Published: 16 December 2025
The Government’s Review of the BBC Royal Charter
This marks a critical moment for the BBC and for the whole of the UK’s creative sector.
The Government’s consultation is an opportunity for the public and the industry to have their say on the future of the BBC and shape the UK’s media landscape for the next decade and beyond. The BBC welcomes the debate.
Info: What is the Royal Charter?
What is the Royal Charter?
The Royal Charter is the constitutional basis for the BBC. It provides the legal right for it to exist and operate. It establishes the BBC’s Mission and Public Purposes, as well as important governance and regulatory arrangements, such as the role and composition of the BBC Board.
The current Royal Charter comes to an end on 31 December 2027.
Find out more about the Royal Charter here
What happens now?
We welcome the publication of the UK Government’s Green Paper. It recognises the BBC’s “unique value as our national broadcaster”, sitting “at the heart of this country’s successful media ecosystem, delivering for all of us”.
Above all, we welcome the Government’s clear commitment to using the Charter Review “to futureproof the BBC” and make sure it is “sustainably funded for decades to come to support its vital public service role”.
The BBC will now take time to analyse the Green Paper and respond in full.
We urge everyone who cares about the success of the UK’s world-leading creative industries to do the same. Our audiences own the BBC. It is vital their voices are heard.
What do we think the Charter needs to deliver for the UK public?
Our priority is for the Charter Review to secure a universal public service BBC for a generation.
As the Green Paper sets out, a universal BBC delivers “not just for some, but for all of us”.
It provides popular programming with mass appeal, reaching the broadest possible audiences through services and content which represent and resonate with the lives of all communities across the UK.
To achieve this, the Charter must deliver on three key goals:
Info:
1. Independent: Safeguard the BBC’s independence in the interests of the public
2. Sustainable: Ensure the BBC is sustainable as a universal public service for the long term
3. Responsive: Enable the BBC to meet changing audience needs with speed and agility
As the Green Paper states, the BBC will only be able to deliver for the public if it has a sustainable long-term funding model in place.
That means reform. We recognise the cost-of-living pressures on the UK public, so we are exploring all options for funding the BBC that can provide great value to audiences while also being fairer, more modern, and more sustainable.
Have Your Say
Please take this opportunity to respond to the Government’s consultation and have your say.
We believe that all those who care about this country, our democracy, our creative economy, and our standing in the world should be making the case for a strong, universal public service BBC.
How is this different to the Our BBC, Our Future questionnaire?
In March 2025 we asked 40 million BBC account holders to share their views about the future of the BBC and we received 872,701 responses.
The findings, which are available to read here, showed support for a BBC that plays a critical role for the UK, with 83% of respondents saying it is important that the BBC’s core mission to inform, educate and entertain continues. We are sharing these findings with government as part of their Charter Review work.
Now, the Government is running its own consultation to inform the decision it makes about the BBC’s future.
