ITV calls for BBC ban on formats

The commercial broadcaster has responded aggressively to the inquiry on BBC charter review, headed by Conservative MP Jesse Norman, hitting out at the corporation’s strategy of picking up global formats, such as Talpa Media’s The Voice, and acquisitions including recent big-budget US drama Odyssey.

In its submission, ITV vetoed any move by the BBC to acquire any finished US shows, or films, for any of its channels. It conceded that the BBC may be the “buyer of last resort” of formats or non-US acquisitions where no commercial rival is interested – but demanded that these must not then be broadcast on flagship channels BBC1 or BBC2.

“There is a far better case for the BBC to be compelled to invest the money it currently spends on acquisitions on original UK films,” it said. “Such an investment would turbocharge the UK film industry.”

BBC distinctiveness

ITV’s submission also contained a stinging attack on the corporation’s lack of distinctiveness, claiming it has become “less distinguishable from its commercial rivals” over the current charter period.

The number of unique titles on BBC1 has “declined substantially”, according to ITV, which highlighted a lack of specialist factual programming and claimed it had been replaced by factual-entertainment, music, comedy and peak-time current affairs

It also slammed the BBC’s “static” daytime schedule, pointing to Bargain Hunt, Homes Under The Hammer and Escape To The Country which have respectively aired for 42, 19 and 16 series.

“The 2005 BBC pitch for the current charter included a commitment to ‘eliminating derivative programmes and ideas from the BBC schedules’ as well as eliminating programmes that are ‘tired and lacking in originality’,” said the ITV statement. “The evidence is that the opposite has happened.”

ITV claimed it was “ironic” that the future of BBC3 and BBC4 were “hanging in the balance”, as the channels which had illustrated the greatest degree of distinctiveness.

The decision to plough £30m into drama for BBC1, following BBC3’s proposed move online, was singled out as “beyond anything” the commercial sector could justify. The investment will have the added effect of making it increasingly tough for ITV to make a financial return “even on successful drama”.

Fresh framework

ITV proposed that a “new framework of distinctiveness” should be drawn up for the new charter period, including an agreement that every new piece of content should meet predetermined “characteristics and indicators of distinctiveness”.

The agreement should also include an obligation to avoid scheduling major entertainment or drama programmes “of appeal to a similar audience at the same time as key commercial competitors”, echoing statements made by director of television Peter Fincham about the BBC using Strictly Come Dancing to “clip the wings” of The X Factor.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry is designed to enable MPs to assess the approach to charter renewal and build on their report on the future of the BBC.

Outoging BBC director of television Danny Cohen responded to the plans on Twitter.

A BBC spokesman added: “BBC services are more distinctive than they have ever been and we show a wider, more unique range of programmes than any other channel. BBC1 is the UK’s most watched channel offering an unrivalled breadth of world-class programmes that inform, educate and entertain from peak time documentaries and drama to news, science, history and arts coverage. While 30 years ago a fifth of BBC1’s peak time schedule consisted of acquired American series today that’s zero.”