On 10 March, the EBU submitted its response to the UK Government’s consultation on the renewal of the BBC Royal Charter, warning that the outcome will shape not only the BBC’s future, but the wider direction of public service media in the digital age.

At a time when trusted media faces growing pressure from global platforms, disinformation and shifting consumption habits, the Charter Review is more than an administrative exercise. It is a strategic choice about whether the BBC remains a universal, independent and sustainable public service, or enters a period of gradual weakening.

As one of the world’s most recognised public service media organisations, the BBC serves as a benchmark across Europe. Its governance model, funding structure and digital strategy influence debates well beyond the United Kingdom.

In its submission, the EBU makes five core recommendations.

• The BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain remains essential, but its remit must be applied in a technologically neutral way, enabling it to operate effectively across on-demand and third-party platforms in order to reach younger audiences and counter misinformation.
• Independence must be reinforced. “Governance is not a procedural question; it is the bedrock of public trust,” said Jenny Weinand, Head of Media Law at the EBU. “The next Charter should strengthen transparency and accountability in appointment processes and ensure durable safeguards that shield the BBC from political or commercial interference, while preserving its ability to innovate.”
• Prominence rules must be future-proofed to ensure BBC content remains visible and discoverable in increasingly personalised, platform- and AI-driven environments.
• Sustainable funding is indispensable. “If the BBC is to remain a universal public service, its funding must reflect digital realities without undermining collective contribution,” said Alexandre Fall, Head of Competition Law at the EBU. “Greater commercialisation would introduce volatility and risk weakening the independence and universality that define public service broadcasting.”
• The EBU cautions that replacing stable public funding with advertising or subscription models would increase financial instability, distort the domestic media market and fragment access to trusted content.

The full consultation response sets out detailed comparative evidence and recommendations to support a BBC that remains independent, universally accessible and resilient in the face of global competition.