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Within the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s WOCC (Window of Creative Competition) for financial year 2008/9 independent production companies won three-quarters of the WOCC and in-house won a quarter of the WOCC (network programme hours). This is consistent with figures for 2007/8.

While in-house and independents' network programme hours within the WOCC remain broadly the same as last year, variations within individual genres demonstrate the creative competition in action generated by the WOCC (see below).

Bal Samra, Director, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision Operations, says: "The whole purpose of the WOCC was to stimulate creative competition between in-house production and the independent sector. At the end of its second year, it's clear that it continues to do so. We've seen shifts within the WOCC between in-house and independents in genres like Children's and Knowledge that demonstrate this creative competition in action."

Jana Bennett, Director, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision, says: "We've seen figures for the proportion of in-house and independent productions in the WOCC remain stable since last year. However, it's about much more than the data: what the WOCC has done is raise the creative bar. Ultimately the real winners are the audience – who benefit from the increase in creativity and quality that this drives.

"You only have to look at the range and distinctiveness of our output over the last year from both in-house and independents to see evidence of this heightened creativity, from innovative in-house productions such as 39 Steps, All The Small Things, Darwin's Dangerous Idea and Hotel Trubble to independent productions ranging from the BAFTA-winning Wallander and multi-award winning The Apprentice to Being Human, Life Of Riley and Grandpa In My Pocket."

Peter Salmon, Director, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision Productions, says: "Once again in-house delivered some outstanding creative successes – from dramas like Tess, Survivors and A Short Stay In Switzerland to comedies such as We Need Answers and Wrong Door and factual programmes like My Family At War.

"To remain stable and consistently strong against a backdrop of several hundred redundancies is a real achievement. Factual, which bore the brunt of the changes, has found it toughest but is now set to move forward confidently.

"I'm particularly pleased with the growing creative health of in-house production in ´óÏó´«Ã½ Children's where the team significantly increased the amount of business won in the WOCC and are building positively towards their move to Salford. All in all we are in good shape."

Proportion of network commissions in the WOCC won by genre – 2008/09

Entertainment: In-house produced 41% of the WOCC (up 5%), compared to 59% independent (down 5%)

Comedy: In-house produced 24% of the WOCC (down 14%), compared to 76% independent (up 14%)

Children's: In-house produced 30% of the WOCC (up 30%), compared to 70% independent (down 30%)

Drama: In-house produced 41% of the WOCC (down 14%), compared to 59% independent (up 14%)

Knowledge: In-house produced 25% of the WOCC (down 9%), compared to 75% independent (up 9%)

Proportion of network commissions in the WOCC won by genre – 2007/08

Entertainment: In-house produced 36% of the WOCC, compared to 64% independent

Comedy: In-house produced 38% of the WOCC, compared to 62% independent

Children's: In-house produced 0% of the WOCC, compared to 100% independent

Drama: In-house produced 55% of the WOCC, compared to 45% independent

Knowledge: In-house produced 34% of the WOCC, compared to 66% independent

Further information

Diversity has continued in the WOCC's second year. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ worked with 289 independent production companies from across the UK in 2008, up from 279 the previous year, meaning that we continue to commission from a wide range of programme makers.

Overall independents are winning more commissions than before the WOCC existed.

It is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust's responsibility to review the operation of the WOCC every two years which happened last year. Last year's review found that the WOCC is working well and commissioning decisions are being made on merit with no obvious bias towards in-house teams or independent producers.

Data is based on hours of output (deliverables) for financial year 2008/9 compared with hours of output for financial year 2007/8 for Network TV.

Independent Quota figures, which are verified by Ofcom and published in August, are based on calendar year figures and are pan ´óÏó´«Ã½ (ie, include local as well as Network commissions).

UM