BBC offers indies chance to make Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who
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Version 0 of 1. The BBC’s has won over a sceptical independent TV production community to its plan to spin-off BBC Studios by offering the chance to make programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who. Pact, the body representing the independent TV production sector, had been against the corporation’s plan, raising “serious concerns” about the regulation and transparency of spinning off its production business. Issues included that the BBC refused to open up enough of its programme budget to competition, including contracts to the biggest hits such as Strictly and EastEnders. The corporation has relented in order to gain industry approval for the BBC Studio plan, agreeing to allow independent studios the opportunity to pitch to make 40% of in-house shows by 2018. “We welcome the agreement reached with Pact,” said James Purnell, the BBC’s director of strategy and digital. “Creative competition is in the best interest of audiences and BBC Studios is an essential part of the BBC’s future.” In terms of its most popular shows, BBC commissioners will have discretion to pitch out a show if it needs “freshening up”. Previously, the BBC had said none of the flagship shows produced in-house would ever be pitched to outside production companies. The corporation has also freed up its rules regarding the proportion of children’s, news and current affairs shows that will be made available for tender to outside production companies. While the BBC is not making those genres part of the BBC Studios spin-off business, the in-house guarantee is dropping from 50% to 40% of all programming. The proportion of shows that are guaranteed to go to an independent production company will rise from 25% to 40%. “Pact is pleased that we have been able to negotiate a progressive agreement with the BBC that will result in even more competition at the BBC for the best programmes, regardless of who makes them,” said John McVay, chief executive of Pact. The rights to shows that are made by outside production companies will remain with the BBC. This is similar to Question Time, which is owned by the BBC but made by Tinopolis-owned producer Mentorn Media. |