18 March 2024 marks the three-year anniversary of the Across the UK strategy, launched by the BBC to move production teams away from London and to better represent the whole of the UK. The scheme is part of the BBC’s biggest transformation in decades.
So far, the scheme has reallocated 350 jobs to areas outside of London and includes a promise to produce 515 hours of content over the next year that reflect the views and experiences of a more diverse UK.
In terms of TV, some of the strategy’s successes include the recent competition show Gladiators being filmed in Sheffield and one of the BBC’s most popular dramas Happy Valley, which was filmed in West Yorkshire.
Radio 4’s popular discussion series Loose Ends has already been recorded in a variety of locations, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Leeds, exploring topical arts and culture from across the UK.
The strategy also wants to open up opportunities to young talent by expanding the BBC’s apprenticeship schemes to Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff and Salford from April this year.
Representing Yorkshire
With over 25 years of experience at the BBC, the senior head of content production for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Katrina Bunker, has been at the forefront of the campaign.
Speaking to Yorkshire Bylines, Bunker said:
“We work really hard in Yorkshire to bring authentic local talent into our teams. It’s about being here and using the opportunity of being here and making sure that the door is open to all the different communities and different voices that we’ve got on the doorstep.”
In particular, Bunker spoke about the New Voices campaign, which is searching for local talent in Bradford ahead of the area being the UK’s City of Culture for 2025. The campaign is offering people who may not have any experience in broadcast journalism an opportunity to get their foot in the door.
A more diverse BBC
The Across the UK strategy has allowed BBC productions to be more attuned to what audiences in different parts of the country are interested in. And, as Bunker said, it makes for distinctive programming:
“Noticing things and thinking about what people are talking about locally, that’s what sets us apart from the rest of the BBC because we are rooted in local areas. It means we can be much more in tune with what matters in our local communities.”
Throughout her career, Bunker has worked on many projects that have helped to get Yorkshire’s voices heard beyond the county. Specifically, her coverage of the menopause with Radio Sheffield ended up being broadcast on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She said:
“It really put Yorkshire on the map, but we were covering it as part of the community, celebrating the moment that Yorkshire was famous and that was great.”
Her other projects include investigative work on the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike and being a part of the team at Radio Leeds when they covered the Tour de Yorkshire.
Future plans for Across the UK
Speaking about the future of journalism in terms of how to ensure access to the widest possible audience, Bunker emphasised the importance of technology and adapting to it. “As journalists”, she said, “we’re going to have to be increasingly innovative in how we deliver journalism. I think we’re going to have to keep innovating with how we tell stories to make sure we’re reaching as many people as we can.”
Further adding to the regional drama achievements of the Across the UK strategy, the BBC is producing a new series, Virdee, which is being filmed in Bradford, and has plans for another Sally Wainwright project called Hot Flush to be filmed in Yorkshire.
Getting into the heart of a variety of communities and allowing their audience to share feedback on new content will be important in helping the BBC to nurture a truly inclusive company with more diverse content. The dedication shown by Bunker and programme output under the strategy so far are hopeful signs that there is a clear commitment to achieving this.
