BBC Trust changes approval process for temporary services

The BBC Trust is to change the way that temporary BBC services are approved.

Under the new arrangements, proposals for temporary services, which must not exceed 28 days in duration and must keep within existing budgets, will still be subject to any necessary regulatory assessment, including an assessment of their significance, but this will be carried out by the BBC Executive Board, not the Trust.

The BBC will be required to publish annually a list of the temporary services it plans to introduce, and publish further information about each service 28 days before it launches.

The Trust will still have the right to approve, suspend or close a temporary service if it considers that there are grounds for such action in any particular case.

The Trust said the change is consistent with the commitments made by the BBC Trust and BBC Executive in the joint governance review published in December 2013.

Examples of temporary services include the Radio 5live Olympics Extra service which broadcast on a temporary basis during the London 2012 Olympic Games.