BBC To Increase Programming Investment
The BBC is to step up pressure on its commercial rivals by increasing its programming budget by £180m over the next year, the corporation’s annual report has revealed.
The report, published today, shows that the BBC spent an extra £270m on programming during 2001, with BBC1 overtaking ITV in the annual ratings (see BBC Claims Ratings Victory Over ITV), despite its share of viewers falling to an all-time low of 26.5%. BBC Radio also enjoyed a successful year, increasing its reach by 1.8 million people and BBC Worldwide contributed a record £106m cash flow back to the BBC.
Last year saw the BBC launch three new digital TV channels and two new radio services (see Government Says No To BBC3) at the cost of £278 million. Viewing figures for the new CBBC, CBeebies and BBC Four digital channels remain relatively low, but the BBC insists that they will improve with time.
According to the report, the level of investment in both analogue and digital services was made possible by a rise in commercial income, an above-inflation increase in the licence fee and a further fall in licence fee evasion.
Commenting on the report, BBC chairman, Gavyn Davies, said: “I believe this has been a very good year for the BBC – a year of real progress – but we are not yet the finished article and there is still much work to be done.”
He added: “A key objective for all BBC services is to stretch their ambition and provide more programmes of indisputable quality in more genres,”
Davies emphasised the success of programmes such as The Blue Planet and Walking with Dinosaurs (see
He said: “Arts and political programmes are two areas where the BBC faces a similar challenge: to engage a broader audience while still providing programmes for enthusiasts. Quality and distinctiveness in all of our output is our ultimate goal.”
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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