Major changes signalled for ‘more competitive’ BBC

Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC, has outlined his desire for major changes to BBC in-house production.

The reforms, which would require a change to the BBC Charter, include scrapping a production quota system scrapped in favour of open competition, and BBC In-House Productions producing content for other broadcasters both in the UK and globally.

He also announced a desire to extend competition where it works across the BBC, and where it is not appropriate, to make greater use of comparisons with the best practice in the market.

Here are some select quotes from a speech at the ‘Future of the Licence Fee’ seminar.

Currently, 25% of BBC TV production is guaranteed to independent producers; 50% is guaranteed to BBC in-house producers; and 25% is left open to both in open competition.

Under the current rules some big, global producers no longer count as fully independent so their shows can’t go in the 25% of BBC television airtime guaranteed to independent producers. So a big long-running independently-produced series like MasterChef has had to move into the 25% window of creative competition that’s open to everyone. That squeezes out creativity and innovation.

I want our commissioners to be able to choose from the best ideas, from independent producers and BBC Production. They must have them at a price we can afford.

This is about us having the next Sherlock, the next Strictly, the next Springwatch and the next Shetland – a fantastic mix from independent and BBC producers.

(BBC) is the team that created Doctor Who, Strictly Come Dancing, Frozen Planet and The Thick Of It. The team that created Mrs Brown’s Boys, Miranda, Bluestone 42, Our War and Brian Cox’s Wonders Of The Universe. The team that delivers the Proms, the World Cup, the Royal Wedding, and our coverage of the World War One Centenary.

I could go on. That track record gives me great faith in its future. It is also a reminder that it would be extremely odd to ban the BBC, one of the world’s great programme-makers, from making programmes. Put it another way, I do not believe that the BBC’s future is as a publisher and broadcaster only.