The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of licence-fee payers. On 12 May 2016, it was announced in the House of Commons that, under the next royal charter, the regulatory functions of the BBC Trust were to be transferred to Ofcom.
The trust was established by the 2007 BBC Charter, which came into effect on 1 January in that year. The trust, and a formalised Executive Board, replaced the former Board of Governors. The decision to establish the trust followed the Hutton Inquiry, which had heavily criticised the BBC for its coverage of the death of David Kelly; Labour's political opponents, as well as large numbers of its supporters, saw the Hutton Inquiry as a whitewash, designed to deflect criticism from Tony Blair's government.
In summary, the main roles of the Trust are in setting the overall strategic direction of the BBC, including its priorities, and in exercising a general oversight of the work of the Executive Board. The Trust will perform these roles in the public interest, particularly the interest of licence fee payers. — BBC Royal Charter (2006)
The BBC Trust closed on 2 April 2017 at the expiry of the 2007 royal Charter, which had a 10-year lifespan. Labour had lost power in 2010, and other political parties had established a parliamentary majority by the time it came to the moment for a new royal charter to be written. Governance of the BBC was transferred to the new BBC Board in April 2017, with Ofcom assuming regulatory duties.
Trustees
The royal charter established that the trust should have twelve trustees, including a chairman, a vice-chairman and a member for each of the Home Nations of the United Kingdom. Appointments to the BBC Trust are made by Queen-in-Council, on the recommendation of UK government ministers.
The final BBC Trust membership comprised:
Rona Fairhead – chairman of the BBC Trust; former chief executive of the Financial Times Group Sir Roger Carr – vice-chairman of the BBC Trust; chairman of BAE Systems Sonita Alleyne – a former radio executive. Richard Ayre – former deputy chief executive of BBC News. Mark Damazer – Master of St Peter's College, Oxford and former controller of BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7. Mark Florman – the Trustee for England; co-founder and former CEO of the merchant banking group Maizels, Westerberg & Co. Bill Matthews – the Trustee for Scotland. Aideen McGinley – the Trustee for Northern Ireland; a former NI civil servant. Nicholas Prettejohn – a senior City executive. Elan Closs Stephens – the Trustee for Wales; a former chairman of Welsh-language broadcaster S4C. Suzanna Taverne – a former managing director of the British Museum. Lord Williams of Baglan – a former diplomat, appointed as International Trustee.
Trustees served for terms of up to five years (usually four), after which they could be re-appointed.
Former members
Since 2006 the following people were members of the BBC Trust: Michael Grade, now Lord Grade of Yarmouth – former chairman, left the BBC to become executive chairman of ITV plc. Dermot Gleeson – finished two terms, as a BBC governor and a BBC trustee. Richard Tait – finished two terms, as a BBC governor and a BBC trustee. Chitra Bharucha – former vice chairman, and acting chairman; retired after one term. Alison Hastings – former National Trustee for England; finished two terms, a former regional newspaper editor. Janet Lewis-Jones – former National Trustee for Wales; retired after one term. David Liddiment – finished two terms, a former director of programmes at ITV. Jeremy Peat – former National Trustee for Scotland; finished two terms, as a BBC Governor and a BBC Trustee. Sir Michael Lyons – former chairman; retired after one term. Dame Patricia Hodgson – who resigned to take up a position on the board of media regulator Ofcom. Rotha Johnston – finished two terms as BBC trustee for Northern Ireland. Mehmuda Mian – finished two terms as BBC trustee. Anthony Fry – stood down from the trust in the middle of his second term to join the Premier League as chairman. Lord Patten of Barnes – former chairman, resigned mid-term after heart surgery. Diane Coyle – finished two terms as a BBC trustee and vice-chairman of the BBC Trust.