will be 'interim' until the Purpose Remits, which they will sit alongside, are finalised during 2007.
Draft Purpose Remits will be published in the New Year, and a period of public consultation will follow.
The Trust agreed its 'Standing Orders' and confirmed Mark Thompson as Director-General and Chairman of the Executive Board. This appointment, together with that of Mark Byford as Deputy Director-General, marks the first step in establishing the Executive Board.
The process for appointment of non-executive directors to the Executive Board, also a requirement of the Transitional Provisions of the Charter, is underway and appointments will be announced by the BBC in due course.
The Trust confirmed the appointment of Nicholas Kroll as Director, Trust Unit and delegated the necessary powers to him to establish the Trust Unit which will replace the Governance Unit to provide the Trustees with independent advice and support.
On behalf of all members of the BBC Trust, Vice-Chairman Chitra Bharucha said: "We are all very pleased to have started to put the Trust in place. The new arrangements will take a little time to bed down but we are convinced they will result in greater clarity, consistency, and transparency – both in how the BBC itself operates and the way in which the Trust will hold BBC management to account.
"The purpose of this regime is to ensure the BBC provides quality programmes and services efficiently for everyone throughout the UK. We look forward to representing the interests of all licence fee payers to that end."
The BBC Trust will meet again during December and January before its first formal monthly meetings on 24 January.
(SP)