Indie execs have spelt out the dangers of the BBC cutting spend in digital media to top BBC officials, with trade body Pact slamming the proposals as a ‘backwards step’ for the industry.

In a pow-wow at White City yesterday, 15 indie suppliers who currently make content for the BBC’s online division, met with senior BBC executives to voice objections to the proposed 25% reduction to BBC online.

Pact chief executive John McVay said the cuts, first outlined in the strategy review, were a “backwards step” for the industry.   

“Simply cutting overall budgets does not ensure it will re-focus on key public service areas or deliver efficiencies. We will be lobbying hard on this issue as part of our full response to the review, to ensure the BBC really puts quality first,” he said.

Pact proposed that a Window of Creative Competition (WOCC) should be added to the online business, in addition to the existing 25% external supply quota.

The WOCC extension was first mooted in the Analysis Mason report and a Perspective Associates report as part of the Government’s Digital Britain review.

Pact will be talking further with BBC online as part of its full response to the BBC Strategy Review.

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