A new report from Diffley Partnership/Solid Media, commissioned by Screen Scotland, has found broad support for retaining and reforming the UK’s regional television production quotas, alongside significant concerns about their current operation, enforcement and ability to deliver the potential benefits of investment from our public service broadcasters for the UK’s nations and regions.
Screen Scotland commissioned the research into the UK’s current nations and regions television production regime operated by Ofcom in order to:
- Understand how the existing production quotas, which were introduced to make UK public service broadcasting less London-centric, are understood and valued from different perspectives – public service broadcasters (PSBs), regulators, production companies, industry workforce and suppliers.
- Examine the effectiveness and limitations of the current Ofcom quotas, with a particular focus on how the production quotas operate in practice and whether they deliver sustained economic and cultural benefits to the nations and regions of the UK, including Scotland.
- Examine alternatives through comparative analysis of interventions used in other countries, as a means of delivering the policy ambitions.
The Diffley/Solid Media research incorporates contributions from stakeholders across broadcasting, production, policy and academia. Three overarching conclusions have emerged:
- Stakeholders largely supported the retention of distributed production quotas for the UK’s Public Service Broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, ITV, 5, previously known as Channel 5).
- Confidence in the current form of those quotas, their application and enforcement is fragile.
- All stakeholders understood that output focused production quotas alone cannot secure strategic outcomes such as long-term sectoral growth and business resilience outside of London.
Download and read the full report.
Welcoming the research, David Smith, Interim Executive Director at Screen Scotland said: “Ofcom’s regional production quotas have played an important role in ensuring television production takes place across Scotland and the wider UK, and this research demonstrates strong support for retaining them during this period of change for British broadcasting.
“However, this new research also confirms that many working across the TV sector believe that investment from the PSBs across the UK should be delivering lasting economic and creative outcomes. The focus of the current Ofcom quota regime could shift away from an output – the activity of production - and onto more sustainable outcomes, such our publicly funded and owned broadcasters working strategically to develop and sustain Scottish suppliers and facilities, creating opportunities for Scottish talent, developing skills and generating sustainable employment. The focus of regulation should be on achieving these outcomes, not simply measuring short-term production activity.
“We therefore support the conclusion of the research, and the voices across broadcasting and production who contributed to it to reform of the Ofcom quota system. To future-proof Ofcom’s regulation and production quota regime by refocusing it on delivering the growth outcomes it was created to achieve across the UK.”
Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Scotland has a thriving screen sector, and it's vital the regulatory framework for public service broadcasting works to support its continued growth. This research is a valuable part of that conversation, and I'd like to thank everyone who contributed.
"We want to see production quotas that help build lasting businesses, sustainable jobs and meaningful career opportunities for talent across Scotland.
"The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to ensure public service broadcasting delivers real and lasting benefits for Scotland’s screen sector."
The Diffley Partnership/Solid Media said: “Our research concludes that UK regional production quotas remain important and broadly supported as a policy intervention to counter London-centric commissioning and sustain production activity in Scotland and across the Nations and Regions. However, stakeholders disagree on whether the current regime delivers its intended outcomes.
“While PSBs and some policy stakeholders point to measurable spend outside London and cluster development, production companies, freelancers and academics identify recurring weaknesses around ambiguous criteria, self-reporting, limited visible enforcement, and perceived gaming through practices such as brass-plating, lift-and-shift production and parachuting senior talent.
“The central issue is therefore not whether quotas should exist, but whether they are sufficiently rigorous, transparent and outcome-focused to strengthen regional production ecologies in practice.”