Written evidence from Northern Ireland
Screen Commission
1. PURPOSE OF
SUBMISSION
1.1 The model for Public Service Broadcasting
("PSB") in the UK is broken, undermined by the twin
forces of the digital revolution, which has dramatically fragmented
advertising spend, and the economic downturn, which has radically
reduced the overall size of that advertising pot.
1.2 The joint DCMS DBERR Digital Britain review,
following on from OFCOM's second Public Service Broadcasting review,
is the key decision point in creating the new model for the future
of Public Service Broadcasting.
1.3 This point of radical change creates both
an opportunity for Northern Ireland to be better served by PSB
in the future and poses a considerable threat that the specific
interests of Northern Ireland will be lost in the larger issues
of restructuring PSB.
1.4 Northern Ireland Screen submits that
there is an economic, cultural and educational imperative that
the restructured PSB serves Northern Ireland at least as well
as the rest of the UK, something that in our view the previous
model did not.
2. CONTEXT FOR
NORTHERN IRELAND
SCREEN
2.1 Northern Ireland Screen is the national
screen agency for Northern Ireland. Its simple aim is to develop
economic, cultural and educational value from the screen industries
for Northern Ireland.
2.2 Over the last six years, Northern Ireland
Screen has had considerable success.
2.3 From a standing start, it has made Northern
Ireland arguably the most attractive film production location
for international production in the UK. For example, Universal
Pictures has just confirmed that it is the next US Studio to locate
a large scale film production in Northern Ireland; and HBO, the
USA's leading pay cable network, has also confirmed that it will
produce a big budget television drama pilot in Northern Ireland
in the late autumn with a view to the series being based in Northern
Ireland should the pilot be a success. These two projects alone
have a direct value to Northern Ireland of over £15 million.
2.4 Northern Ireland is also at the cutting
edge of introducing digital technologies in schools. For example,
the new Moving Image Arts A Level is the only exam in the UK assessed
online using broadband technology; it is the fastest growing exam
in Northern Ireland and is exported to schools in England with
plans to launch it in China. Digital Britain already recognises
the importance of reinventing our educational provision to account
for the changes brought about by the digital revolution.
2.5 International production and digital
technology have both delivered successes for Northern Ireland
Screen but neither was the number one strategic priority. Instead,
Northern Ireland Screen's strategy for the last 6 years has consistently
prioritised the growth of Northern Ireland's share of UK network
television.
3. HOW DOES
NORTHERN IRELAND
FARE UNDER
THE CURRENT
PSB REGIME?
3.1 For the purposes of analysis, we classify
the current PSB regime down into five separate but related parts:
— Network production;
— Network portrayal;
— Indigenous language programming.
4. NETWORK PRODUCTION
4.1 The percentage of network programmes
(ie those shown throughout the United Kingdom) commissioned from
Northern Ireland based producers in 2007 was:
| BBC | 0.2%
|
| ITV | 0% |
| Channel 4 | 0.1% |
| Five | 0% |
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Clearly this is abysmal.
4.2 To put a scale on the missed economic opportunity,
a level of production equal to the population size in Northern
Ireland would have been in recent years approximately £50
million, with the BBC's 3% worth between £30-£35 million.
4.3 Despite over £5 million of financial assistance
from Northern Ireland Screen, there has been no discernible shift
in Northern Ireland's favour and, using the agreed Ofcom definitions
of regional production, the levels of production have if anything
fallen.
4.4 All sorts of explanations and excuses are presented
for these failings but the facts tell a different story. As well
as the film success detailed above, there are several television
production companies in Northern Ireland that have supplied "hit"
programmes to Ireland, the USA and beyond. These companies have
long faced a closed door in London (where the vast majority of
commissioning decisions are made).
4.5 This extremely poor return to Northern Ireland has
been achieved within a regulatory framework that includes targets
for production levels outside London which should theoretically
benefit Northern Ireland based producers. That this light touch
regulation has not worked is well illustrated by the fact that
in international markets without the support of regulation, production
companies from Northern Ireland have been very successful, while
within the UK where regulation is meant to offer them added advantage,
they have had practically no success.
4.6 Last year, the BBC re-announced with much more authority
its intention to commission at least 3% of its network programming
from Northern Ireland by 2016 with an interim target of 2% by
2012.
4.7 It is clear from both OFCOM's 2nd Public Service
Broadcasting Review and Lord Carter's Digital Britain consultations
that current strategic thinking assumes that the BBC will deliver
against these targets and by doing so fulfil a large portion of
the network production expectations of the nations and regions.
4.8 This is a perilous assumption.
4.9 If the BBC is to carry the majority of future PSB
obligations to the nations and regions, it seems reasonable that
those obligations should be mandatory rather than couched as an
aspiration with a deadline beyond the next Charter renewal.
4.10 As well as making the assumption more robust, mandatory
quotas would make it easier for Northern Ireland Screen to justify
ongoing financial support for a real transition.
5. NETWORK PORTRAYAL
5.1 Northern Ireland Screen considers there has been
an alarming failure (despite the obligation) to represent the
people and cultures of Northern Ireland on screens throughout
the rest of the United Kingdom.
5.2 In our view, the scale of this failure is rarely fully
grasped. In the last four decades, we are unable to list one significant
high profile television series set in Northern Ireland. Coronation
Street, Emmerdale, Eastenders, Heart Beat, Hollyoaks, Torchwood,
Casualty, The Bill, Monarch of the Glen, Ballykissangel, Taggart,
all the way back to All Creatures Great and Small—all
of these long running television series are or were geographically
linked to a place with all sorts of cultural and representational
as well as economic value.
5.3 Northern Ireland has never experienced this type
of portrayal. It is therefore not surprising that 80% of people
in Northern Ireland surveyed by Ofcom rated portrayal as important
as compared to an average across the UK of 61%. The highest percentage
in the UK.
5.4 In recent weeks, the BBC—with additional financial
support from Northern Ireland Screen—has made a start in
redressing this balance with two powerful and worthwhile dramas,
both of which rated extremely well right across the UK. However,
this can only be regarded as a start and even in a less regulated
future PSB market, portrayal cannot be limited to serious issue
driven drama on BBC2 but must reach BBC1, ITV and Channel 4.
6. LOCAL NEWS
PROVISION
6.1 Local news provision is the historic success story
of PSB provision in Northern Ireland.
6.2 UTV has long provided a popular and comprehensive alternative
news and current affairs service to the BBC's extremely comprehensive
local service. Both services attract viewing levels far above
the national average.
6.3 The levels of appreciation for this news provision
are the highest in the UK and both Ofcom and Lord Carter appear
mindful of the value and importance of continuing plurality in
news provision in Northern Ireland.
7. LOCAL PROGRAMMING
7.1 Local programming has a similar profile to local
news, with both the BBC and UTV producing a significant volume
of local programmes. Again, these programmes regularly outstrip
the audience figures for the network programmes they replace.
8. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE
PROGRAMMING
8.1 Provision for Irish Language programming in Northern
Ireland is presently £3 million per annum of direct government
investment through the Irish Language Broadcast Fund (administered
by Northern Ireland Screen) and approximately £650,000 from
the BBC.
8.2 The future of this funding is extremely uncertain. The
original £12 million commitment over four years was not renewed
by the Northern Ireland government and has been replaced by a
similar annual commitment directly from Westminster. However,
this commitment is only for two years.
8.3 By comparison, S4C in Wales has a direct DCMS grant
of £94 million per annum and BBC Alba in Scotland has a £12.4
million per annum grant from the Scottish Executive, with the
BBC committing a further £25 million per annum to Welsh language
programming and £7.8 million to Scots Gaelic. In both instances,
this extra PSB investment in the independent production sector
underpins and sustains the infrastructure needed to produce programming
for the PSB networks.
8.4 Northern Ireland Screen strongly supports Ofcom's
view that the Irish Language Broadcast Fund should be continued
and should be provided with a stable framework similar in nature
to the long-term commitments to S4C and BBC Alba.
8.5 As well as providing a level of television programming
in Irish, Northern Ireland Screen would highlight that in a production
economy with limited outlets, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund
generates the only local drama produced in Northern Ireland and
provides a large number of the opportunities to break into television
production for Irish speakers and non-Irish speakers alike.
8.6 It is also leading the way in developing news and
current affairs provision delivered through the web, something
that is being strongly considered within the Digital Britain review.
9. HOW DO
THE RECENT
OFCOM PROPOSALS
IMPACT ON
NORTHERN IRELAND?
10. Impact on Local News Provision
10.1 UTV is now obliged to provide four hours of news
programming per week, down from 5 hours 20 minutes. This reduction
represents Ofcom's acknowledgement that UTV is in a precarious
position.
10.2 As part of the ITV network, but not part of ITV plc (the
company that owns the channel 3 PSB licences in England), UTV
is in a difficult position. ITV plc has pushed hard to dilute
its PSB obligations, especially its regional news obligations,
because it claims it cannot afford them. Ofcom accepts this. It
will now permit ITV plc to broadcast fewer news bulletins. Conscious
of its popularity, UTV would like to maintain its news output
at current levels but that causes major scheduling issues: it
does not entirely control what it broadcasts because it is part
of a national ITV network so there is little room for deviation.
10.3 In addition, Ofcom worries that the economic downturn
and the long malaise in the advertising market will eventually
force UTV to follow ITV plc's suit and further reduce its local
news output.
10.4 Ofcom recommends that the government considers "independently
funded news consortia" to deliver alternative news services
to the BBC with effect from 2011. These consortia could be established
at a UK-wide level, at a national level or even media by media.
11. Impact on Local Programmes
11.1 UTV has a reduced obligation to broadcast 2 hours
of non-news PSB programming per week. It is likely that this obligation
will be removed completely in the near future.
11.2 This puts further pressure on BBC as the only significant
provider of non-news local programmes.
12. Impact on Network Production
12.1 Ofcom has reduced ITV's obligation to produce network
programmes outside of London from 50% to 35%. This reduction is
of little practical consequence to Northern Ireland as it presently
secures no network production from ITV. The likelihood is that
this obligation will be removed altogether in the near future.
12.2 From 2010, Channel 4's out of London obligation will
modestly increase from 30% to 35%. But, more worryingly, only
3% must be commissioned from producers based in Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland combined.
12.3 Ofcom acknowledges that, as a publicly-owned institution,
Channel 4 ought to make it a priority to commission more than
this. But there is no obligation and merely a passing reference
to the fact that 17% in line with the BBC would be fairer (ie
the percentage of the population that lives in those three nations).
12.4 Therefore, the BBC's target of 17% of production
spend to go to the Nations is the single proposal for positive
change.
13. Impact on Network Portrayal
13.1 As with network production, the consequence of Ofcom's
proposals is to reduce the potential for network portrayal to
the BBC.
14. Indigenous Language Programming
14.1 Ofcom recommends the continuation and stabilising
of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund. However, delivery of this
is outside of Ofcom's regulatory powers.
15. THE PRESENT
OVERALL PSB PICTURE
FOR NORTHERN
IRELAND
15.1 The present overall picture for Northern Ireland
looks incredibly weak with an almost complete dependence on the
BBC and its 17% target for the nations.
15.2 UTV retains its commitment to local news but is totally
dependent on its continuing relationship with ITV, the future
of which is very far from certain. It is also battling the dramatic
fall in advertising revenue just as ITV is.
15.3 There is no meaningful commitment to production
or portrayal from Northern Ireland from either ITV or Channel
4
15.4 Unlike Wales and Scotland, Northern Ireland does
not have the economic cushion of a large and guaranteed indigenous
language production base to anchor its production activity.
16. WHAT DOES
NORTHERN IRELAND
SCREEN SUGGEST?
17. Better enforcement of the BBC's commitments
18. Presently, the future of PSB in Northern Ireland
is almost exclusively in the hands of the BBC which will be relied
upon to deliver network production and portrayal through its 17%
network production target from the nations.
19. Given the incredible importance of this target, Northern
Ireland Screen would strongly urge that the target is regulated
as a quota rather than a target. This would bring a focus and
clarity to the planning that is not yet present.
20. We would propose that the 3% quota is brought forward
from 2016 to 2012. When originally announced 2012 was the deadline
but when re-announced with more rigour last year the deadline
shifted. 2016 is simply too far away to be meaningful in such
a fluid environment.
21. Most importantly, we would suggest that the BBC should
provide an annual public update on its progress towards the quota.
This could be jointly monitored by the BBC Trust and Ofcom but
should also be open for public scrutiny.
22. A meaningful quota for Channel 4
23. All indications are that ITV will be further released
from PSB obligations, a reflection of the commercial realities
of its present business model. However, it seems that there is
growing support for a revitalised Channel 4 refinanced with direct
or indirect public subsidy and renewed PSB obligations.
24. Northern Ireland Screen submits that further public subsidy
for Channel 4 must carry the obligation to commission 17% from
the nations; that is, 3% of the total for Northern Ireland alone.
25. Learning the lessons of the past, this quota should
be meaningfully and effectively enforced by Ofcom.
26. Establishment of a competitive fund
27. Since the quota system has been poorly enforced and
now the provision of local news and current affairs by broadcasters
other than the BBC is under threat, Ofcom recognises the sense
in establishing a fund—potentially based in Northern Ireland
for Northern Ireland—that could support many different types
of PSB programmes. Such schemes have operated successfully in
other parts of the world, not least the Broadcasting Commission
of Ireland Fund.
28. Notably, a competitive fund has the advantage of not being
tied to the present television broadcaster model. For that reason,
it is arguably more effective in the digital age where broadcasters
no-longer dominate the delivery landscape.
29. Secure the future of the Irish Language Broadcast
Fund
30. Northern Ireland Screen submits that Ofcom's recommendation
to create a stable framework similar to that for either S4C or
BBC Alba for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund should be actioned.
31. Again we note that the Irish Language Broadcast Fund,
unlike S4C and BBC Alba is not tied to a television broadcaster
model and as such can respond more flexibly to the digital age.
30 April 2009
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