BBC Films should build greater audience recognition and impact, particularly through a “more consistent presence on BBC2”, a review by the BBC Trust has said.

The regulator acknowledged that the division – home to films such as An Education and Street Dance – provides “great value to licence fee payers” and “significant public funding” to the UK film industry.

BBC trustee, David Liddiment, who led the review, said: “BBC Films has a key role to play in supporting a healthy UK film industry and delivers real benefits to licence fee payers. The Trust would like to see BBC Films continue to take creative risks and developing UK film projects that the commercial sector might not.”

But audience awareness was “very low” the Trust said in a report published today.  

“The Trust wants BBC Films to make more impact on television by attracting greater audience reach and appreciation, in particular by building a stronger and more consistent presence on BBC2,” it added.  

However, it will not receive any increase to its budget to achieve this.

The division, which runs on an annual budget of £12m, will not be increased when the new licence fee settlement comes into being in 2013.

The Trust said it “would not be appropriate… at a time when the corporation faces some difficult decisions to meet the terms of the new licence fee settlement”.

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