The BBC‘s £700M ($870M) out-of-London masterplan has been criticized for having an “incomplete” evaluation process and lacking a “coherent approach.” The UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) issued its latest report this morning on the Across the UK masterplan and picked a number of holes, while delivering a wealth of recommendations.
The BBC said it was “disappointed” by the NAO’s “commentary.” The plan was unveiled with fanfare by Director General Tim Davie three years ago and was one of his first big blueprints.
It involves moving £700M more investment outside of London by March 2028, with shows, employees and hubs shifted beyond the capital in a bid to better represent and contribute towards the UK’s nations and regions.
But, three years on, the NAO said it is “concerned the BBC was too confident of what it can deliver in the future.” “It has begun implementing its programme without a clear plan and could not readily explain the expected impact and benefits for licence fee payers,” added the report.
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