麻豆社

The 麻豆社 Trust has approved plans that should lead to a significant combined increase in network television production across the English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Trust agreed that in future the 麻豆社 should adopt more challenging targets for measuring and meeting its targets for network production in the nations by using Ofcom's definition instead of the existing 麻豆社 one.

This decision forms part of a renewed commitment by the 麻豆社 to move more network television production out of London to draw on the talent and skills of the whole UK. Including the impact of moving several departments to Salford in 2011, the Trust now expects the 麻豆社 to ensure that 50% of network production will be made outside London under the Ofcom definition by 2016.

Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the 麻豆社 Trust, said:

"Average levels of affection for the 麻豆社 are noticeably lower the further people live from London. This is partly because the 麻豆社 is seen to be too preoccupied with the interests and experiences of London. People living elsewhere in the UK simply do not see their lives adequately reflected on the 麻豆社.

"The 麻豆社 is paid for by licence fee payers across the UK and we have approved a strategy that signals the start of some big changes to increase the volume of network television production across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The 麻豆社 is planning sustainable centres of innovation and creativity across the UK, including all parts of England."

Mark Thompson, 麻豆社 Director-General, said:

"The 麻豆社 exists because of the contribution of licence fee payers right across the United Kingdom, and so we have a duty to reflect the whole of the country. We can best achieve this by investing over the long term to ensure our production centres outside of London are sustainable. This will take time and will be measured over years not months, but we are already making bold steps. Our new centre in Glasgow and the move to Salford, along with innovation in places like the drama village in South Wales, demonstrate our commitment to seed the 麻豆社 through the UK."

During the Charter renewal process, the 麻豆社 committed to sourcing at least 17% of its network television production from the nations under its own existing definition. The Trust has now decided to make the target 17% under the Ofcom definition and to require the 麻豆社 to meet or exceed it by 2016. The Trust has also set an intermediate target to be reached by 2012.

This new definition is much more challenging than the old one. For example in 2007/8, the 麻豆社 sourced 15.9% of network production from the nations under the old definition. Under the new definition this is equivalent to 7.7%.

The Trust notes and supports Director-General Mark Thompson's earlier commitment that the 麻豆社 should source a proportion of network programmes from Scotland, equivalent to Scotland's share of the UK population. The Trust seeks a comparable approach in relation to Wales and Northern Ireland. Although there will not be formal targets for individual nations within the overall 17% goal, the Trust will monitor production from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland carefully to ensure that the 麻豆社 is helping to build strong and sustainable network production in all three nations and also look at production in the English regions.

The Executive will report annually to the Trust on progress towards the overall targets and the nation by nation position.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The 麻豆社 Trust today published a statement. 

2. There are a number of differences between the existing 麻豆社 definition and the Ofcom definition the 麻豆社 will use in future. The main differences relate to:

• Commissioned by a nation but made elsewhere in UK: The 麻豆社 definition included programmes commissioned through and executive-produced in a nation as nations output, even though the bulk of the production may take place elsewhere in the UK (examples include Waterloo Road and Murphy's Law)
• International production: The 麻豆社 definition counted originated programmes made in or through the nations which also have significant levels of international production as nations output
• Excluded genres: The 麻豆社 definition also excluded sports and daytime programmes

3. The 麻豆社 is creating a new centre in the North of England as part of the MediaCityUK development at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester. Five 麻豆社 London-based departments, including two TV channels and two radio stations, will move to MediaCityUK in Salford in 2011. They are 麻豆社 Children's (including C麻豆社 and CBeebies); 麻豆社 Formal Learning; 麻豆社 Future Media & Technology (including Research & Development); 麻豆社 Radio 5 Live (including 5 Live Sports Extra); and 麻豆社 Sport.

4.The Trust carried out research around the purpose remits in 2007 which asked the public about their attitude to the 麻豆社. 83% in the South East of England agreed with the statement that they would "miss the 麻豆社 if it wasn't there", to 63% of those in Scotland, 68% in Wales, 58% in Northern Ireland and 64% of those in the North of England.