The current BBC Charter expires on 31 December 2027, with a new Charter expected to take effect on 1 January 2028.
The BBC is the single biggest investor in UK content and a key source of commissions, funding and training for WGGB members across many craft areas.
The Charter renewal process (which happens every 10 years) offers an important opportunity to inform Government about all we value about the BBC, as well as highlighting those areas where change would be beneficial.
We’ll be stepping up our campaigning and lobbying activity during this process.
What we’ve been doing
- We signed a joint letter with our sister creative unions to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP when the Government launched its green paper and public consultation on the future of the BBC in December 2025. The letter set out guiding principles that we believe should underpin Charter renewal – universality, accuracy and impartiality, creativity and innovation, proper resourcing and valuing the creative workforce. You can read the letter here.
- We held two town-hall-style online meetings in February 2026 to get our members’ views on the Government’s public consultation on Charter renewal and to help inform WGGB’s response.
- We responded to the Government public consultation on Charter renewal which closed on 10 March 2026.
- We have been attending events in Westminster hosted by the Broadcasting, Arts and Entertainment Unions (BEAU) APPG, talking with Parliamentarians and providing briefings to policy-makers and others.
- We are working collaboratively with other unions and creative industry stakeholders to share information and identify areas where we can act together to represent the best interests of writers during the Charter renewal process.
What you can do
- Thanks to all our members who submitted a response to the Government public consultation on Charter renewal. Read the summary of key messages we produced to support our members in this.
- Read what WGGB President Jack Thorne said about the BBC in a Broadcast magazine series on the future of the corporation to tie in with Charter renewal (read the article here).
- Charter renewal is a lengthy process taking two years and we’ll be updating this page with other ways you can get involved – so bookmark for future updates (and keep an eye on your member ebulletin, too).
- Contact WGGB Organiser Eleanor Dawson if you’d like to get involved in our campaigning and lobbying work around Charter renewal or to let us know your thoughts and suggestions. Email [email protected]