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The Â鶹Éç publishes today its Annual Report and Accounts for 2013/14.

This year, the Â鶹Éç has achieved some notable successes in a challenging environment, both in its programming and in saving money.

It has continued to offer something for almost every household in the UK - with 96% of the UK population using a Â鶹Éç service every week. Programming highlights in 2013/14 included the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special, which was broadcast in 98 countries in 15 languages; Andy Murray's win at Wimbledon, which was watched by a peak audience of 17m viewers; and, during the severe winter weather, TV, radio and online teams across the English Regions providing essential information and special programming for local communities.

Under the Delivering Quality First efficiency programme, the Â鶹Éç has saved £374m p.a. and is on track to achieve the £700m p.a. savings required by 2016/17. This follows the Â鶹Éç's previous efficiency programme which concluded in 2012/13 and delivered £580m of ongoing annual savings.

The Â鶹Éç has continued to reduce the amount it spends on talent and total costs are down by 15% since 2008, when the current strategy was first introduced.

Acting Chair Diane Coyle said,

"This past year the Â鶹Éç, led by its new Director-General, has got back on its feet after a very bruising period and there have been numerous programme highlights. The Â鶹Éç Executive has made good progress on its priorities for the past 12 months, and we are expecting further progress in the next year on areas including further improvements in the variety and originality of programmes, value for money and serving an increasingly diverse UK."

Director-General Tony Hall said:

"It's been a fantastic year for the Â鶹Éç with 96 per cent of the UK choosing to watch, listen or use Â鶹Éç services, quite an achievement for any public service organisation. But I think we can do better and this year we've announced how we are going to change the Â鶹Éç to produce more distinctive programmes, ensure the Â鶹Éç truly reflects all of our audiences and provide even better value for money for the licence fee payer."

 The Annual Report for 2013/14 also shows:

• Audiences spent 18.5 hours with the Â鶹Éç every week and, despite continuing budget cuts, have continued to rate the quality of content highly.
• The Trust's review of Â鶹Éç network news and current affairs found it retains unrivalled audience trust thanks to consistently high standards, but it needs to innovate in order to draw a younger audience. Similarly, the Trust's review of children's services found that CÂ鶹Éç and CBeebies are held in very high regard but must adapt to children's rapidly changing ways of engaging with media.
• Since the Â鶹Éç began publishing the top to median earnings multiple in 2011, the Director General to median earnings figure has reduced from 16.8 to 10.9; and the Executive Directors to median earnings figure has reduced from 8.9 to 8.2.
• The Â鶹Éç is ahead of schedule in achieving its out of London targets with 52.5 per cent of programming produced outside the capital in 2013/14 (against a target of 50 per cent) and 19.9% in the nations (against a target of 17 per cent). The Trust's Purpose Remit Survey found the Â鶹Éç has made progress in increasing audience perceptions in the nations and regions, but that viewers and listeners around the UK still want to be better represented in programming.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 and the Full Financial Statements can be found here.

The Â鶹Éç's Annual Report and Accounts and Full Financial Statements are produced pursuant to article 45 of the Royal Charter and are laid in Parliament.

Alongside the Annual Report the following documents have also been published:

By the Trust:

• .

• Purpose Remit Survey Reports for , , , and a summary.

• Â鶹Éç Trust's Observations on .

• for Part 1 of the Annual Report & Accounts.

• Annual Reviews from Audience Councils for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

By the Executive:

• Â鶹Éç Review of Severance Payments 2013/14.

• Equality Information Report.

• Â鶹Éç Performance Against Public Commitments.

• Â鶹Éç Workplan.

• Outreach and Corporate Responsibility Report.

• Â鶹Éç Management Annual Reviews for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• Licence Fee Trust Review.

The and are also published today.