Transforming the BBC

Peter O'Kane

BBC Chief Technology Officer

Published: 1 August 2024

Last week, the BBC announced further plans to become a leaner, more agile organisation as it accelerates its digital-first approach to ensure audiences can access the BBC when and how they want. This means the BBC will close and transfer roles in some areas and create roles in growth areas - with an expected total reduction of around 500 public service roles by the end of March 2025.

Following this, today, as part of changes to the Technology and Media Operations division, BBC Research and Development outlined how it will transform - with a sharper focus to deliver value for audiences, the creative sector and the wider industry.

The BBC has a long history of innovation. From noise-cancelling microphones in the 1930s, to the first transatlantic television transmission in the 1950s, from Ceefax in the 1970s to BBC iPlayer in the 2000s and UHD in the 2010s - at the root of the BBC's most transformative innovations has been BBC Research & Development (R&D). We've done that by anticipating the world's needs, and shaping the future of media through prototyping, experimentation, collaborations and industry standardisation.

Our role is clear in the BBC's Royal Charter, that we provide "a centre of excellence" for research and development in broadcasting and the distribution of audio, visual and audiovisual material.

These days, that means BBC R&D has to help the BBC and its audiences thrive in an increasingly internet-only, AI-enhanced, hyper-competitive future. To do that, we need to explore technologies that can help support the BBC's mission through sustainable innovation - delivering value for all by creating new intellectual properties (such as BBC iPlayer), developing technical capabilities (the UHDs of the future), and shaping the wider media environment through partnerships and standards-setting.

Last week, the BBC unveiled a plan for creative and organisational transformation - which will involve moving money into priority areas where we're providing real value for audiences.

As part of this transformation, and to ensure BBC R&D remains a centre of excellence and continues to foster world class innovations, we'll be reorganising to give ourselves a sharper focus. That's why we are reshaping our R&D teams and skills to get the best out of our expertise, know-how, talent and resources. We want to accelerate how fast we innovate - collaborating with teams internally and organisations externally to make sure audiences get the best value from the BBC - and do everything we can to support the move to digital services delivered over the Internet.

To be clear, BBC R&D's remit, role, and purpose will remain unchanged and will continue to play a critical role in accelerating innovation across the BBC. We will continue to invent, innovate, and influence the industry in internet-based, digital and broadcasting technologies that benefit the BBC and contribute to the UK creative economy.

To do this, we will create six teams:

• Applied Research Area - Artificial Intelligence: Advancing the application of Large Language Models and AI Safety by bridging AI research with other disciplines to tackle real-world challenges
• Applied Research Area - Media: Driving the transformation in the tools, streaming and distribution technologies - to ensure our products and services can be delivered efficiently on internet-connected devices
• Applied Research Area - Foundation: Facilitating the shift to new ways of computing, storing and managing media and AI applications
• Propositions team: Working with BBC and industry partners to design and develop comprehensive innovative digital experiences that are ready for market
• Advisory team: Defining and influencing technology standards, innovative research roadmaps and policy and regulation
• Portfolio & Delivery team: Accurately tracking and managing the delivery of research projects

To get there we will need to consolidate some existing capabilities and inevitably, having this sharper focus will mean we won't be able to keep doing everything we're doing today.

This change won't be easy - but this refocused, smaller team will help us deliver our key objectives to support the BBC's mission, providing value for all - while setting us for a fast-paced changing world that is increasingly digital. I'm excited that BBC R&D can and will continue to be a centre of excellence, as we help to create a BBC for the future.

Thanks for reading.

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