大象传媒

At present, ten per cent of eligible radio programming by broadcast hours is guaranteed as a quota for the independent sector. The Executive has exceeded this quota by more than two per cent for all but one of the last 10 years.

The Trust believes that introducing a further 10 per cent Window of Creative Competition (WoCC) will promote competition for the best ideas in radio. The WoCC denotes a section of 大象传媒 programming which is open to either in-house or independent producers to bid for. A similar arrangement is already used in television commissioning.

This move effectively doubles the amount of radio programming commissions guaranteed to be open to the independent sector from ten per cent to 20 per cent.

The recommendation comes as part of a package of measures from the Trust designed to improve the radio commissioning process to make sure that it delivers the best programmes for licence fee payers.

The Trust has also asked the Executive to look at ways to improve its relationship with the independent sector, and to improve how it measures the range and diversity of the programmes it commissions from it.

David Liddiment, Chair of the Trust's Audiences and Performance Committee said:

"Not only are the 大象传媒's radio services both popular and distinctive, they also make a vital contribution to the public purposes. The 大象传媒 has a deserved reputation for fostering radio production talent through its world-class in-house training and facilities. The independent sector has benefited from this and now plays a key role in the creativity and diversity of overall radio output.

"However, this review has shown that the 大象传媒's approach to commissioning from the sector does not always work as well as it should. Putting more of the programmes up for grabs will help promote competition for the best ideas, wherever they come from. That will be good for licence fee payers, whose interests the Trust is here to serve. And we are particularly keen to see a much more open and fair approach to commissioning from the independent sector."

The Trust has today published a report on the review. Its findings are:

• The 大象传媒 is currently complying fully with its requirements under the Charter and Agreement
• The independent radio industry remains underdeveloped and the 大象传媒's relationship with the sector can be strained at times
• Competition for the best ideas has not been consistently embraced by the 大象传媒 in radio, potentially restricting the range and diversity of suppliers.

Its recommendations are:

• Moving forward, the 大象传媒 Executive needs to be more open in the way it works with the radio independent industry to support the growth and profitability of the industry
• It needs to be clearer with industry about its existing independent supply strategy and how it will develop in the future
• Competition for the best ideas will increase the value delivered to licence fee payers and, to that end, the Executive should maintain the current guaranteed quota at ten per cent and introduce a further ten per cent WoCC
• Management systems need to be improved, particularly in terms of cost benchmarking and in monitoring the 大象传媒's obligations to range and diversity

The Trust inherited the 10 per cent quota in independent supply from the previous governance regime. While it has no formal requirement to review this arrangement on a regular basis, it is aware that it has a significant impact on the diversity of network programming as well as the wider industry of independent producers which rely almost entirely on the 大象传媒 for commissions.

In compiling this report, the Trust has considered the views of the radio independent sector through its trade body Radio Independents Group (RIG), a full submission from the Executive and an independent report carried out by radio specialist Grant Goddard.

The Trust has asked the Executive to come back to it with detailed plans to implement the WoCC which, once considered, will be published during 2011 to provide clarity to industry. The Trust expects the new WoCC to be in place in time for the 2012/13 financial year.