For the second year running, ITV1 have failed to source any network programming from Wales.
A report from TV producers’ trade body Pact revealed that not only had they not shown any programming from Wales, they had also halved the hours of network shows commissioned from Scotland last year.
However, it is not only ITV1 who are neglecting to focus their out-of London production quota on Wales, but all five main terrestrial networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, failing to source drama, factual or light entertainment programmes from Wales.
ITV network production in Wales has fallen 20 hours since 2006, with the independent production sector being highlighted as having the greatest reduction.
Scotland’s network hours have also seen a decline, with both ITV and Channel 4 separately reducing their independently supplied output by about nine hours each. Despite this, hours of independent production have risen 13% since 2006 due to the BBC’s growth in output but yet a corresponding rise in revenue has not been seen.
London continues to dominate UK network production, accounting for 64% of total outputted hours across the five terrestrial channels in 2007 but reaching as high as 77% on Channel 5.
Despite attacks on ITV1’s diversity, an ITV spokesman said that they “treat all production companies, throughout the UK, equally in terms of giving them a firm indication of what kind of programming we are looking for.”
