The BBC Royal Charter is up for renewal, and with it comes a rare opportunity to shape how our national broadcaster serves the whole country and crucially, the countryside. The BBC remains a powerful institution with an important public mission but still too often, in its output, rural Britain is misunderstood, marginalised, or spoken about rather than listened to.
The Countryside Alliance supports retaining the BBC’s core Mission and Public Purposes. A strong, independent public service broadcaster that informs, educates and entertains can and should unite the nation. Unity cannot, however, be built on partial representation. If the BBC is to justify its unique status and universal funding through the TV Licence, it must do more to reflect the experiences and perspectives of our increasingly sceptical rural communities.
Time and again, issues that profoundly affect rural life – farming, land management, animal welfare, field sports, planning, and rural businesses – are framed through an overwhelmingly urban lens. Those who live and work in the countryside are too often drowned out by professional activists or commentators with little connection to rural realities. This imbalance was recognised as far back as the BBC Trust’s 2014 review of rural coverage, yet meaningful progress remains limited.
Trust is also undermined when the BBC appears unwilling or unable to enforce its own standards of impartiality. Public confidence suffers when high-profile presenters are seen to engage in political campaigning while continuing to benefit from the BBC’s platform. Impartiality must apply consistently, regardless of seniority, celebrity or contractual status, particularly when matters of public controversy are concerned that directly affect people’s livelihoods.
Accountability is another pressing concern. The BBC is funded by a licence fee paid by households across the UK, including many rural households who feel poorly served by its output. Yet complaints processes remain opaque, slow, and overly reliant on internal adjudication. Stronger external scrutiny – through Ofcom and Parliament – and clearer editorial transparency would go a long way towards restoring trust.
The next Charter period must also see a genuine commitment to regional and rural representation, not just in storytelling but in decision-making and programme-making. Rural areas are places of innovation, enterprise, and community. The BBC should be telling those stories, and telling them well.
The government’s consultation on the BBC Charter renewal is open now and closes on 10 March. You can read our full response here. If you care about fair representation, impartial journalism, and a BBC that truly serves the whole country, please be encouraged to respond to the consultation yourself.