ITC publish study of 'Television in the Nations and Regions'

The ITC have published 'Television in the Nations and Regions', a new report on television broadcasting and production outside London.
The study brings together recent ITC research into viewers' opinions about regional programming, information about the current health of the industry and interviews with leading stakeholders, including broadcasters, independent producers, politicians, journalists and academics.
Speaking at the launch of Television in the Nations and Regions in Leeds, ITC Chairman Sir Robin Biggam said: "At the heart of this report lies the passionate belief, expressed by both viewers and broadcasting professionals, and shared by the ITC, that national and regional programming is fundamentally important to the economy and cultural life of a devolved United Kingdom.
"We believe that as the Communications Bill starts its journey through Parliament, this is an opportune time for a comprehensive review of the state of the television industry outside London. The Bill includes significant measures affecting the nations and regions, including provision for out-of-London investment targets, and we hope that our report will help to inform discussions of this extremely important issue."
A wide range of views are given on three separate, although related, areas: the production of programmes outside London; the broadcasting of national and regional programmes which address the interests of people within those nations and regions; and the broadcasting on national networks of programmes which reflect the diversity of UK life.
In talking to industry experts, the ITC authors, Mike Kidd and Bill Taylor, found several recurring concerns: competitive pressures to cut programme costs by concentrating production and a metropolitan bias among television decision-makers. There was recognition of the changing media environment and that national and regional broadcasting had an essential, vibrant and economically viable role to play in the future.
The report concludes that a successful future for television in the nations and regions will depend on a regulatory regime that places increasing emphasis on quality and investment rather than quantitative assessment of output.
The ITC and ITV have already taken steps in this direction in their Charter For Nations and Regions, which included firm commitments to programme budget spend outside London but removal of detailed genre quotas for regional programming, except for news and current affairs.
(GB)