Despite funding pressures and a rapidly changing media landscape, the BBC remains popular with audiences, with 83% of UK adults using its services weekly, according to media regulator Ofcom.
Publishing its annual report on the corporation, Ofcom said the BBC has strong levels of overall audience satisfaction, which stood at 60% in 2024/25. It also found that there are early signs that engagement with younger audiences is improving.
The positive conclusion to the annual report comes after a difficult month for the corporation, which saw Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC, and Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, resign in the wake of a misleading edit of President Donald Trump in a Panorama news programme.
Despite the scandal, Ofcom’s audience research showed that the BBC has remained the most popular source of news in the UK during the current Charter period since 2017.
Ofcom’s most recent figures from May 2025 showed that 70% of regular BBC TV news viewers rated the BBC highly for accuracy, and 68% rated the organisation highly for trust.
However, the regulator noted that the BBC “has recently faced a significant crisis involving editorial decision-making at the heart of its news and current affairs output.”
Ofcom has previously warned – and stressed again in its annual report – that the BBC Board and Executive “must take a firmer grip and act swiftly and transparently when controversies or failures arise.”
Ofcom added: “Addressing audience concerns about impartiality and holding itself to account when things go wrong is critical for the BBC to uphold and maintain audience trust. This must be a firm focus for the BBC as it resets to deliver for audiences in the next Charter period and beyond.”
Alongside this, Ofcom recommended that the BBC deepen its engagement with less satisfied audiences – including those on lower incomes. It suggested that the organisation should innovate and take risks to excite and engage, making content available where people want to watch it, such as on third-party platforms.
The BBC recently responded to President Trump’s legal team, saying that while the corporation "sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited" it "strongly disagree[s] there is a basis for a defamation claim." Discover more here.
.jpg)
Expanded Future Tech to showcase the very best in innovation, technology and talent
After a successful debut in 2025, Future Tech returns to Hall 14 of the RAI this year, with more features, more innovation and more of the technologies shaping the next era of media and entertainment.
Netflix uses GenAI on 300 titles in 2026
Netflix has revealed that nearly 300 titles on its platform have used generative AI, from early concept stages and pre-visualisation through to post-production and release.
Poppy Dixon appointed BBC Head of Documentaries
The BBC has appointed former Sky executive Poppy Dixon as its Head of Documentaries.
Virgin Media launches AI robots to monitor TV network in real-time
Virgin Media has created its own AI robots to monitor its television network quality in real-time in a bid to quickly identify and resolve any issues when they occur.
US government seizes over 1,000 websites streaming FIFA World Cup
Global anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has applauded the US government’s seizure of over 1000 illegal websites streaming the FIFA World Cup over the past month.
