The Audience Council for Northern Ireland Annual Review 2014/15: 90 years of BBC broadcast services in Northern Ireland

Date: 14.07.2015     Last updated: 14.07.2015 at 11.06

BBC programmes and services continued to deliver for local audiences this year as the BBC celebrated 90 years of broadcasting in Northern Ireland.

Highlights across the year included award-winning Spotlight investigative programming; news coverage of the local Government and European elections, a range of factual documentaries and live coverage of the Giro d’Italia in Northern Ireland. BBC Northern Ireland broadcast a number of programmes as part of the BBC’s WW1 at Home strand and, in a week of programming, remembered the late broadcaster Gerry Anderson.

It has been a good year for BBC Drama in Northern Ireland with returning series of the highly popular crime series The Fall and Line of Duty which have continued to generate support for the local creative sector. The Audience Council particularly welcomes the partnership agreement between the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen this year, which will continue to underpin this important and developing relationship.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle has maintained its position as one of the BBC’s best performing local radio stations, with more than half a million listeners each week. A number of changes to the BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle schedule were introduced and BBC Radio Foyle became available on a permanent basis region wide on DAB.

Northern Ireland remains the most news-hungry of all the regions of the UK, with high levels of consumption and approval of BBC news. We believe there is an appetite for content that reflects a modern Northern Ireland and in-depth analysis of topical issues of interest, and the focus on business coverage has been a welcome development.

BBC Trustee for Northern Ireland and Chair of the Audience Council, Aideen McGinley, said: 

"In its 90th year BBC services in Northern Ireland have again served audiences well across all platforms and genres. The Audience Council has touched the pulse of audiences of all ages, and been inspired by their appreciation and enthusiasm for BBC services, as well as their recognition of the challenges facing the BBC, especially in its Charter renewal year".

Notes to editors:

  1. The Audience Council Northern Ireland’s Annual Review for 2014/15 can be found here.
  2. The BBC Annual Report and Accounts for 2014/15 can be found here.
  3. The BBC Northern Ireland Management Review of local programmes and services for 2014/15 can be found here.