BBC Trust and Jimmy Savile5

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Staring into the Abyss:-The BBC, Trust, and Jimmy Savile

December 2012 Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this work shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Managing Director.

A report from

Research


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Conclusion:

The BBC stands on a precipice- so far benefitting from a lotof goodwill from the public, but for how long?

Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved

Among the British public, the BBC is the most trusted news provider in the UK , way ahead of any other. 39%claim the BBC is their most trusted source.

Next, and a long way behind, lag ITV (13%), Sky (10%) and The Guardian (8%). 39% of the public have high levels of respect for the BBC which is far ahead of Starbucks (7%)

Parliament (7%), News International (7%) and the Church of England (14%).

. While both Parliament and the Church of England fare dismally in comparison with Auntie for respect, the

Armed forces and NHS win the highest accolades (79% and 69%)

However, the BBC is in a precarious position in light of the Savile case. The affair has bred feelings ofmistrust which will reach critical mass if anything else goes wrong for the organisation

49% of the public trust the BBC less than they did prior to the recent events - and those who blame the BBCfor Saviles behaviour are more likely to have lost trust and respect for the organisation

Those who blame the BBC are much more negative than those who dont only 21% of those blamingthe BBC name it as their most trusted source of news (vs.48% among those who dont blame the BBC)

As such, attitudes towards the BBC could quickly worsen if perceptions of blame are intensified in thefuture (as a result of any inquiries or investigations).

The effect of events on opinion seem to be divided by age. Because older people appear more engaged withthe BBC generally, the impact of the Savile case is more striking. This is worrying, as it is among the older

demographic where trust is naturally highest and where its loss will be more keenly felt.


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A background of goodwill for the

BBC



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The BBC remains by far the most trusted news source

4

Despite recent events, the BBC is at least three times more likely than any othernews outlet to be named by the public as the most trustworthy source of news

Q4 Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved


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The BBCs national treasure status differentiates it from the rest

5

39% describe the BBC as being a national treasure (rising to 44% in those aged 55+). Only

15% feel the same about ITV.

Q3

British

Establishment

National treasure

Trusted

Up to date

Friendly

Out of touch

Honest

Not to be trusted

Dishonest

Accurate

Cherished

Integrity

Inspirational

Patronising

Sleazy

Understands me

Commercial

Vicious


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Auntie enjoys higher levels of affection than ITV or Sky

6

Only Google generates stronger feelings of affection and this is particularly

the case for those aged 18-35 (with 66% of this younger age group having a

high level of affection for Google, versus 39% for the BBC).



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Almost half view the BBC as a vital institution

7

This viewpoint is most prevalent among those aged 55+ (51%), but least prevalent

among the 18-35 year olds (40%)

M3Q3, M3Q4 Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved

%


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Britain losing the BBC would be disastrous according to most of us

8

55+ year-old respondents most likely to think the loss of the BBC would

be a disaster (68%, versus 59% for younger ones).

M4Q1 Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved


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Overtaken by the NHS and Armed Forces, the BBC earns much higherlevels of respect than both the Church of England and Parliament

9

39% have strong levels of respect for the BBC. This figure is at its lowest

among those aged 34 or under (34%), and highest among those 55+ (44%)


NetPositive/Negative

+73%

+66%

+14%

-30%

-43%


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The BBC is faring much better than News International,Starbucks and now Amazon in the face of controversy

10

Only 7% highly respect News International now, versus 39% for the BBC


NetPositive/Negative

+14%

-5%

-32%

-47%

-51%

+16%


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Two-thirds dont lay the blame for Jimmy Saviles behaviourwith the BBC

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This proportion rises to 74% among those aged 34 or under.


But a significant 33% does..


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This goodwill can be easily

eroded



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Close to half of all respondents have less trust in the BBCsince recent events

13M2Q2, M2Q3


A deterioration in trust levels is most notable among the older respondents (up to

55% among those aged 55+)

19% 30% 43% 5% 3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Much less than before Slightly less than before The same as before Slightly more than before Much more than before

49% trust the BBC less than they didbefore the recent events


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Divided opinion: the BBC may be generally trusted, but16% do nottrust it as a news source

14

Of the broadcasters, Sky fares even worse, but ITV and Channel 4 both

less likely to prompt mistrust


% who do not trust

news source


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with high levels of personal concern

16

Over a quarter feel very personally concerned about the allegations



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Much lower levels of trust in the BBC among those whoblame it for the Savile affair

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An attitude of blame towards the BBC over Savile more than halves the level of

trust. 48% of those not blaming the BBC will name it as their most trusted

source for news versus only 21% among those blaming the organisation



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Recent deterioration in trust strongly linked to blaming theBBC over the Savile affair

18M2Q2, M2Q3


75% of those who blame BBC for Savile trust it less than before, versus 37%

among those who dont blame the BBC


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Close to half view recent events as the worst-ever BBC crisis

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62% reckon the BBC needs a radical overhaul, though this is strongly linked to

age (from 52% among the 18-35s, to 76% in the 55+s). Over 55s also morelikely to say the BBC will suffer lasting damage (53%, versus 44% for 18-35s)

M4Q1 Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved


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Key positives versus negatives



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The Positives

A clear majority agree it would be a disaster if Britain lost the BBC and

around half still see it as a national institution to be proud of.

A similar percentage believe that the BBC is fundamentally sound, has

made mistakes but is trying genuinely to sort them out

The Negatives

Around half agree that this as the worst crisis in the BBCs history andthat its reputation will suffer lasting damage as a result

A clear majority see it in need of a radical overhaul and one third believe

it will be unable to recover its trust

Only a third are impressed by its transparency in dealing with recent

events and a similar percentage now believe that the BBC has lost itsintegrity


The survey was conducted online over the period 24-26th November 2012 using Conquests proprietary

research methodology Metaphorix

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BBC Trust and Jimmy Savile5

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