BBC Weather contract awarded!
The BBC blog has published an article titled: The Met Office wins the BBC Weather contract.
The BBC press release titled: Met Office wins the BBC Weather contract states:
“The BBC announced today that it has appointed the Met Office to supply its weather services following a competitive tender. The new contract will run for a period of five years.
The new contract means the Met Office will continue to supply weather services to the BBC. This includes the data on which the forecasts are based, on-air presenters and forecasting services across BBC output on TV, radio, online, mobile and Red Button.
The tendering process began in September 2009 with the publication of a notice on the Supplying the BBC website.
Following a thorough bid process and rigorous evaluation the BBC selected the organisation it felt could best deliver the required services and offered the best value for money for licence fee payers.
The Met Office has demonstrated its ability and commitment to deliver a high quality service – through accuracy, consistency of data and flexibility.
The new contract means that the public will get more data for more locations and more frequently throughout the UK and around the world – which will help keep weather forecasts consistent and accurate.
It will also allow the BBC and the Met Office to organise their resources in a way which will help provide the most consistent forecasts across TV, radio, online, mobile and Red Button.”
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The BBC blog announcement states:
“Today's announcement concludes a rigorous and competitive tender process begun in Autumn 2009 which sees the Met Office continuing to supply the BBC with its weather services for the next five years.
Weather is a key part of the BBC's news and information services and a much loved talking point for everyone across the UK. The public turns to us in huge numbers for regular weather updates, or for accurate information and forecasts when big weather stories happen - such as the recent heavy snow or floods.
The BBC, as a public service broadcaster, is committed to offering audiences the highest quality for the best value for money and we're confident this new contract does that. The Met Office has demonstrated its ability and commitment to deliver a high quality service through accuracy, consistency of data and flexibility. Overall the new contract delivers better value for money.
The BBC has been working in partnership with the Met Office for many years, a relationship that dates back to 1922 when a script prepared by the Met Office was read out by an announcer for the first time in a radio weather forecast. “
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The Met Office also published a press release on the 7th July 2010 titled: Met Office wins BBC Weather contract
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Media reports on the procurement process:
The Guardian newspaper – 17th January 2010 BBC put contract to provide weather forecast out to tender for first time - Met Office's 87-year role at risk as reputation tainted by botched predictions
The Sunday Times – 17th January 2010 BBC forecast for Met Office: changeable
The digital spy – 18th January 2010 BBC 'considers dropping Met Office'
The Independent – 19th January 2010 The Big Question: Should the BBC drop the Met Office as its official weather forecaster?
The Telegraph – 8th July 2010 Met Office wins new BBC weather contract despite 'inaccuracy' claims. The Met Office has won a new five-year contract to supply weather services to the BBC despite criticisms over the inaccuracy of its forecasts.
UK Weatherworld – 12 July 2010 Met Office wins BBC Weather contract (the article is followed by a series of comments from readers)
The digital spy – 12th June 2010 BBC bottles it over weather contract (the article is followed by a series of comments from readers)
UK Met Office releases free data!
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