Nations Committee reports

Wales

The BBC Wales Committee met twice in Cardiff and once in Bangor where the team were celebrating 90 years of broadcasting. I was joined by members Michael Smyth, Rhuanedd Richards, Rhys Evans, Garmon Rhys and Michael Jochnowitz. In addition to the regular meetings, we attended a joint Nations Committee meeting in Glasgow.

Across all meetings, the Committee maintained a focus on delivering high‑quality content for Welsh audiences, strengthening the BBC’s editorial and cultural leadership, preparing for Charter renewal, and supporting a resilient and representative Nations division. The Committee also reviewed strategic, editorial and operational priorities for BBC Wales, with a particular focus on audience impact, production performance, governance, the Nations division, and preparation for upcoming elections.

The Committee scrutinised editorial output and journalism, including News performance, the Caerphilly by-election, cross‑platform sport performance, and the development of guidelines for the 2026 Senedd election coverage. Members were briefed on early planning for Wales election reporting, the integration of Your Voice and BBC Verify, and the formation of a pan‑Nations’ election steering group.

A significant area of work discussion centred on the forthcoming new BBC Television and iPlayer commissioning model, designed to boost the portrayal of Wales from April 2026 onwards.

Audience insights were examined regularly, including RAJAR figures for Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, audience behaviour on digital platforms, and performance on BBC Sounds – boosted by cross‑network content such as Fool’s Gold.

Operational updates covered finance, property and resilience planning, with particular attention to production bases in Cardiff, Bangor and Wrexham.

The Committee also reviewed AI innovation and completion of mandatory Generative AI staff training.

Members also considered the regulatory environment, particularly the Ofcom 2025 PSB Review; in addition, the media market in Wales was noted, including some of the challenges facing the independent sector.

To coincide with the 90th anniversary of the BBC in Bangor, the Committee visited the site and met with a range of regional stakeholders in a special reception to note the anniversary. The Committee also scrutinised the BBC’s output in the North, from bases in Wrexham and Bangor for Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and News output along with partnership working such as the relationship with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Universities of Bangor and Wrexham.

Outside the Committee I was pleased to attend many stakeholder meetings, including attendance at the BBC Proms where the National Orchestra of Wales performed.

More detailed information on the BBC’s performance in Wales can be found in Delivering across the UK and The BBC in Wales.

Scotland

The BBC Scotland Committee met in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stornoway along with attending a joint Nations Committee hosted in BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow. In the meetings, I was joined by Samir Shah, Rhuanedd Richards, Hayley Valentine, Luke McCullough and Lorna Clarke.

The Committee maintained a focus on strengthening working culture, editorial leadership and stakeholder engagement across Scotland. Regular updates from the Director, Scotland highlighted the evolving shape of the executive team, including new appointments in News, Audio and Events, and progress on major content activity. This included new drama commissions, successes such as The Ridge, and ongoing work following the closure of River City. The Committee noted significant factual programming, including documentaries and digital experimentation such as the strong performance of vertical video pilots. Sport continued to be a major audience driver, with strong figures for football coverage and recognition of the 50th anniversary of Sportscene.

The Committee also reviewed progress on Radio Scotland, including refreshed breakfast output and the launch of new shows developed collaboratively across News, Sport and Audio. Podcasts continued to demonstrate strong momentum, and there was increasing focus on developing new entertainment formats. In addition, the Committee noted the success of public‑facing initiatives such as the Make a Difference Awards and children’s outreach activity across Scotland.

Across the meetings, the Director, Nations provided updates on strategic alignment between Nations, News and Content divisions, with a clear emphasis on audience engagement, strengthening editorial strategy and improving geographical representation across the UK. Leadership changes within Nations were noted, alongside preparations for major election coverage, supported by BBC Verify, with a pan‑Nations steering approach.

Market reports highlighted emerging dynamics in Scotland’s media environment, including Ofcom’s Public Service Media Review, language‑use data trends, and announcements such as STV’s plans for a new radio station. The Committee also noted changes to international access for BBC Sounds and broader political and stakeholder engagement activity.

In Stornoway, the Committee received a detailed regional update from the Gaelic services team, discussing strategic ambitions, digital developments and the recruitment of a new Digital Reporter located in the Western Isles. Discussions emphasised the importance of Gaelic Medium Education, cultural retention in island communities, and the potential establishment of a Nations sub‑committee focused on indigenous language content.

The Committee also met with MG ALBA leadership to review partnership performance, future opportunities and the wider strategic context ahead of Charter discussions. The importance of a sustainable future funding model and a strengthened digital strategy was highlighted.

Across all meetings, the Committee received regular finance and audience updates, noting consumption trends for BBC Scotland content, financial forecasts and ongoing work to support resilient performance.

More detailed information on the BBC’s performance in Scotland can be found on Delivering across the UK and The BBC in Scotland.

Northern Ireland

The BBC Northern Ireland Committee met three times in Belfast along with a joint all-Nations meeting in Glasgow.

I was joined at the Committee by Caroline Thomson, Adam Smyth, Rhuanedd Richards, Rhodri Talfan Davies, Mark Adair and Fiona Campbell with updates from senior editorial leaders.

The Committee received regular reports from the Director of BBC Northern Ireland, covering key editorial output, staff matters, and progress on strategic priorities. Highlights included the continued success of locally produced dramas such as Blue Lights, which gained significant acclaim and industry recognition, including a BAFTA win, whilst other titles such as Titanic Sinks Tonight and Confessions of a Killer also achieved strong audience and critical responses. The Committee additionally noted positive developments in audio and digital content, including the high performance of the Assume Nothing brand and other top‑ranking BBC Sounds titles.

The Committee continued to oversee workplace culture improvements. These included leadership training, coaching programmes, and actions responding to internal staff surveys, where participation and follow‑up planning remained a focus.

The Committee spent considerable time reviewing strategic developments in commissioning and content production. This included updates on joint commissioning plans with BBC Content, ongoing engagement linked to the Green Paper on BBC Charter Review, and evolving guidance for independent producers across the UK. Members also discussed minority language provision and future commitments in this area.

The Committee monitored progress on the large-scale refurbishment of Broadcasting House, including new studio and public areas and the use of the latest broadcast technology.

Financial performance and forecasting were scrutinised at each meeting. The Committee reviewed BBC Northern Ireland’s delivery against its regulatory obligations, portrayal spend, children’s content investment and Ofcom out‑of‑London production targets.

Finally, the Committee heard about ongoing work to develop a new BBC editorial partnership with the Ulster Orchestra, seeking to maximise its impact and benefits into the future.

Overall, the Committee recognises the strong creative output and operational resilience of BBC Northern Ireland during the period, and notes the commitment of its teams in delivering high‑quality, distinctive content for audiences across Northern Ireland.

More detailed information on the BBC’s performance in Northern Ireland can be found on Delivering across the UK and The BBC in Northern Ireland.

England

The England Committee met in Leeds and Bradford, Birmingham and Jersey along with a joint all-Nations Committee in Glasgow. I was joined in the Committee by Michael Plaut, Rhuanedd Richards, Robert Thompson, Jason Horton, Chris Burns, Adrian Mills and Jon Petrie with updates provided by senior leaders across Local Production, Audio, Audiences, Regional teams and Finance.

Editorial performance remained strong throughout the period. The Committee noted a continuing run of high‑impact journalism and investigations and major coverage of Bradford’s City of Culture events, BBC Children in Need, NHS Day, Transfer Window Deadline Day, Make a Difference and significant breaking news such as the Huntingdon train attacks, extreme weather in the South West, and water shortages in southern England.

Sport continued to strengthen audience performance, supported by digital investment and expanded football programming, including new EFL club feeds, AI My Club Daily and increased visualised content on digital platforms.

True‑crime and documentary podcasts such as Crime Next Door, Strange But True Crime, Love Bombed, and The Sanctuary continued to develop online audiences and secure cross‑platform reach, including broadcast opportunities on Radio 4.

Strategic updates from the Director of Nations emphasised priorities in digital responsiveness, portrayal, tone of voice, and regional identity. Work progressed on the Across the UK strategy, including enhanced commissioning models and strengthened collaboration with BBC News. Preparations for forthcoming elections and development of the BBC’s “Made Of” campaign also featured prominently.

The Committee monitored implementation of Culture Review actions, supported by initiatives such as “Lead from Here” training and the ‘Call It Out’ campaign. Staff survey results in Local continued to trend above BBC averages, with action plans monitored by the Committee.

Audience insight work guided planning, including assessment of Local and regional performance, strong engagement with true‑crime formats, and preparation of new analytical tools such as a social dashboard.

The Committee welcomed the establishment of an Editorial Standards Group in England to share editorial best practice and the creation of the impartiality champions across the UK, both of which form part of the editorial robustness of the BBC’s output.

More detailed information on the BBC’s performance in England can be found on Delivering across the UK and The BBC in England.