The BBC has released a film, fronted by Romesh Ranganathan and featuring a host of celebrities which makes the case for a publicly funded BBC.
The three minute 45-second film begins with Ranganathan asking ‘what has the BBC ever done for me?’
“Given the huge range of things the BBC does, deciding what to feature in this campaign was no easy task,” says BBC Chief Customer Officer Kerris Bright. “We used audience research to help identify the programmes, services and initiatives that resonate most strongly with viewers, listeners and users today – from Bitesize to The Traitors – while also reminding audiences of some of the things the BBC provides that they may not immediately think about.”
The film includes reference to the fact that 2024/25, the BBC contributed £6.7 billion to the UK economy and supported more than 79,000 jobs. For every £1 the BBC spends, £3.49 is generated across the wider economy.
“I strongly, strongly believe that the BBC should exist and look, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s without its flaws,” says Ranganathan.”There have definitely been times and issues where I wished it could have dealt with things differently – but I feel incredibly passionate about the fact that we should have it and it adds so much to our lives. And I’m really proud of it.
In 2025 the BBC undertook our biggest ever listening exercise through the Our BBC, Our Future questionnaire, conducted ahead to the review of our Royal Charter beyond 2027. In total, 872,701 account holders shared their views.
The current Royal Charter comes to an end on 31 December 2027.
In March 2026, the BBC published a 100-page response to the Government’s Green Paper Charter consultation setting out its vision to boost the UK’s creative economy, support democracy and give greater value to audiences.
During the consultation, the BBC published a set of nine impact briefings setting out the unique value the BBC provides in key sectors and content areas – Sport, News, Comedy, Music, Arts & Culture, Children’s & Education, Independent Producers, Science & Nature, and the BBC World Service.
The briefings aim to provide the public, and anyone considering engaging with the Charter Review process, a collection of key facts and statistics that offer more of an insight into the role the BBC plays at the heart of the UK’s creative industries.
Pippa Considine
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