The UK’s public service broadcasters are committed to shifting content production and spend out of London. Over the past 10 years, C4 has invested over £1 billion in content for the nations and regions, while the BBC’s blueprint for the future, entitled ‘The BBC Across the UK’, sets out how the corporation will ‘shift its creative and journalistic centre away from London’ over the next six years. By 2027-28, the BBC aims to spend ‘at the very least, an extra £700 million cumulatively across the UK’. This will dramatically improve representation of the nations and regions on and off screen, and increase potential for investment, jobs and training in our sector outside London.

Pact’s own research confirms that in 2019, 50% of the UK’s production budgets were spent in the nations and regions, compared to just 35% in 2016, most notably in Wales, the South-West and North-West of England. In 2020, commissioning spend outside of London accounted for 43% of all primary commissions revenue.  Seventy per cent of these commissions came from public service broadcasters, with nearly one quarter coming from international commissioners.

While 38% of the directly employed workforce in UK TV production is located outside of London, indies need support in finding the right people, in the right place, at the right time. That is why Pact has created a new nations and regions toolkit, to signpost indies on the ground towards practical, region-specific knowledge and information, and to connect them totalent at all levels, from runners to senior producers.

Finding and nurturing diverse talent across the UK is vital if we are to build sustainable production hubs in the Nations and Regions.
Anjani Patel
Head of Inclusion and Diversity, Pact