The BBC is failing to provide enough new and exciting programmes, a major survey of its viewers has found.

Licence fee payers believe the broadcaster lacks innovation and is instead concentrating too much on providing reality shows and formats which have been tried before.

The sobering verdict is the key finding of an audience survey of 4500 people - the most comprehensive ever undertaken by the BBC.

The results were published yesterday with the BBC's annual report and the BBC Trust, which took over from the old board of governors, responding by saying that the corporation should take more creative risks.

In a statement, the trust said: "A key message from our work with the public is that audiences want the BBC to be more innovative. They value fresh and new ideas, and feel that the BBC could be doing more to deliver them. This a challenge for the BBC that we will pursue vigorously in the year to come.

"While public approval of the BBC remains stable, audiences have also told us that fresh and new programme ideas must be a high priority and more effort is needed."

The trust suggested the "chase for ratings" may have impacted on creativity. "BBC television has done well to continue to appeal to very large numbers of viewers the question is whether or not this strong competitive response overall has been achieved at the cost of creative and cultural ambition," it said.

Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the trust, said innovation was the one area where there was a "noteworthy gap" between audience taste and delivery, but he also admitted the BBC was likely to "start making less" and show more repeats. The BBC Trust said audience fragmentation across the growing number of channels increased the value of repeats.

Asked about whether showing more repeats would cost less, Mr Lyons told the Commons culture, media and sport select committee: "On the face of it, it ought to be a way of making the money go further." But he added the BBC should "not fall into the trap of repeating it so frequently that people get bored with it".

In reply to the survey, Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, pointed to innovative successes such as Planet Earth and The Manchester Passion. However, he added: "It's interesting to hear so strongly from the public the message that they want more experimentation and risk-taking."

Mr Thompson pointed out that other channels were now copying BBC formats established in shows such as How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and The Apprentice.

The annual report praised dramas Life On Mars and Doctor Who. Castaway, the reality show brought back with much media hype, was also included in the report. Mr Thompson admitted "one or two disappointments", and said Castaway "wasn't quite the roaring success we hoped at the time of commissioning".

The annual report was published in two parts, one produced by the BBC Trust, which looks after the interests of licence fee payers, and one by the executive board, which runs day-to-day operations at the BBC and is chaired by Mr Thompson. Differences were apparent in several areas.

The trust and the executive board were critical of BBC Three for using "punchy" programme titles which may have put viewers off. Recent examples could include Booze Bird, a serious exploration of alcohol-fuelled female violence, and Sex - With Mum And Dad, in which families discussed sexual issues.

Referring to the furore over star salaries, with Jonathan Ross being paid a reported £18m over three years, the executive board defended paying for "some of the best-loved faces and voices in UK broadcasting". However, the trust said salaries were "a source of concern" and has ordered a review into talent costs. More than £3bn was spent on BBC services - up 5% from the previous year.

The corporation also responded to criticism of "ageism", after the departure of newsreader Moira Stewart. "It is simply not the case age is a factor in deciding whether presenters should be in a programme," said Mr Thompson.

The good, the bad
HITS How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and The Apprentice: Talent shows which have spawned numerous imitators. Life On Mars (1) and Doctor Who (2): genre-bending hits with a wide audience. Ruby in the Smoke starred Billy Piper and received warm reviews. Trawlermen: The documentary series was praised in the annual report. Stephen Fry's The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: An intimate and much-praised look at the condition from one of Britain's most-recognisable celebrities.

MISSES
Castaway (3)did not capture the imagination of the audience in the same way as on its first run. This Life: The revisiting of the cult TV show did not add to its lustre. The State Within: Drama starring Jason Isaacs lost two million viewers from first episode to second. The Innocence Project was panned and pulled from schedules half way through its run. Eastenders: Even Mark Thompson, head of the BBC, admits the old soap warhorse is less exciting than it used to be.