PSB spending falls 6%

Spending on new, first-run UK programming by the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Five fell 6% between 2008 and 2009, new Ofcom figures reveal.

The Public Service Broadcasting Annual Report shows that BBC spending on first-run TV programming fell by 9% on BBC1, 15% on BBC2 and by 17% on BBC digital channels between 2005 and 2009 – an overall a drop of 13% from £1.42 billion to £1.2 4 billion.

Taken as a whole spending on new, first-run programming fell in real terms by 20% from £1.38 billion in 2005 to £1.10 billion 2009 for ITV1, Channel 4 and Five, yet as a proportion of their overall revenues spent on new programming this spending increased from 43% to 52% during the same period.

The regulator also revealed that while people are now watching more channels and TV than ever, viewing of the five main PSB channels has fallen from 58% in 2005 to 55% in 2009 in multichannel homes.

However, it adds that there is still a strong appreciation of the channels and their programmes, with nearly two thirds of people – 63% in 2009 – saying the PSB channels deliver well-made, high quality programmes. This is up from 58% in 2006.