Audience Council England

Audience Council England (ACE) was created upon establishment of the BBC Trust in January 2007. It replaced the Broadcasting Council of England which had many responsibilities the present council now has. ACE plays a key role helping the BBC Trust understand the needs, interests and concerns of audiences. There are other councils for the other three nations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The council meets at least six times per year to assess the BBC’s performance in England. It can meet in various locations around the nation. The regional council chairs will give their regions view on the various BBC services, both national and regional, as well as provide their contribution to the Trust’s formal consultations.

Members

ACE is made up of a chair which is the Trustee for England and the twelve chairs of the Regional Audience Councils. Every BBC region has their own Regional Audience Council. Alison Hastings is currently the Trustee for England. The following members are Chairs of their RACs and members representing their region in ACE.

East

Clarke Willis

Clarke is CEO and Director of Anglia Farmers Limited, a farmer's co-operative representing the interests of 1150 East Anglian farmers. An Agricultural Marketing graduate of Harper Adams, he has extensive business experience including MD of Dengie Crops and General Manager at Spillers Foods. He has served on a number of EU and trade bodies. His interests include the environment and countryside matters, breeding rare breed sheep and singing in a local choir.

East Midlands

Phillippa Denton

Phillippa lives in Rutland where she is a part-time human resources manager for a local manufacturing company. She moved back to the East Midlands in 1993 having previously spent 15 years in London, firstly as a senior defence intelligence analyst for the MOD and later as a human resources manager for a leading City accountancy firm. Her interests include archaeology and local history, watching rugby (Leicester Tigers), and current and community affairs.

London

Dr Christine Fanthome

Christine is Anglo-Indian and mother of three teenagers. She has been a researcher at Thames TV and is now a part-time lecturer in media and communication at two universities in London. From her work and family life she feels she can offer an insight into the lifestyles and media consumption of young people.

North East and Cumbria

Hannah Eyres

Hannah graduated in science from the university of Newcastle and has lived in the North East ever since. She is now the Chief Executive for The Keyfund Federation - a charity whose aim is to help young people meet their potential in life, through engaging in their youth-led learning process.

North West

Julie Panagarry

Julie is a management accountant. In her spare time she is a hockey referee and netball coach. She takes a great interest in the development of the BBC in general and in Radio Lancashire in particular. Julie is a keen listener to Radio Lancashire and an excellent, articulate critic. She is a regular visitor to Radio Lancashire's website and is a digital cable subscriber.

South

Annette Priestley

Following a career working in consumer PR for an American agency in London, Annette Priestley established her own public relations consultancy in 1987. She was instrumental in establishing a Thames Valley business group which continues to meet monthly. With a special interest in educating and training young people for employment, Annette is a mentor for school leavers and ex-young offenders.

South East

David Claridge

David is a retired local government chief officer with experience of working closely with many voluntary and community groups. He is now vice chair of the board of a voluntary organisation providing accommodation for over 500 vulnerable adults in Surrey and Sussex.

South West

Thelma Holland

Thelma already has experience of the BBC's accountability system, having previously been the Chair of the East Regional Advisory Council and the South West Regional Advisory Council before the re-organisation. She had to reluctantly give up her position because her work as an NHS Chief Executive became too much. She has now retired from that job, although continues to undertake consultancy work.

West

Stuart Paterson

Stuart Paterson has recently retired as a TV programme regulator, having worked for Ofcom, the ITC and the IBA. His TV and radio interests focus on news, current affairs and comedy. He also enjoys reading, gardening, walking and politics.

West Midlands

Belinda Channer

Belinda is a pharmaceutical representative for a blue chip company. She also works as a volunteer at a supplementary school for 6-11 year olds, helping disadvantaged children improve their performance and aspirations. She enjoys travelling and learning about different countries and their cultures, and has recently taken up Hypnotherapy.

Yorkshire

Elizabeth Peacock

A former MP for Batley and Spen (1983-1997), Elizabeth is Managing Director of Shilton Investments Ltd, Vice President The Yorkshire Society, a Fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust, and Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire. She is the Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (Yorkshire Region), and Vice Chairman of the House of Commons Association of Former Members of Parliament.

Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Edward (Ted) Wright

Ted is a squadron leader with the Royal Air Force. He is also studying for a degree in Politics and International Relations with the Open University. Due to his technical background, he has a good understanding of how modern technology is changing broadcasting and the challenges facing the BBC. He is a regular user of BBC output both at home and worldwide.

Regional Audience Councils

The Regional Audience Councils (RAC) meet six times a year in their own region usually in the area’s BBC headquarters. They have a specific responsibility in keeping ACE in touch with the view of the viewer in their region. In the meetings, the chair is present as well as representatives from BBC management, usually the Head of Region. Each council also has the responsibility for conducting outreach events, with the aim of reaching as many different types of licensee payers in their region. Each RAC has a minimum of 16 members from many different backgrounds and area. Many are representing a particular group in their region while most are just individuals expressing a view. At least a quarter of members should be regular listeners of their local radio stations, who will comment on programming and attend local radio outreach events.

The RACs represent the following regions:
*BBC North East and Cumbria
*BBC Yorkshire
*BBC North West
*BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
*BBC East Midlands
*BBC West Midlands
*BBC East
*BBC South
*BBC London
*BBC West
*BBC South East
*BBC South West

See Also

*BBC Trust

*BBC English Regions

External Links

BBC Audience Council England [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/ace/index.shtml]

BBC Trust [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/]