Pact announces agreement with BBC Films which will change the deal terms for UK producers.
Pact is working with NESTA to produce a set of best practice tools and legal templates to enable TV and new media companies to collaborate on cross-platform commissions.
Galway Film Fair 2008Application and Registration Forms for Galway Film Fair and the Real Deal available for download
ITV’s performance is under review after Pact’s research alerted Ofcom to discrepancies in progammes qualifying for Out of London.
Ofcom has launched an inquiry into ITV’s performance after figures show that the broadcaster has failed to meet its quota to spend 50 per cent of its annual production budget outside London for the last two years. In 2006, only 46 per cent of spending on programming covered by the rules was made outside the M25, and last year only 44 per cent.
The rules on regional production were initially outlined in 2003, but amendments made in 2006 to close loopholes have led to confusion about classification. Following research carried out by Pact in which the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 were forced to re-state their numbers for 2006, all three broadcasters had to revise their results downwards, although it was only ITV that went under its quota.
John McVay, Pact chief executive, said: “If we are going to have a debate about public service broadcasting, then we have to make sure the whole of the country is involved. It is not good enough for Michael Grade to say no one out there has got any ideas – we have to look at the role of ITV to nurture and develop talent, and make sure it is the flagship of British broadcasting, not just London broadcasting.”