BBC1 and BBC2 will no longer be required to broadcast a set number of new factual programmes a year after the BBC Trust amended the channels’ licences.

The changes, which were put out to public consultation in June, mean that BBC1 will no longer be required to air 700 hours of fresh factual content a year, while BBC2 will be freed from its commitment of 520 hours.

It comes despite concerns being raised by members of the public and the Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) that the removal of these targets “could lead to an erosion of the quality of the channels”.

“In the light of the DFQ (Delivering Quality First) proposals we consider that all qualitative measures should be retained,” VLV said in its consultation submission.

In a document explaining its decisions, the BBC Trust said it had not found the requirements useful. “This fits with our principle that numeric conditions are only used where they are necessary as well as the qualitative commitments in the licences,” it explained.

BBC trustee David Liddiment added: “Our review concluded that BBC1 and BBC2’s quotas for factual programming – which covered everything from Frozen Planet to Cash in the Attic – did not add anything to our ability to govern these services effectively and needed to be removed.”

Elsewhere, the references to “driving digital take-up” in BBC3 and BBC4 licences will be removed with digital TV switchover now complete.

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