Broadcast Indie Survey 2009

Indies The annual survey of the UK’s independent TV producers

2009

Indies 2009 04

Defying the downturn

A

14

28

Contents 04 Indies 2009 league table Our rundown of the top 120 companies shows that 2008 was a good year for independent production 14 The broadcasters' favourites The BBC and C4 order the most programmes but who’s getting the business?

22 The top 10 specialists See who’s up and who’s down in our league tables of genre suppliers 26 Life outside London Hours are down but the future is bright for regional independents 28 Peer poll Consistency, quality and creativity are what make producers stand out in our poll of the indies’ favourite indies

mid the gloom of a deep recession, our seventh annual survey of the independent production sector – based on companies’ trading in 2008 – provides some welcome respite.

You may be surprised to hear that the independent production sector was in rude health in 2008. Of course, some parts of it David were ruder and healthier than others.

Wood The sector as a whole saw impressive growth in 2008, after remaining static for the past two years.

Combined turnover for all indies surveyed was £2.02bn, up from £1.97bn in 2007. This year’s survey also sees the continuation of 2007’s trend, when the combined revenue of owner/ consolidator overtook non-acquired indies for the first time.

In 2008, turnover for non-acquired indies was down 6% to £837.5m, while turnover for the consolidators totalled £1.18bn, up 9.3% from £1.08bn in 2007. Being part of a consolidated group appears to be good for business.

Individual indies that have had particularly strong years include Company Pictures, Impossible and Input Media, while Target Entertainment makes its first appearance in our consolidators list, thanks to its acquisition of Greenlit.

When it came to the R-word, most indies said that the recession had affected their ‘Most indies forecast business last year, although a more testing 2009, 44% of indies still insisted remained unaffected. with a battle on their they But with the economy in hands to hold on to meltdown, the mood going commissions and forwards was bleaker. The budgets’ pace of acquisitions, the talk of the sector a few years ago, has slowed to a trickle.

Most indies forecast a more testing 2009, with a battle on their hands to hold on to commissions and budgets. With programming hours down in many of our genre lists this year (p22), evidence suggests that broadcasters are already reining back on commissioning. The other big concern on producers’ radar is possible changes to the terms of trade, the agreements with broadcasters which have underpinned the sector’s growth in recent years.

But some things never change. Wall to Wall swaps places with Kudos as this year’s indies’ favourite indie, although both are head and shoulders above the rest. And once again the BBC is both the best and the worst broadcaster in the opinion of independents – an inevitable consequence, it seems, of being the commissioner with the most cash.

Our thanks to everybody who took part in this year’s survey. ➤ David Wood, Supplement Editor

Supplement Editors David Wood, Lucy Rouse Acting Broadcast Editor Emily Booth Art Director Peter Gingell Production Editor Sangeeta Chauhan Sub Editors Judith Barrett, Sacha Farnham Senior Commercial Director, Media Alison Pitchford Advertising Manager Rebecca Hainsworth Business Development Director Jo Knowles Senior Account Manager Rania Masri Account Manager Nathan Leong www.broadcastnow.co.uk

20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 3

Indies 2009 League table

The top indies:

holding their own

Our ranking of the UK’s top owners/consolidators and top 120 independent producers shows that 2008 was a good year, with the recession making little impact so far. Lucy Rouse reports

B

ig Brother, The X Factor, Fireman Sam, the Ryder Cup, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Shameless, Have I Got News For You and Britain from Above – all stand-out programmes in their own right last year and all made by some of the biggest independent production companies in Britain. British television would look very different without independent producers.

With an economic recession biting deep into the media business, and as advertising revenue slumps and confidence ebbs, many indies are wondering whether, and how, they can weather the storm.

But that is today’s problem. Our seventh annual survey of the independent production sector, reviewing businesses’ trading for the past year, shows indies were largely in rude health. As a whole, the independent production sector saw impressive growth in 2008, after remaining static for the past two

The X Factor: Talkback Thames 4 Broadcast | 20 March 2009

‘What worries me most is the state of ITV. We desperately need a strong ITV for all indies’ Lorraine Heggessey, chief executive, Talkback Thames

years. Combined turnover for all indies was £2.02bn, up from £1.97bn in 2007. The non-acquired indies accounted for some £837.5m of turnover, 6% less than their collective revenues of £890.5m in 2007, but combined turnover of the consolidated indie groups was £1.18bn, 9.3% up from £1.08bn in 2007.

Our survey reveals a healthy 44% of indies that insisted the recession hadn’t affected their business in 2008, although 55% said that it had. But with the economy and particularly the banking and finance sectors in meltdown as we put this survey together, the mood was bleak among independent producers. “I’m worried,” says Talkback Thames chief executive Lorraine Heggessey. “What worries me most is the state of ITV. We desperately need a strong ITV for all indies.

We’re seeing masses of money coming out of production and yet commissioning of original content is what’s kept British content so strong in recent years.”

Fireman Sam: Hit Entertainment

Hit Entertainment executive vicepresident of worldwide distribution Alison Homewood says: “Even those of us who have lived through a recession before haven’t seen it reported in quite the same way. It seems more parts of the world are affected than in the 1980s or 1990s.” Of the UK, though, where children’s programming has been under pressure for some time, she says: “It hasn’t got any gloomier. But we will see fewer new shows being commissioned and the slowdown will hit in two or three years’ time.”

Non-participants In a sign of the times, a number of companies could not be contacted for the survey. Others declined to participate, notably Aardman, Chorion and Red Production.

There was sobering news from Tiger Aspect, which saw its turnover fall by more than 23% despite repeat

Continued on page 13

The Gadget Show: North One Television www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

top owners/consolidators 1-11

Company

Overall turnover (£m) 2008

Overall turnover (£m) 2007

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Companies

1 All3Media 230.0 202.5 +13.6 –

Bentley Productions, Cactus Television, Company Pictures, IdTV, Lime Pictures, Lion Television, Maverick Television, MME Entertainment, Objective Productions, North One TV, South Pacific Productions, Zoo Productions

2 Shine Group

216.0

146.0

+47.9

–

Shine TV, Kudos, Princess, Dragonfly, Reveille, Shine Reveille International

3 IMG Media

207.5

221.7

-6.4

–

Tiger Aspect Productions, Darlow Smithson Productions, Tigress Productions, IMG Sports Media

4 Endemol UK

170.0

160.0

+6.3

–

Cheetah TV, Initial, Brighter Pictures, Zeppotron

5 RDF Media

120.6

99.3

+21.5

2.0m

RDF TV, IWC Media, Touchpaper TV, Presentable, Radar, The Foundation, The Comedy Unit

6 Tinopolis

68.0

66.0

+3.0

3.0m

Mentorn Media, Sunset + Vine, Folio, Daybreak Pictures, Tinopolis, Fiction Factory, POP1

7 Shed Media

63.0

71.8

-12.3

10.0m

8 DCD Media

34.0

42*

-19.0

2.6m

9 Ten Alps

27.0

32.8

-17.7

–

Shed Productions, Ricochet, Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Outright Distribution Box TV, Done & Dusted, Iambic, Prospect Pictures, September Films, West Park Pictures Brook Lapping, Blakeway, Films of Record

10 Target Entertainment 25.0 12.60 +98.4 –

Greenlit, Target TV

11 Boomerang Plus

Boomerang, Alfresco, Boom Talent, Adnoddau Zoom, Mwinci, Fflic, Apollo

20.9

10.5

+99.0

1.3m

*Pro forma. Turnover for year ending 30.06.07, taking into account the acquisitions of Prospect, September and West Park Pictures.

I

t has been a year of significant change in our list of top 10 consolidators, with IMG losing its top slot to All3Media and falling to third place. All3Media takes poll position with an increase of more than 13% in its turnover since 2007, boosted by new acquisitions Maverick, Objective and Illumina Digital. Meanwhile, Shine has shot up to second place with its group turnover increasing by 48% after completing its acquisition of US producer Reveille, maker of Ugly Betty, in February last year.

IMG, which parted company with its UK-based chief operating officer Alastair Waddington at the end of 2007, hasn’t put forward an

explanation for its slump in the rankings but subsidiary Tiger Aspect alone saw its turnover fall from £76.9m to £59m.

But IMG’s experience isn’t unusual. Shed, DCD and Ten Alps all saw turnover decline as the programming market toughened and broadcasters showed less of a commitment to returning series (although it must be noted that DCD’s £42m turnover cited for 2007 was pro forma for the year ending 30 June 2007 and took into account the acquisitions of Prospect, September and West Park Pictures).

Southern Star has disappeared from this league this year, following

its acquisition by Endemol in January, leaving Oxford Scientific Films and Darrall Macqueen which were under the Southern Star/Fairfax Media banner as standalone indies, still owned by Australia’s Fairfax.

Both are listed in the main league.

Target Entertainment joins the list for the first time following its 2008 acquisition of Greenlit, producer of Foyle’s War. Motive is also a consolidator – with Brown Eyed Boy, Scarlet TV, Rumble TV and Luminous Productions – but with a turnover of £3.8m, did not make it into our table of top owners.

Combined income for the top 11 owners/consolidators is up by £100m to £1.18bn, despite the fall

in some groups’ turnover in 2008.

Growth by acquisition has slowed, with some consolidated groups also questioning their listed status. RDF Media delisted from the stock exchange in February this year, after a successful management buyout led by David Frank with backing from Cyrte Investments. Also earlier this year, Shed revealed that a management-backed consortium had failed to buy the company during 2008.

But some are content to stick it out on the stock market. Ten Alps shows no signs of delisting, while DCD acting chief executive David Green says: “It’s tough but we believe we can create shareholder value and are happy to ride the storm.” ➤

Peep Show: All3Media’s Objective www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Demons: Shine TV

Waterloo Road: Shed Productions 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 5

Indies 2009 League table Top independent companies 1 – 24 Indie

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2008

Hours of repeats 2008

Full-time staff

455.00

4803.00

274

45.5

–

260

1

Talkback Thames

141.00

140.00

+0.7

–

2

Hit Entertainment

136.30

142.70

–4.5

56.20m

3

IMG Sports Media

126.40

–

–

–

IPL 2008, Ryder Cup 2008, Euro 2008, World Snooker, Superstars

2787.00

–

416

4

Tiger Aspect

59.00

76.90

-23.3

–

Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Harry & Paul, The Home Show, Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, Paul Merton

278.00

320.00

100

5

Company Pictures

53.80

30.90

+74.1

–

Shameless, Skins, Wild at Heart, George Gently

53.00

29.5 (terrestrial only)

27

6

Kudos

52.30

49.00

+6.7

–

Spooks, Ashes to Ashes, The Fixer, Moving Wallpaper, MI High

67.33

24.80

45

7

Lime Pictures

40.40

41.70

-3.1

–

Hollyoaks, Grange Hill, Living on the Edge

144.00

144.00

335

8

North One Television

33.89

30.00

+13.0

–

Formula One, The Gadget Show, Fifth Gear, Kerry Katona, World Rally Championship

363.00

–

88

9

Power

30.00

–

-

8.10m

Crusoe, The Summit, XIII, The Conspiracy, The Diplomat, The Devil’s Whore

288.00

20.00

36

10

Avalon

29.00

23.00

+26.1

2.40m

Al Murray’s Happy Hour, Harry Hill’s TV Burp, Not Going Out, Touch Me, I’m Karen Taylor

95.00

–

25

11

Twofour

28.70

22.70

+26.4

–

Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old?, The Hotel Inspector, Make My Body Younger

151.00

–

302

12

Hat Trick Productions

24.30

24.90

-2.4

3.56m

Have I Got News for You, Fonejacker 2, Outnumbered 2, Mutual Friends, God on Trial

30.00

40.00

46

13

Bentley Productions

23.80

22.10

+7.7

–

Midsomer Murders

16.00

178.00

5

14

Brook Lapping Productions

23.60

25.00

-5.6

1.40m

Indianapolis, The Government Grew Me a Penis, The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown

40.00

–

20

15

Carnival Film & Television

23.50

21.50

+9.3

–

Midnight Man, Harley Street, Hotel Babylon

17.00

493.00

15

16

Lion Television

22.50

33.40

-32.6

–

Britain from Above, Homes under the Hammer, Chinese School

150.00

180.00

100

17

Optomen

22.30

18.10

+23.2

–

Cookalong Live, Mary Queen of Shops, Great British Menu, Market Kitchen, What to Eat Now

330.00

1,000+

43

18

Objective Productions

20.00

24.00

-16.7

–

Tonightly, Peep Show, The Kevin Bishop Show 2, Star Stories, Derren Brown Trick or Treat

105.00

500+

50

19

Impossible Pictures

19.70

11.30

+74.3

737,759

Primeval 2, Through the Anomaly, Natural Wonders

14.00

33+

17

20

Princess Productions

19.10

17.00

+12.4

–

The Wright Stuff, The Sunday Night Project, Something for the Weekend, Orange Unsigned

494.00

452.00

120

21

Darlow Smithson Productions

18.10

20.00

-9.5

–

The Diary of Anne Frank, Thriller in Manila, Smash Lab, Richard Hammond’s Engineering Connections

75.00

600+

90

22

Input Media

15.00

8.20

+82.9

1.50m

2893.00

692.00

185

22

Pioneer Productions

15.00

12.00

+25.0

–

The Unsinkable Titanic, Catastrophe, Extraordinary Animals in the Womb, Growing Babies

12.00

–

up to 100

24

Diverse Production

14.00

9.96

+40.6

–

Beat the Star, Man vs Wild 3, The Prisoner, Tribal Wives, Election

46.25

80+

35

The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Bill Fireman Sam, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder: Project Build It

Euro 2008 previews, French Open Tennis previews and daily highlights

Methodology

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Tiger Aspect 6 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Spooks: Kudos

We emailed a questionnaire to more than 300 independent producers. We have ranked companies by turnover for 2008 or the last year for which figures are available. We have listed the consolidated groups of indies separately but some groups, notably All3Media and IMG, also gave a breakdown of their individual companies which are listed in the main table. To qualify, independent producers needed to have at least one hour of commissioned programming broadcast in the UK in 2008. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Top independent companies 25 – 48 Indie

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of prog 2008

Hours of repeats 2008

Full-time staff

25

Leopard Films

12.00

11.00

+9.1

–

Missing Live, Evacuees Reunited, War on Knives, Guilty Pleasures, Cash in the Attic

300.00

320.00

100

26

Maverick

11.40

8.10

+40.7

–

Ten Years Younger, How to Look Good Naked, Embarrassing Bodies

36.00

–

83

27

Silver River

11.10

11.20

-0.9

–

The Supersizers Go, Pulling, Twiggy's Frock Exchange, Sex Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll: the 60s

44.00

50.00

40

28

Love Productions

10.80

9.78

+10.4

–

Britain’s Missing Top Model, Baby Borrowers on Holiday, Young Mums’ Mansion, I Want My Dad Back

60.00

50.00

21

29

Dragonfly (formerly Firefly)

10.70

10.00

+7.0

1.40m

The Family, The World’s … and Me, Jamie’s Fowl Dinners, Kill It, Cook It, Eat It 3

45.00

55.00

24

30

Cactus

9.80

12.50

-21.6

–

Richard & Judy, Saturday Kitchen, Galaxy British Book Awards, Crime Thriller season

171.00

8.00

11

31

Rondo Media Cyf*

9.70

9.8

-1.0

–

Rownd a Rownd, Sgorio, Casa Dudley, Llangollen 2008 International Musical Eisteddfod

155.00

155.00

40

32

Parthenon Entertainment

9.10

5.30

+71.7

1.00m

Jakers, Baby Planet, Great Generals, Ultimate Journeys

52.00

103.00

40

33

Coastal Productions

9.00

–

–

–

Wire in the Blood Texas Special, Wire in the Blood 6, Place of Execution

12.50

0.00

5

33

Open Mike Productions

9.00

6.00

+50.0

1.10m

Live at the Apollo, Alan Carr’s Celebrity Ding Dong, Comedy Store, Lead Balloon, How the West Was Lost

26.50

0.00

6

35

Baby Cow Productions

8.67

8.27

+4.8

1.07m

Gavin & Stacey 2, Ideal 4, Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special, The Last Word Monologues

12.00

50+

13

36

Dangerous Films

8.40

3.70

+127.0

–

When We Left Earth, Super Doctors, Special Forces Heroes

7.00

–

14

37

So Television

8.00

7.00

+14.3

–

The Graham Norton Show 2 and 3, Bring Back Star Wars, Sorry I’ve Got No Head

20.50

27.00

9

38

Fever Media

7.40

7.00

+5.7

–

Find Me the Face, Murder Most Famous, Britain’s Bravest, Lifesavers

17.00

–

6

39

Somethin’ Else

7.30

7.40

-1.4

–

The Rainman Twins, Legends: Ella Fitzgerald, 1968: Day by Day, The Orange Music Show

4.00

0.00

61

40

Monkey Kingdom Productions

7.20

7.60

-5.3

–

The Charlotte Church Show, The Secret World of Sam King, Sound, The Passions of Girls Aloud

51.00

–

14

41

Ragdoll Productions

7.00

12.90

-45.7

–

In the Night Garden, Teletubbies, Brum, Tronji, Tots TV

15.00

1,000+

60

41

Tigress Productions

7.00

8.20

-14.6

–

Nature Shock, Everest: Beyond the Limit Season 2, Titus: The Gorilla King (The Natural World)

45.00

36.00

17

43

Atlantic Productions

6.75

6.50

+3.9

–

Predator X, Secrets of Egypt, Star of Bethlehem, The Wildest Dream, Unearthing Ancient Secrets

19.00

57.00

28

44

Spun Gold

6.70

3.07

+118.2

202,000

The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Duchess in Hull, Bingo Lotto, Last Party at the Palace

108.00

0.00

4

45

Betty TV

6.50

6.50

–

–

Country House Rescue, Freaky Eaters

33.00

–

16

45

Outline Productions

6.50

7.70

-15.6

–

Guinness World Records Smashed, The Big Experiment, Living With Jade

24.00

98.00

11

47

Freeform Productions

6.30

7.20

-12.5

–

A Place in the Sun, A Place in the Sun: Home or Away

70.00

–

12

48

Steadfast TV

6.20

5.20

+19.2

10,338

Cars, Cops and Criminals, Sky Cops 2, Send in the Dogs, UK Borderforce, Doctors and Nurses at War

38.00

50+

21

* Formed April 2008 by merger of Nant Cyf and Opus

How to Look Good Naked: Maverick www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Wire in the Blood: Coastal Productions

Gavin & Stacey: Baby Cow 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 7

➤

Indies 2009 League table Top independent companies 49 – 72 Indie

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2008

Hours of repeats 2008

Full-time staff

49

Raw TV

5.90

–

–

–

Banged up Abroad, Chop Shop, Brits Who Made the World, Saving Britney Spears, Battlefront

31.00

–

11

50

ETV

5.78

–

–

652,000

Cruise Flash, Winter Warmers, Summer Hotspots, What's on in London

460.00

625.00

70

51

Flashback Television

5.00

6.40

-21.9

70,000

Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen, Unexplained, Andy McNab’s Tour of Duty

48.00

60 approx

14

51

Liberty Bell

5.00

4.10

+22.0

450,000

Willy’s Wonky Chocolate Factory, Three Men in Another Boat, The Book Show, Songbook

40.00

–

7

53

October Films

4.90

3.05

+60.7

–

Rude Tube, Chris Ryan’s Elite Police, Caribbean Cops, Dispatches: Sandwiches Unwrapped

41.00

44.00

14

54

Fresh One

4.70

4.30

+9.3

–

Jamie Saves Our Bacon, Jamie's Ministry of Food, Jamie's Christmas Special

10.00

–

6

55

Remedy Productions

4.66

4.30

+8.4

1.05m

E4 Music, Freshly Squeezed, The Surgery, Road to V, Global Gathering

1650.00

5.00

12

56

DLT Entertainment

4.60

5.40

-14.8

250,000

My Family

4.50

18.00

5

57

Splash Media

4.50

4.90

-8.16

75,000

Piers Morgan on Sandbanks, Eurovision Dance Contest, The Underdog Show

31.00

361.00

8

58

Antix Productions

4.30

3.41

+26.1

1.10m

Most Haunted, Most Haunted Live, Whines and Spirits, Screaming Banshee, The Enfield Poltergeist

125.00

150+

8

58

Illumina Digital

4.30

5.6

-23.1

–

–

–

50

60

Celador Productions

4.20

15.00

-72.0

58,000

All Star Mr & Mrs, Commercial Breakdown with Jimmy Carr, The Swing Thing,The MOBO Awards

22.50

–

10

60

Raw Cut TV

4.20

0.92

+356.5

–

Road Wars, Police Interceptors

40.00

550+

39

60

Reef Television

4.20

2.00

+110.0

50,000

Put Your Money where Your Mouth Is, Buy It, Sell It, Bank It, Suggs in the City, Behind Closed Doors

105.00

100+

12

60

Tern TV

4.20

4.10

+2.44

263,000

Britannia, Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses, KNTV Sex, Beechgrove Garden, Last Resort

44.00

–

28

60

Windfall Films

4.20

3.76

+11.7

160,625

Monster Moves 3, Big, Bigger, Biggest, Revealed: The Ghost of Mary Rose

16.00

14.00

18

65

Electric Sky

4.00

4.30

-7.0

–

Vertical City, Fat Doctor, Make Your Child Brilliant, Max’s Big Tracks, Can’t Stop Growing

74.00

13.00

4

65

Waddell Media

4.00

5.25

-23.8

–

The Priests in Concert, The Priests, At Your Service, Northern Ireland WAGS, Farmers Wanted

11.60

39.00

32

67

Blast! Films

3.90

2.54

+53.5

–

Hunger, Artful Codgers, My New Best Friend, Victorian Sex Explorer

14.00

6.00

10

67

True North Productions

3.90

2.74

+42.3

600,000

Shannon – the Mother of All Lies, One Man and His Canoe – The John Darwin Story, My Fake Baby

91.00

137.00

8

69

Century Films

3.20

2.55

+25.5

–

Scams, Fiddles and Outrageous Claims, Our Big Fair Trade Adventure, Last Orders, Pramface Babies

7.00

3 otherwise unknown

11

69

Flame TV

3.20

1.95

+64.1

280,000

Don’t Get Done, Get Dom, Heir Hunters, The Double Life of Dickens, Churchill’s Mother

37.00

150.00

9

71

Pacific Media

3.13

3.18

-1.6

–

Nigella Express, Barefoot Contessa, Healthy Appetite, Dear Food Network

45.60

150.00

7

72

Oxford Film and Television

3.05

3.20

-4.7

112,000

The American Future: a History by Simon Schama, The Mona Lisa Curse, Liverpool

10.00

–

10

Jamie Saves Our Bacon: Fresh One 8 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Get Cooking, Quiz Mania, Treetop Walkway

My Family: DLT Entertainment

Shannon - The Mother of All Lies: True North www.broadcastnow.co.uk

➤

Indies 2009 League table

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Top independent companies 72 – 96 Indie

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2008

Hours of repeats 2008

Full-time staff

72

Oxford Scientific Films

3.05

4.19

-27.2

–

Meerkat Manor: the Next Generation, Saving Africa’s Child Witches

11.00

13.00

8

74

Blakeway Productions

3.00

6.80

-55.9

101,000

Rivers of Blood, Secrets of the Austrian Cellar, Heat or Eat, Jon Snow’s Hidden Iraq

38.00

c 50

10

74

Juniper TV

3.00

2.00

+50.0

196,000

The Qur’an, Immigration: the Inconvenient Truth, Close up: Blood on the Nile

22.50

–

16

74

Wag TV

3.00

4.30

-30.2

600,000

How Do They Do It?, Blasted!

25.00

100+

10

74

Wild Dream Films

3.00

–

–

–

Ancient Discoveries

10.00

40.00

20

78

Left Bank Pictures

2.70

–

–

–905,000

Wallander, School of Comedy

5.00

–

9

79

Pulse Films

2.60

–

–

–

Citizen Smith, Love Music, Hate Racism, The JD Sets, Drivetime, 3 Minute Wonder: The Gathering

7.00

3.00

15

79

Quicksilver Media

2.60

2.60

–

–

The Warlords Next Door, Jon Snow’s American Journey, Property: the End of the Affair

16.50

2.00

7

81

Denham Productions

2.56

2.70

-5.2

–

Rhodes Across China, Local Food Heroes 2008, Mitch and Matt’s Big Fish

38.00

–

19

82

Calon TV

2.50

1.66

+50.6

20,000

Hana’s Helpline, Herio’r Ddraig, Llew ap Blew

11.00

100+

35

83

Keo Films

2.45

2.50

-2.0

640,000

Medicine Men Go Wild, Hugh’s Chicken Run, Special report on Burma for Newsnight

15.00

Many

15

84

Pilot

2.4

2.60

-7.7

156,000

Globe Trekker, Treks in a Wild World, Planet Food, Wild Café Asia, Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia

25.00

300.00

15

85

Talent Television**

2.32

3.33

-30.3

–

An Audience without Jeremy Beadle, Everybody Dance Now, Best of Friends

25.00

20+

11

86

Icon Films

2.30

2.25

+2.2

–

Tiger Kill, Crocodile Blues, Flesh Eating River Monster, Travellers Century, Street Monkeys

17.00

40 approx

20

87

Touch Productions

2.25

1.50

+50.0

–

All Over the Shop, Thames Shipwrecks – A Race Against Time, Body In Numbers, Body Machine

10.00

6.00

10

88

Darrall Macqueen

2.20

2.90

-24.1

–170,000

Bear Behaving Badly 2, Hi-5, The Fluffy Club

23

200+

8

89

Blink Films

2.00

–

–

150,000

The Woman Who Married the Eiffel Tower, Extraordinary Animals

17.00

6.50

5

89

Fulcrum TV

2.00

–

–

–

Hitler’s Secret City, Codes: Murder, War and Treason, When Rome Ruled Egypt

3.00

17.00

6

89

Illuminations Media

2.00

1.20

+66.7

–

Art of Faith, The Eternity Man, Art Race, Spider in the City

20.00

–

7

89

Testimony Films

2.00

1.20

+66.7

30,000

Hotel 9/11, The Angels of Edgware Road, The Miracle of Carriage 346

19.00

10.00

6

93

Hartswood Films

1.90

8.94

-78.8

269,000

The Cup

3.00

93

Pett Television

1.90

2.80

-32.1

98,000

Liz Smith’s Summer Cruise, Shooting Stars: The Inside Story

3.00

–

5

93

Topical Television

1.90

3.69

-48.5

–

Real Rescues 2 and 3, The One Show insert films

35.00

20.00

6

96

Walsh Brothers

1.80

2.95

-39.0

900,000

Don’t Make Me Angry, Headhunting, The Homeless, Trex 2

10.00

26.00

4

7

** Turnover estimated on basis of half-yearly figures to March 2008

Wallander: Left Bank Pictures 10 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Hana’s Helpline: Calon TV

Shooting Stars: Pett Television www.broadcastnow.co.uk

➤

Indies 2009 League table Top independent companies 96 – 120 Indie

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Change

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2008

Hours of repeats 2008

Full-time staff

96

World's End Productions

1.80

1.40

+28.6

–

Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show, Katy Brand’s Big Ass Songs 2008, Imagine: Jay-Z, Fighting Talk

5.00

–

5

98

Televisionary

1.75

1.49

+17.5

112,000

Ultimate Ulster, Made in England:Seth Lakeman, Richard O’Brien’s Dead Strange

8.00

5.00

15

99

Perform

1.70

–

–

–

Omnisport

117.00

300.00

40

100

3DD Productions

1.60

2.68

-40.3

31,865

The Shockwaves Album Chart Show, Peace One Day, Live at The Royal Albert Hall

22.50

45.00

2

100

Glasshead

1.60

1.35

+18.5

400,000

Telling Tales, Being French, Being German, Being Spanish, Being Chinese, Just So Darwin

14.00

11.00

16

102

Bwark Productions

1.50

2.00

-25.0

–

The Inbetweeners

3.00

12 approx

2

102

Seventh Art Productions

1.50

2.50

-40.0

50,000

Tim Marlow on..., Escape from Luanda, In Search of Mozart

12.00

150+

10

104

Tigerlily Films

1.48

–

–

–

Black Power Salute, Goth Cruise, Vida Ballet,

2.00

10.00

4

105

Films of Record

1.40

–

–

–127,000

Teen Mum High, Hold Me Tight Let Me Go, The Burning Season, 911 Faker

5.00

0.00

5

106

Carbon Media

1.30

1.49

-12.8

182,000

Big Art Project, Secrets of the Twelve Disciples, The Nativity Decoded, Yesterday We Were in America

4.00

107

Scarlet TV

0.98

1.37

-28.5

–167,000

Britain’s Biggest Babies, Britney: Speared by the Paps, 50 Greatest TV Endings

12.00

75.00

3

108

AMG TV Productions

0.94

0.15

+526.7

20,000

Race & Rally UK, Rallycross Open Championship, Ford Car Racing, Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK

120.00

480.00

1

109

Lambent Productions

0.90

1.32

-31.8

63,567

Lifeproof, Teachers TV (various), Passport from Polio, The Politics Show (south east opt out)

20.50

–

8

110

The Proudfoot Company

0.88

0.90

-2.22

–

My Music

4.00

–

4

111

Colonial Pictures

0.75

0.80

-6.25

–

The Forgotten Painter, Peter Ackroyd’s Thames, Dream Homes, City at War

22.00

50.00

5

112

Television Junction

0.67

0.59

+13.56

81,439

Great School Movies, EYFS Today

5.75

–

7

113

Hardcash Productions

0.64

–

–

109,703

Undercover Mosque: the Return, Iraq: the Lost Generation, How to Rob a Bank

5.00

5.00

3

114

Red Planet Pictures

0.53

0.60

-11.7

91,378

Holby Blue 2, Moving Wallpaper 1, Echo Beach

24.00

8.00

8

115

Big Heart Media

0.50

–

–

–

Supersonic with the LSO, Film at Key Stage 1: Dangle

15.00

–

5

116

Caledonia TV

0.44

0.73

-39.7

6,281

The Adventures of Don Roberto, Going Home, Secret, Entertaining Ladies, Treasures

12.50

16.00

6

117

Matchbox TV

0.35

0.30

+16.7

200,000

Quantum of Solace: Royal World Premiere Special, Australia: T4 Movie Special

5.00

8.00

2

118

Free at Last

0.34

1.00

-66.0

3,499

The Flash Gordon Story, Martina Cole’s Ladykillers, Gina Las Vegas, Sex and the City Weekend

12.50

100

2

119

Borough Valley and Spring Pictures

0.27

-

-

-167,689

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy, Mist: Sheepdog Tales

2.50

–

5

120

Imago Productions

0.15

0.44

-65.9

11,000

Made in England

9.00

8.00

1

Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show: World’s End 12 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Ultimate Ulster: Televisionary

7

The Inbetweeners: Bwark Productions www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Continued from page 4 commissions for Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Ross Kemp in Afghanistan; and from Hartswood, which had just three hours of programming last year and which saw turnover fall almost 79%. At Lion TV turnover fell more than 32% despite flagship BBC 1 series Britain From Above.

Company Pictures is the biggest success story of 2008, growing its turnover by more than 74% to £53.8m with a spread of commissions from the BBC (George Gently), Channel 4 (Skins and Shameless) and ITV (Wild at Heart). Other notable performers include Impossible Pictures (Primeval 2), with turnover also up by more than 74% and Input Media, whose turnover increased by almost 83%.

‘Independent production is so much a part of the TV landscape that we’re not looking at total wipeout’ John Smithson, chief creative director, Darlow Smithson

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Company

BBC WW RDF Rights C4I All3Media Int. Target Fremantle ID ITV Global DRG Outright

2008 (%)*

2007 (%)*

25 14 13 9 9 9 9 5 4 4

23 16 12 6 6 5 7 5 – –

* Percentage share of indie market held by each distributor as stated by our indie respondents

indies have sold programmes overseas in the past year, while 57% have been involved in co-productions. Fiftyeight per cent of indies use at least one distributor compared with 30% which manage their own sales, excluding those that are part of a consolidated group with an in-house distributor such as RDF. Target director of sales and programming Jane Dockery is predictably in favour of indies using third-party distributors. “One of the benefits we can offer is the ability to deficit finance shows, seek pre-sales and do co-productions. Many producers are more internationally savvy these days and can pick up the phone to a US or Australian channel.

But they don’t necessarily have the broad range of relationships that a distributor does or the ability to drive up prices and get the best market value internationally.”

Dockery argues global business has picked up in the first few months of

Consolidation slowdown Acquisitions didn’t continue at the pace of previous years, and neither did the owners/consolidators begin consolidating themselves as widely predicted – no doubt hampered by the credit crunch and the relative inability to finance mega-mergers.

All3Media did buy Illumina Digital in September and US production company Zoo Productions (Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?) in June.

BBC Worldwide took a 25% stake in Baby Cow in September for an undisclosed sum; Carnival was bought by NBC Universal in August for an estimated £30m; and Endemol bought distributor Southern Star from Australia’s Fairfax Media in January this year, leaving Darrall Macqueen and Oxford Scientific Films as standalone indies in the UK market. At the other end of the spectrum, Talent TV bought regional indie KMB Productions, based in Southampton, in September for just £1,100.

Being bought or merging with another company is low on most indies’ list of priorities right now. The biggest concerns highlighted were downward pressure on broadcasters’ budgets, the economic downturn and possible changes to the terms of trade, which Lord Carter has said might need to “evolve”. A significant minority also cited possible changes to public service broadcasting and the future of C4 as a specific concern.

With UK budgets under pressure and finance models for content changing, indies are keenly aware of the need to sell their programmes overseas. Our survey showed 91% of

➤ Top ten distributors

2008 themes recession and budgets Has the recession affected your business?

Key concerns for independent producers

30% 55%

44%

41%

19%

11% 1%

Say no or not yet Say yes Don’t know

Falling budgets Economic downturn/recession Possible changes to terms of trade PSB changes/future of C4

this year, compared with the end of 2008. She adds that while some broadcasters around the world have a freeze on acquisitions or are holding rates, there’s still a massive demand for British programming, particularly drama, which still isn’t produced in anything like the quantity overseas buyers would like.

In all the turmoil, the independent production sector is still a crucial cornerstone of the broadcasting industry.

Culture secretary Andy Burnham underlined the importance of indies in the UK media landscape when he name-checked the sector while speaking at the Oxford Media Convention in January. He said: “We don’t celebrate enough these British indies, whose flow of good ideas has made such an impact on viewing in the UK and exports around the world.”

Meanwhile, some individual pro-

£2.02bn Combined turnover for all indies in 2008, up from £1.97bn in 2007

ducers are sanguine about their prospects long-term, while admitting how difficult the economy is making life in the short term. October Films managing director Denman Rooke says: “I’m sure we’re as well placed to survive as any indie. But the indie sector as a whole is going to find it quite tough, not just because of the recession.”

Darlow Smithson chief creative director John Smithson thinks the sector is too essential to the industry for many to go under: “We’re going through choppy waters but independent production is so established, so much a part of the TV landscape, that we’re not looking at total wipeout. We have the creative resilience to endure.”

Keo Films creative director Andrew Palmer is less upbeat: “We are busier than ever and it’s very strange against the background of the current climate.

There’s a feeling of spending last year’s money and that tough times will come next year.”

Palmer reckons it would be “foolish” to feel totally confident about the future. “There are two things going on: the financial meltdown and changes in how content is financed.

Neither of those make you feel particularly good.”

20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 13

Indies 2009 Top suppliers

Broadcasters' favourites

The BBC and C4 still order more indie programmes than anyone, but what are the pros and cons of working with the UK’s biggest broadcasters and who is getting the business?

A

s in previous years, the BBC and Channel 4 excite the passions of most independent producers.

Whether they are judged the best broadcaster to work with (the BBC) or the worst (also the BBC), the two leading public service broadcasters are the biggest commissioners of independent productions in British TV so there is no ducking their central role in supporting the indie sector.

But both the BBC and C4 declined to tell us what they spent on indies in 2008, reserving exact figures for their annual reports due out later this year, and the annual Ofcom communications market review which is published in August. Instead, we have lists of all their top suppliers in terms of both hours and spend.

The mark of a successful indie is usually the breadth of its relationships. So those companies supplying more than one major broadcaster are the ones to look out for. But there are just six independents that feature in the top 10 supplier lists of three or more broadcasters. Endemol is a top indie for the BBC, ITV and C4; Talkback Thames is a top supplier

Ready Steady Cook: Endemol 14 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

‘Those companies supplying more than one major broadcaster are the ones to look out for'

to the BBC, ITV and Five; RDF is among the top C4, ITV and Sky 1 suppliers; Company is a top BBC, C4 and ITV supplier; Princess features in the C4, Five and BBC lists; and Tiger Aspect is a top supplier to the BBC, Virgin Media and UKTV. Taking into account the fact that Talkback is owned

by Fremantle, all these indies are part of consolidated groups. So size clearly is important when it comes to landing the biggest commissions.

The point is proved again by looking at the percentage of consolidated companies employed by each broadcaster. Of the BBC’s top 10 suppliers by hours, only two – Leopard Films and 12 Yard – are not part of a bigger group. 12 Yard has since been bought by ITV so will not count as an independent in next year’s survey. Perhaps fittingly, just four of C4’s top suppliers by hours are from consolidated indies, with non-acquired smaller players Highflyer, Olga TV, Remedy, Hothouse, KOTV and Freeform Productions all benefiting from large-scale C4 commissions.

The consolidated indie groups also feature strongly as top suppliers to

The Invisibles: Company Pictures

➤ Best broadcaster (% share)

Channel

2009

2008

2007

2006

1 2 3 4 5

BBC C4 ITV Five Sky

29.1 18.2 12.7 8.2 6.4

17.2 17.2 20.5 18.0 3.3

26.8 21.4 14.3 20.5 4.5

16.0 25.0 22.0 23.0 1.8

➤ worst broadcaster (% share)

Channel

2009

2008

2007

2006

1 2 3 4 5

BBC 38.5 ITV 14.3 C4 13.2 Five 6.6 Discovery 5.5

47.1 9.6 20.2 2.9 11.5

34.3 10.5 23.8 4.8 7.6

44.5 13.0 13.0 5.5 8.0

ITV and Five although there is room on their lists for non-acquired indies such as Avalon, Greenlit, LaPlante Productions, Coastal, Two Hands and Reef. But the lessons of Town House TV, maker of Five’s Trisha chat show which was cancelled in February, show the dangers of relying on one major contract. Working with a wide range of broadcasters is the name of the game.

Outnumbered: Hat Trick www.broadcastnow.co.uk

BBC biggest indie commissioner ➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Company

1 IMG Media 2 Endemol 3 Sunset + Vine 4 12 Yard Productions 5 Leopard Films 6 Shine 7 Lion Television 8 Talkback Thames 9 Mentorn 10 Princess Productions

Key shows

Snooker, darts coverage Roar, Ready Steady Cook, Beat the Chef Horse racing coverage Sportrait, Are You an Egghead?

Cash in the Attic, Car Booty, Missing Live Merlin, Most Annoying People 2008, What Are You Like?

Homes Under the Hammer, Britain from Above Escape to the Country, Hospital Heroes Question Time, The Big Questions, Russia Revealed Lily Allen Show, Something for the Weekend

➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by SPEND)

Britain from Above: producer Lion ranks seventh by hours

Company

1 Kudos 2 Endemol 3 Shine 4 Hat Trick 5 Talkback Thames 6 Wall to Wall 7 Tiger Aspect Prod.

8 12 Yard 9 Company Pictures 10 Hot Sauce TV

Key shows

Spooks, Hustle, MI High The One and Only, 1 vs 100, Celebrity Scissorhands MasterChef, Battle of the Brains Have I Got News For You, Outnumbered, Fairy Tales The Apprentice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks Who Do You Think You Are?, New Tricks Lenny Henry TV, Ruddy Hell It’s Harry & Paul!

Eggheads, In It To Win It, Who Dares Wins The Invisibles, George Gently, Einstein and Me Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Morecambe & Wise Source: BBC

T

he BBC worked with 289 independent producers across its channels last year, 10 more than in 2007, but can't confirm its total spend on indie suppliers until Ofcom verifies the data to appear in its communications market review this summer. The BBC is thought to have spent more than the £436m it spent in the indie sector in 2007 and has been voted the best broadcaster to work with this year, no doubt reflecting the relative security of its £3.5bn income.

Yet the corporation is also considered the worst broadcaster by almost one in four of those that voted on the issue, reflecting the size and scale of the organisation which clearly frustrates as much as it supports indie suppliers. For every supplier that praises the corporation for its willingness to fund development and take risks, there’s one that criticises its red tape and slowness to make decisions.

IMG Media (formerly TWI) and Endemol are still the BBC’s top independent suppliers in terms of hours, but Lion Television has

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

fallen from being the BBC’s third biggest supplier by hours to seventh, to be replaced by Sunset + Vine (fourth by hours in 2007) and 12 Yard Productions (eighth by hours in last year’s survey).

‘For every supplier who praises the corporation, there's one who criticises its red tape and slowness to make decisions’ Kudos remains the BBC’s biggest indie supplier in terms of spend, thanks largely to its big-budget BBC 1 dramas Spooks and Hustle. New entrants include Shine and Company Pictures, with Shine putting in a storming performance thanks to series hits such as MasterChef and Merlin propelling it up the spending and hours rankings (third and sixth respectively).

Company owes its new listing to commissions such as The Invisibles, George Gently and one-off drama Einstein and Me.

What the indies say PROS “A lesser decline in commissioned programme budgets and a broad range of commissions” “Clear commissioning procedure and feedback policy” “Prepared to take risks and believe in quality” “Has speeded up commissioning process” “It regularly funds development”

CONS “Bureaucratic, inwardlooking and slow to pay” “Impenetrable for small indies” “Incapable of making quick decisions” “Endless structural changes, too few commissioners to work effectively with indie sector” “Very dependent on who your BBC business affairs representative is”

Broadcaster Response

Helen Blenkinsop Managing editor, commissioning, BBC Vision

“It's great that independents feel we are better to work with – their views are really important because they are such a big part of what we do.

I'm also really pleased that our commissioners are being recognised for taking creative risks and driving quality, and that some of our process improvements are starting to have an impact – though we know there's always more work to be done there. Anyone with a strong idea will be welcomed. We are proud of our record on the number of companies we commission and the range of opportunities we offer.” ➤ 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 15

Indies 2009 Top suppliers Channel 4 Indies' second most loved ➤ C4 – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Company

Key shows

1 Endemol Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, 8 Out Of 10 Cats 2 Highflyer Productions Channel 4 Racing 3 Lime Pictures Hollyoaks 4 Olga TV The New Paul O’Grady Show 5 Cactus TV Richard & Judy 6 Remedy Productions Freshly Squeezed 7 RDF TV The Secret Millionaire, Shipwrecked, Scrapheap Challenge 8 Hothouse Productions World Cup Skiiing 9 KOTV Goalissimo, KOTV Weekly 10 Freeform Productions A Place By The Sea, A Place In The Sun

➤ C4 – Top Suppliers (by SPEND)

Shameless: Company is C4's third biggest supplier by spend

Company

Key shows

1 Endemol 2 Lime Pictures 3 Company Pictures 4 Olga TV 5 RDF TV 6 Objective Productions 7 Maverick Television 8 Princess Productions 9 Dragonfly* Film & TV 10 Cactus Television

Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Hollyoaks Shameless, The Devil’s Whore, Fallout The New Paul O’Grady Show The Secret Millionaire, Shipwrecked, Scrapheap Challenge Tonightly, Peep Show, The Kevin Bishop Show, Star Stories How to Look Good Naked, Ten Years Younger The Friday Night Project, The Sunday Night Project The Family, Tony Robinson’s Crime and Punishment Richard & Judy

* Formerly Firefly Film & Television Productions

C

4 commissioned 300 indies to produce content for the main Channel 4 service last year, compared with 312 in 2007. Like the BBC, C4 declined to reveal exactly how much it spent on independent suppliers in 2008, although this is expected to be similar to the £325m it spent in 2007.

Its lists of top suppliers are largely unchanged from 2007, with only Maverick (How to Look Good Naked and 10 Years Younger) and Dragonfly (formerly Firefly – The Family, Jamie’s Fowl Dinners) joining the league of top suppliers by spend.

In terms of top suppliers by hours, At It Productions (Popworld) has slipped out of the list, replaced by Freeform Productions (A Place By the Sea).

Despite commissioning fewer indies, C4 has scored higher in the popularity stakes this year, muscling its way up the list of best broadcasters with which to work. Second only to the BBC in this year’s best broadcaster ranking, it’s up one on its joint 16 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

third place last year. It has also fared better on the worst broadcaster list, moving down to third worst this year from second last year. As with the BBC, this may

‘Despite commissioning fewer indies, C4 has scored higher in the popularity stakes, second only to the BBC’ reflect C4’s status as an established and trusted commissioner of independents in the current economic climate, loved when it says yes and reviled when it doesn’t – even if many indies are concerned about where the debate about C4’s future funding will lead.

Those companies that voted C4 the best broadcaster to work with were also the most concerned with its future and falling budgets combined with the "fragility" of the terms of trade agreements.

Source: C4

What the indies say PROS “Fast-moving”

CONS “Smug”

“Straightforward”

“Confused”

“Some dialogue about costs and happy to accept there’s a price for its editorial demands” “Receptive to new ideas, open to meeting” “Decisive, collaborative”

“C4 doesn’t know who it is or who its audience is. It is also massively distracted by competing solutions for its survival” “Wary of risk-taking” “Too few hours, too many ideas”

Broadcaster Response

Janey Walker Head of education and managing editor, commissioning

“As ever, Channel 4's creative success is due to the talents of the indies working with us.

“We’re delighted that indies say we’re collaborative, decisive and receptive to new ideas: these qualities are going to be even more more important during this economic downturn.

“We're as determined as ever to bring the best ideas from the best indies to the screen.”

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

ITV1 spend unchanged ➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Company

1 Endemol 2 Fremantle Media (incl Talkback Thames) 3 North One Television 4 RDF TV 5 Spun Gold TV 6 Prospect Pictures 7 2Way Traffic 8 Avalon TV 9 Entertainment Rights 10 Leopard Films

Key shows

Spin Star, Golden Balls, Soccer Aid The Bill, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent Formula 1 Grand Prix season Real Deals, Rosemary Shrager’s School for Cooks The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Duchess in Hull Daily Cooks Challenge Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Harry Hill’s TV Burp, Al Murray’s Happy Hour Jim, Jam and Sunny Good Bid Good Buy, Evacuees Reunited

➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by SPEND)

Golden Balls: Endemol is ITV's top supplier by hours

Company

1 Fremantle Media 2 Bentley Productions 3 Kudos Productions 4 Company Pictures 5 Avalon TV 6 Endemol 7 Greenlit Rights 8 2Way Traffic 9 LaPlante Productions 10 Coastal Productions

Key shows

The Bill, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent Midsomer Murders Echo Beach, Moving Wallpaper Wild at Heart, The Palace Harry Hill’s TV Burp, Al Murray’s Happy Hour Spin Star, Golden Balls, Soccer Aid Foyle’s War, Honest, Caught in a Trap Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The Commander, Trial & Retribution Wire in the Blood, Place of Execution Source: ITV

I

TV1 spent £285m on independent suppliers last year, the same amount as in 2007.

It worked with 69 indie suppliers and 36% of its hours and half of the cost of its output (if counting new commissions) came from the indie sector. That’s slightly lower than the 39% of independently produced ITV output by hours in 2007, although still comfortably above its 25% target for independent productions.

Last year ITV was voted the best broadcaster to work with, but this year only 13% of our survey agreed. What’s more, the network has leapt from fourth to second place as the worst broadcaster with which to work. This fall from grace follows major upheaval in ITV’s commissioning structure.

While Peter Fincham is a popular ITV appointment, the network was focused on its in-house production in 2008.

Since then we have seen the erosion of advertising revenue and consequent pressure on budgets at the network, which started in the second half of last year.

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

With ITV embarking on several major cost-cutting exercises including reducing its programme budget by £65m in 2009, finding its way back into indies’ affections

What the indies say

‘ITV's fall from grace follows major upheaval in its commissioning structure’

“ITV executives take the most commercial attitude and are responsive despite the downturn affecting slots”

any time soon may be a big ask.

Another reason for ITV’s lack of popularity in this year’s survey could be its determination to re-ignite terms of trade negotiations as a way of clawing back value for its struggling business model.

Although the terms are enshrined in the 2003 Communications Act, the bad news for indies is that the government is considering whether it is time to evolve the current model as part of its Digital Britain review, published this summer.

PROS “Direct, personal contact with commissioners who respond with decent feedback”

“Straight, streamlined, joined up, quick, clear” “Clear terms of trade” CONS “Aggressive attitude” “Attempting to vary the terms of trade” “Has no idea what it wants, no clarity on policy”

“Direct, quick decision-making, accessible, no hierarchies, [com- “It only wants to commission missioners] work as a close team” ITV Productions”

Broadcaster Response

Peter Fincham Director of television channels and online

“ITV’s commissioning strategy has always been to attract the best shows for our channels and a third of our output was sourced from independent producers last year.

“We remain committed to our goals while continuously looking for ways to improve processes, build upon existing relationships and forge new ones with creative producers from all sectors of broadcasting.”

➤ 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 17

Indies 2009 Top suppliers Five new entrants

F

ive worked with 97 independent producers last year, down from the 108 indie companies it commissioned in 2007. At the same time, it has moved from being second best broadcaster to work with last year to fourth best this year.

However, its top supplier list sees a few changes, with Endemol absent in this year’s table after Brainteaser was taken off air in the row over participation irregularities. Also gone are IMG Media (Paul Merton in China), Twofour

What the indies say Direct, quick to respond, don’t take long with contracts” “Fast and pleasant” “Still in a muddle after a turbulent 12 months” “Falling budgets, unrealistic expectations” “Five doesn’t know what it wants”

‘Its top supplier list sees a few changes with Endemol absent after Brainteaser was taken off air over irregularities’ (Hotel Inspector), RDF (How To Be a Property Developer) and Icon Films (Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures).

In their place, Two Hands, True North, Lion, Reef and Tigress have all became major suppliers.

The Wright Stuff: Princess Productions

Broadcaster response

➤ Five – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Dawn Airey, chair and chief executive: “We're pleased producers find Five responsive and straightforward to deal with. The combination of Richard Woolfe's arrival in April and a flatter commissioning structure means indies will have an even clearer sense of our future creative direction.”

Company

1 Sunset + Vine 2 Princess Productions 3 Town House TV Prod.

4 Talkback Thames 5 North One/All3Media 6 Two Hands Productions 7 True North Productions 8 Lion TV 9 Reef Television 10 Tigress Productions

Key shows

Late night sport, football, cricket The Wright Stuff The Trisha Goddard Show Going for Gold, I Own Britain’s Best Home and Garden The Gadget Show, Fifth Gear, Dom Joly’s Complainers Wild Animal ER, Animal Families, Tickle Patch and Friends Animal Rescue Squad Top Trumps,The Rough Guide to...

Behind Closed Doors, Britain’s Vanishing Views Nature Shock, Jaguar Adventure with Nigel Marven Source: Five

SKY 1 twofour heads list

S

ky 1 worked with 28 indies in 2008 – and 97% of its original output is made by independent producers. Its biggest indie supplier by hours is still Twofour Productions, as it was in last year’s survey, but Shine has moved from joint sixth place in 2007 to second biggest supplier status in 2008 with the reinvention of Gladiators.

Raw Cut moved down from second biggest supplier by hours in 2007 to third place in this

Gladiators: Shine Entertainment

‘Road Wars (Raw Cut TV) continues to be one of the channel's most consistent performers’ year’s survey but its Road Wars continues to be one of the channel’s most consistent performers.

RDF TV also enters the list after landing major commission Don’t Forget the Lyrics.

➤ SKY 1 – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

What the indies say

Broadcaster response

A business focus that works with the producer to the benefit of the production”

Paul Goodliffe, director of production: "On the whole our terms of trade, the speed with which we can make decisions and our competitive budgets make us a good partner for independent production. We're always looking at ways to streamline the process and would welcome any feedback.”

Company

1 Twofour Productions 2 Shine Entertainment 3 Raw Cut TV 4 Steadfast 5 Ruggie Media 6 Mentorn Media 7 RDF TV 8 Tiger Aspect 9 Firefly 10 Plum Pictures

Key shows

Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old, The Millies Gladiators, Project Catwalk Road Wars UK Border Force Nothing But The Truth Hairspray: The School Musical, At Home With The Hattons Don’t Forget The Lyrics Ross Kemp On Gangs, Ross Kemp In Afghanistan Wives Wayne Rooney: Street Striker

“Lots of support and good budgets” “Quick decisions” “The decision process can drag on”

Source: Sky

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

➤ 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 19

Indies 2009 Top suppliers Virgin Media TV supernatural success

T

he Virgin Media channels – Living, Virgin 1, Bravo and Challenge – collectively spent £23.8m on independent producers last year, working with 23 different companies. Eighty per cent of the group’s new commissions came from independents, down from 90% in 2007, with the balance going to ITV Productions and non-UK companies last year.

Antix’s Most Haunted remains the stable’s best-performing show and the top three suppliers are unchanged from last year. Of the remaining seven ranked here, all except Zig Zag and Thumbs Up are new to Virgin’s list of top indies.

➤ Virgin Media TV – Top suppliers (by Hours)

Most Haunted: Antix

Key shows

Most Haunted, Living with Yvette and Karl Take It Or Leave It Exposed, Conversations with a Serial Killer Living With the Dead, Ibiza 2008 Caribbean Cops, Chris Ryan’s Elite World Cops Britain’s Next Top Model Brit Cops: Frontline Crime The Underdog Show Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men, The Inside Man Diet on the Dance Floor Source: Virgin Media

What the indies say

Broadcaster response

They know what they want and help us to deliver it from first brainstorm to final edit”

UKTV growing ambition

Mark Sammon, commissioning head: "We totally understand our audiences and this is reflected in the way we brief independent producers."

Discovery better to work with

What the indies say UKTV is the best broadcaster to work with” Richard & Judy: Cactus

Company

1 Antix 2 Tiger Aspect 3 Twofour 4 Original 5 October Films 6 Thumbs Up 7 Steadfast 8 Splash Media 9 Zig Zag 10 Mentorn

“It wants too many rights”

Broadcaster response Matthew Littleford, controller: “Our commissioning team of nine works really hard with production companies to develop exciting new formats and I'm really proud of our talented and thorough lawyers.”

G

lobally the family of Discovery channels works with about 50 independent producers and last year commissioned more than 600 hours from UK-based independents, even if some of that output aired only on the Discovery Channel in the US. Its top 10 supplier list has radically changed with only

What the indies say Despite hard times it wants to make projects happen” “Late payments, frequent regime change”

➤ UKTV – Top suppliers (by Hours)

Company

Key shows

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 7 8

Optomen Cactus North One Denham Splash Media Tiger Aspect Talkback Thames Tern TV Twofour UMTV

Market Kitchen (UKTV Food) Richard & Judy (Watch), Rachel Allen: Bake! (UKTV Food) World Rally Championships (Dave) Rhodes Across India, Local Food Heroes Fantasy Homes (UKTV Style) Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga (Gold), Argumental (Dave) Love the Place You’re In (UKTV Style) Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses (UKTV Style) Ty’s Great British Adventure, The Truth About Beauty Red Bull X-Fighters (Dave) Source: UK TV

U

KTV commissioned independent producers to make programmes for seven of its 10 channels: Dave, Gold, Watch, Alibi, UKTV History (now Yesterday), UKTV Style and UKTV Food. Original commissions make up just 10% of UKTV’s output, but 92% of these were 20 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

produced by UK indies. In all, 16 indies supplied the group with 737 hours of programming.

UKTV plans to continue an “ambitious commissioning strategy” that last year generated Argumental and Blackadder: The Whole Rotten Saga, its highestrating commission.

Tigress, Wag TV and Raw TV among its top independent suppliers in 2007 and 2008.

Although Discovery has disappeared from the league of top broadcasters to work with, it got fewer votes for being the worst broadcaster to work with – 5.5% as opposed to 11.5% last year.

Serial Killers: IWC

Broadcaster response Clara Kim, communications EVP business affairs: “We greatly value our relationships with UK indie producers and are committed to streamlining processes and improving collaboration and communication.”

➤ Discovery – Top suppliers (by Hours)

Company

1 IWC 2 Darlow Smithson 3 Tigress Productions 4 Icon Films 5 Pioneer Film & TV 6 World of Wonder 7 Twofour Productions 8 Wag TV 9 Diverse Productions 10 Raw TV

Key shows

Serial Killers (Discovery Channel) Ecopolis (Science Channel) Everest: Beyond the Limit 2 (Discovery Channel) Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures, River Monsters (An. Planet) Raging Planet (Discovery Channel) London Ink (Discovery Real Time) House Wreck Rescue (Discovery Real Time) How Do They Do It? (Discovery Channel) Bear Grylls, Born Survivor (Discovery Channel) Chop Shop (Discovery Channel) Source: Discovery

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Indies 2009 Genre league tables

Top 10 specialists

Who’s in and who’s out of this year’s top 10 genre suppliers tables?

Broadcast surveys the winners and losers drama big four reign again ➤ Top 10 Drama producers

Company

Hours ('08)

1 Lime Pictures 130 2 Talkback Thames 83 3 Kudos 54.83 4 Company Pictures 52.5 5 Tiger Aspect 35 6 Boomerang 33 7 Power 28 8 Red Planet Pictures 24 9 Rondo Media Cyf 23 (merger of Nant and Opus) 10 Shed Productions 18

Hollyoaks: Lime Pictures

The top four independent drama producers are unchanged since last year’s survey, but Tiger Aspect has risen up the league from eighth place last year, while Boomerang, Power, Red Planet and Rondo Media Cyf are all new entrants to the drama top 10.

Between them they have

muscled out World Productions (Party Animals), Ecosse Films (Mistresses) and Bentley Productions (Midsomer Murders). Kudos, Company, Tiger Aspect and Red Planet are the only top 10 producers that saw their drama commissions increase in 2008. Total hours produced by the top 10 have risen

Hours ('07)

Key shows

148 106 40 36.5 23 - - 8 -

considerably, however, to 481 from 423.5 in 2007.

Our survey showed that 19 indies produced six or more hours of drama in 2008. In addition to the top 10 above, these were Carnival (Hotel Babylon), Bentley (Midsomer Murders), Hat Trick (Mutual Friends), Coastal Productions

Hollyoaks, Grange Hill, Living on the Edge The Bill, Joe’s Palace Spooks, Ashes to Ashes, The Fixer Shameless, Skins, Wild At Heart Secret Diary of a Call Girl Compassionate, Teulu Crusoe, The Devil’s Whore Holby Blue II, Moving Wallpaper I Rownd a Rownd

24 Waterloo Road, Rock Rivals

(Wire in the Blood), Wall to Wall (New Tricks), Touchpaper (Being Human), Impossible Pictures (Primeval), Box TV (The Last Enemy) and Darlow Smithson (Diary of Anne Frank). Of the top 19, six (33%) say budgets had gone down in the past year and seven say budgets have remained static.

entertainment Endemol remains dominant force ➤ Top 10 Entertainment producers

Company

Hours ('08)

1 Endemol

Hours ('07)

Key shows

4,965

5,783 Big Brother, Deal or No Deal

2 Remedy Productions 1,600

2,236 E4 Music, Freshly Squeezed

3 Talkback Thames

220

4 Princess Productions

134

5 Objective 6 Tiger Aspect 7

259 X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent 110 Friday Night Project, Sunday Night Project

74

148 The Tonightly Show, Peep Show

60

101 Harry and Paul

Twofour

52.5

8 Boomerang

48

50 Bandit, Unsigned

9 RDF TV

44

16 Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Wogan’s Recall

10 Open Mike

25

29 Live At The Apollo, Celebrity Ding Dong

Endemol and Remedy are again top of the entertainment league of indie producers, although both companies’ total number of hours in the genre has fallen since last year. Talkback remains in third place while Princess rises in the entertainment league from seventh place last year. Other new 22 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

47 Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old?

entrants are Boomerang and RDF TV, with Eyeworks (T4), Shine (Most Annoying Pop Songs), So TV (Graham Norton Show) and Lion (Let Me Entertain You) dropping out of the top 10. The top 10 produced 7,222.5 hours, down from 9129.5 in 2007.

In all, there were 21 independent

Freshly Squeezed:Remedy Productions

producers in our survey which supplied six or more hours of entertainment programming and a further 10 companies which made between one and four hours.

Just under half (47.6%) of the top 21 entertainment producers say budgets have gone down in the past year. Slightly fewer, 43%, say

they have remained static. The overwhelming majority, 71%, have pitched interactive ideas, and even more, 86%, have had content adapted for use on the web. Eight of the 21 firms expressed concern about diminishing budgets and four are concerned about the “fragility” of the terms of trade. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

factual optomen leads the way ➤ Top 10 Factual producers

Company

Hours ('08) Hours ('07)

1 Optomen

308

2 Leopard Films

90

3 Tiger Aspect

67

4 Darlow Smithson 50 5 Parthenon 6 Endemol

Cookalong Live: Optomen

Factual is, and perhaps always will be, the genre most hotly contested by independent producers. Fortytwo companies in our survey made six or more hours of factual last year and more than half our top 120 made at least one hour of factual programming. Not surprisingly, the list of top 10 suppliers

has seen quite a bit of change.

Optomen again heads the league and Leopard has jumped from fourth to second place, but Tiger Aspect (in at two last year), Darlow Smithson (seven last year) and North One are the only other indies to feature again this year.

Parthenon, Endemol, Raw Cut,

43 42.5

Key shows

293 Cookalong Live, Mary Queen of Shops 97 Evacuees Reunited, War On Knives 170 Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, Paul Merton in India 71 Thriller in Manila, Smash Lab - Baby Planet, Great Generals, Ultimate Journeys - Supersize vs Superskinny

7 Raw Cut TV

40

8 Denham Prod.

38

9 Topical

35

26 Real Rescue series 2 & 3, One Show insert films

10 North One

30

59 Panorama – Shannon: the Mother of All Lies

20 Road Wars, Police Interceptors 55.5 Rhodes Across China, Local Food Heroes

Denham and Topical are all new entrants.

Total factual hours produced by the 10 top indies in the genre have fallen, however, down to 743.5 from 1,099 in 2007, suggesting a push for more in-house production at the broadcasters.

Budgets are clearly an issue,

with six of the top 10 suppliers saying factual budgets had fallen in 2008 – two mention reduced budgets as their main concern. A further two companies are concerned about the continued flow of commissions while two more say they are concerned about “potential revisions to terms of trade”.

factual entertainment table sees shake-up ➤ Top 10 Factual entertainment producers

Company

Hours ('08)

1 Princess Productions 2 RDF TV 3 Leopard Films 4 Talkback Thames 5 Antix Productions 6 Endemol 7 Twofour 8 Ricochet 9 Freeform 10 Bullseye TV/ Roth Media

360 286 205 147 124 115 90 80.5 70 67.5

Hours ('07)

322 204 200 192 84.5 108 138.25 98 80 59

The top 10 factual entertainment producers has seen a big shake-up over the past year. Prospect Pictures (Daily Cooks Challenge) drops out, as 75 of the 85 hours it aired in 2008 were repeats.

Town House TV, which made Trisha for Five, declined to participate after the chat show was www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Key shows

The Wright Stuff, The Fashion Show The Secret Millionaire, Ladette to Lady Cash in the Attic The Apprentice Most Haunted, Most Haunted Live Gok’s Fashion Fix Hotel Inspector, Make My Body Younger Blood, Sweat and T-shirts A Place in the Sun Animal Crackers, Home Video Heroes

The Apprentice: Talkback Thames

cancelled; and Cactus no longer appears in this league, after being knocked out by Bullseye TV. Boomerang featured in last year’s survey but did not make the list this time with just 30 hours of factual entertainment in 2008.

New entrants, many with fewer hours of factual entertainment

than they would have needed to make the top 10 last year, are Antix, Ricochet, Freeform and Bullseye/Roth Media.

The number of factual entertainment hours produced by the top 10 indie suppliers dropped for the second year running, down to 1,545 from 1,919 in 2007, suggest-

ing the indie factual entertainment boom is cooling off.

A total of 41 independents made six or more hours of factual entertainment in 2008 and a further nine companies made at least one hour of the genre. Half the top 10 factual entertainment suppliers believe ➤ budgets fell in the past year.

20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 23

Indies 2009 Genre league tables

sport big suppliers dominate ➤ Top 10 Sport producers

Nike Live – The Cesc Fabregas Show: Remedy Productions

Sports production in the indie top 10 was down in 2008 by 146 hours, to 6,270.

The major change in the sports league this year is the absence of Highflyer (C4 racing) and Sunset + Vine, whose parent company Tinopolis did not provide a breakdown of its subsidiary companies’ productions. Still, the inclusion of Remedy Productions with just one

hour of sports programming at number 10 in the league table shows how the genre is dominated by a small number of big suppliers, plus two giants in the shape of Input and IMG (formerly TWI).

Perform is a new entrant here, having participated in the survey for the first time this year and making the sports top 10 at number five with its daily

Company

Hours ('08)

Hours ('07)

1 Input Media

2,887

706

2 IMG Sports Media

Key shows

Euro 2008 Official Preview shows

2,764

2,855

3 North One

247

309

IPL 2008, Ryder Cup, Euro 2008 Formula One

4 AMG TV

120

121

Race & Rally UK, RallyCross

5 Perform

117

–

6 Rondo Media

80

66

Sgorio

7 Boomerang

23

55

Freesports on 4

8 Presentable

21

40

Late Night Poker, Poker Nations Cup

9 Tiger Aspect

10

–

The Rebel Air Race

1

–

Nike Live – The Cesc Fabregas Show

10 Remedy Productions

26-minute sports news bulletin for Eurosport.

Input, IMG, AMG and Perform are almost entirely dependent on their sports output.

Four of the top nine sports indies say budgets have gone down in the past year. Seven of the nine had pitched interactive ideas in 2008 and all had content adapted for use on the web.

Omnisport

‘The [sport] genre is dominated by a small number of big suppliers, plus two giants in the shape of Input and IMG’

children's tough times for kids ➤ Top 10 children's producers

Company

1 Boomerang

Hours ('08) Hours ('07)

Key shows

65

75

45.5

35.5

3 The Foundation

44

35

Mister Maker, Dani’s House

4 Darrall Macqueen

23

98

Bear Behaving Badly 2, Hi 5

5 Talent TV

22

23

Best of Friends

6 Tiger Aspect

15

5

Charlie and Lola

6 Ragdoll

15

25

8 Calon

11

-

9 Rondo Media

10

26

9 Lime Pictures

10

-

2 Hit Entertainment

Just 20 indies made two or more hours of children’s programming in 2008, according to our survey.

Boomerang heads the league but had fewer hours in 2008, while Hit’s improved performance puts it in second place, with Fireman Sam, Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and Pingu.

Hit is converting its big programme brands into CGI animation but is being “careful” with 24 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Daily S4C continuity service Fireman Sam CGI, Thomas & Friends

In The Night Garden, Teletubbies, Brum Hana’s Helpline, Herio r Ddraig Rownd a Rownd Grange Hill

budgets to ride the economic downturn.

In third place The Foundation was lucky enough to see an increase in output last year, an honour it shares with Tiger Aspect.

Overall, the top 10 children’s producers supplied 260.5 hours in 2008, 37% less than the 415.5 hours supplied by the top 10 children’s indies in 2007.

Mister Maker: The Foundation

The kids genre is not a happy one, suffering from ITV pulling back from investment in children’s programming and the ban on advertising junk food around children’s programming, which has made it generally less commercial.

The BBC and S4C continue to be the main outlets for kids content and five of our top 10 rely on the genre as their only line of business.

‘The kids genre is not a happy one, suffering from ITV pulling back from investment and the ban on advertising junk food’

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Indies 2009 Nations and regions

Life outside London Turnover is down among regional indies, but with the BBC committing to spend more outside London, producers remain upbeat about the future

T

he top two regional independents remain unchanged from last year, with Liverpool-based Lime and Plymouth’s Twofour heading the table. Total turnover for the 30 biggest independents in the nations and regions, at £200m, is only slightly down from £205.6m in 2007. So tough times have yet to strike indies outside London.

Welsh owner/consolidator Boomerang Plus has shot up the table to third place from fifth place, as its turnover has doubled to £20.9m. We have included this consolidator in the regional indies table because all of its subsidiary companies are also based in Wales. Roughly a third of its growth came from two acquisitions in 2007, the rest was organic.

Bristol-based Aardman declined to take part in the survey this year and Ragdoll has slipped three places – giving way to Birmingham’s Maverick, new Welsh player Rondo Media Cyf – which is the result of a merger between Welsh indies Nant and Opus in April last year – and Newcastle’s Coastal Productions, which did not participate last year.

Regional indies tend to be smaller than their peers in London: on average, a regional indie in our top 30 supplied about 60 hours of programming

‘Our biggest concern is to keep a regular flow of commissions, so we can build a strong talent pool’ True North Productions

What bothers regional indies The changing funding model and changing PSB landscape” “Maintaining terms of trade and continued commitment to diverse public service production”

“Broadcasters losing confidence” “Getting through 2009.

Broadcasters have become like banks – very loathe to release money”

“Expected changes in terms of trade and deficit funding”

“The commissioning restructure at the BBC; the status of Channel 4 and Five”

“The effect of the credit crunch decreasing demand for original content”

“Proving that small companies can deliver just as well as big ones”

“Stability of broadcasters” 26 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

last year compared with the average 155 hours supplied by all indies. Regional indies have more staff on average than all indies taken together – 42 compared with 35 for the top 120 indies. One reason is that regional indies are more likely to offer full-time contracts because of difficulty in sourcing staff from a smaller pool of freelancers.

Indies based in the nations and regions are being given a huge boost, with the BBC’s commitment to increase its out-of-London network spend to 50% by 2016. With a plan to establish centres of production excellence in Salford, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol and Birmingham, indies are now looking to reinforce or establish their operations outside London. Non-regional indies that opened offices outside London last year include Impossible Pictures starting an operation in Northern Ireland, Input Media opening in Manchester and Motive TV in Glasgow.

The BBC’s pledge leaves the mood among regional indies slightly more optimistic than among indies as a whole. Surprisingly, none of the top 30 regional indies mention falling budgets as their main concern, whereas 41% of all indies do. Much more important – to at least a quarter of the biggest regional producers – are regional issues such as the “difficulties in securing best talent”. Securing commissions is the next biggest concern, followed by equal numbers of companies highlighting the recession, possible changes to the terms of trade and the future of PSB in one form or another.

But there are still questions about how the BBC’s out-of-London targets will work. Tern TV asks: “Will the Nations targets be implemented for indies as well as in-house and will they reach us before the effects of reductions in regional opt-outs undermine our base?”

Securing a regular flow of commissions has particular significance for an independent producer outside London because it directly affects its

➤ Best/Worst broadcaster (%)* Best

BBC C4 ITV Five S4C

%

Worst

%

37.50 15.60 6.25 6.25 6.25

BBC Five ITV C4 Sky

42.80 17.80 10.70 7.00 7.00

* % share of regional votes

ability to retain production talent in the region. “Our biggest concern is to keep a regular flow of commissions, so we can maintain staffing levels and build a strong talent pool in the north of England,” says True North Productions. Pett Television in Surrey is preoccupied with “communication with commissioners – or lack of it!”

Eleven of the regional top 30 say budgets have decreased last year, with 17 saying they have remained static and one suggesting budgets have gone up. But half of the top 30 say 2008 has been a less successful year for them than 2007. So although total turnover for the leading indie suppliers from the nations and regions was stable last year, the mood looking forward is not so good. Half the top 30 say the recession has affected their business but that compares with 70% of the top 120 indies which say they have been affected by the downturn.

In addition to the top 30, there were an additional 14 indies operating from the nations and regions which took part in our survey. According to 37.5% of those 44 companies, the BBC was the best broadcaster to work with, followed by C4 with 15.6% of the vote.

Just over 6% voted ITV, Five, S4C and Sky the best broadcaster to work with.

main concerns ➤ Regional issues ➤ Securing commissions ➤ Economic downturn/ recession ➤ Terms of trade ➤ Future of PSB

26% 22% 17% 17% 17%

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Top regional indies 1 – 30 Company

Location

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Overall turnover 2007 (£m)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Hours of progs 2008

Full-time staff

1

Lime Pictures (All3Media)

Liverpool

40.40

41.70

–

Hollyoaks, Grange Hill, Living on the Edge

144.00

335

2

Twofour

Plymouth, London

28.70

22.70

–

Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old?

151.00

302

3

Boomerang Plus

Cardiff

20.9

10.5

1.3m

371

120

4

Maverick (All3Media)

Birmingham, London

11.40

8.10

–

Ten Years Younger, How To Look Good Naked

36.00

83

5

Rondo Media Cyf

Caernarfon, Cardiff

9.70

9.80

–

Rownd a Rownd, Sgorio, Casa Dudley

155.00

40

6

Coastal Productions

Newcastle

9.00

–

–

Wire in the Blood Texas Special

12.50

5

7

Ragdoll Productions

Stratford, London

7.00

12.90

–

In the Night Garden, Teletubbies, Brum

15.00

60

7

Tigress (IMG)

Bristol, London

7.00

8.20

–

Everest Beyond The Limit, Nature Shock

45.00

17

London, Suffolk Manchester

6.70

3.07

202,000

6.30

7.20

–

London, Newcastle

5.00

4.10

450,000

Stockport

4.30

3.41

1.10m

Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast, London

4.20

4.10

263,000

9

Spun Gold

10

Freeform Productions

11

Liberty Films

12

Antix Productions

13

Tern TV

14

Electric Sky

Brighton

4.00

4.30

14

Waddell Media

Co Down

4.00

16

True North Productions

Leeds

17

Wild Dream Films

18

Quicksilver Media

19

Denham Productions

20 21

Key shows

Freesports On 4, Con Passionate, Teulu, Stwffio

108.00

4

A Place In The Sun

The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Duchess In Hull

70.00

12

Willy’s Wonky Chocolate Factory

40.00

7

125.00

8

Britannia, The Spa Of Embarrassing Illnesses, KNTV Sex, Beechgrove Garden, Last Resort

44.00

28

–

Vertical City, Fat Doctor, Make Your Child Brilliant

74.00

4

5.25

–

The Priests In Concert

11.60

32

3.90

2.74

600,000

Panorama: Shannon – The Mother Of All Lies

91.00

8

Cardiff

3.00

–

–

Ancient Discoveries Series

10.00

20

Oxford

2.60

2.60

–

Dispatches: Jon Snow’s American Journey

16.50

7

Plymouth, Falmouth

2.56

2.70

–

Rhodes Across China (UKTV Food), Local Food

38.00

19

Calon

Cardiff

2.50

1.66

20,000

Hana’s Helpline, Herio’r Ddraig, Llew Ap Blew

11.00

35

Icon Films

Bristol

2.30

2.25

–

Natural World: Tiger Kill , Travellers' Century

17.00

20

Most Haunted and Most Haunted Live

22

Touch Productions

Bath

2.25

1.50

–

All Over The Shop, Thames Shipwrecks

10.00

10

23

Testimony Films

Bristol

2.00

1.20

30,000

Hotel 9/11, The Angels Of Edgware Road

19.00

6

24

Pett Television

Surrey

1.90

2.80

98,000

Shooting Stars: The Inside Story

3.00

5

24

Topical Television

Southampton

1.90

3.69

35.00

6

26

Televisionary

Devon, London

1.75

1.49

8.00

15

27

Perform

Feltham, London

1.70

–

117.00

40

28

Seventh Art Productions

Brighton

1.50

2.50

50,000

Tim Marlow On...Escape From Luanda (theatrical)

12.00

10

29

Scarlet TV (Motive)

Manchester

0.98

1.37

-167,000

Britney: Speared by the Paps

12.00

3

30

AMG TV Productions

Chesire

0.94

0.15

20,000

120.00

1

Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old?: Twofour www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Real Rescues, series 2 and 3 112,000

–

Ten Years Younger: Maverick

Ultimate Ulster, Made in England: Seth Lakeman Omnisport (daily sports news bulletin)

Race & Rally UK – Motors TV and Five

Rhodes Across China: Denham Productions 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 27

Indies 2009 Peer Poll

Top of the class Consistency and quality are the features that have made Wall to Wall and Kudos stand out as the producers rated most highly by their peers ➤ Cream of the crop

Company

Votes

1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 8 8 8 8

Wall to Wall Kudos Darlow Smithson Century Company Pictures Love Productions Objective Aardman Animations Blast! Films Monkey Kingdom Shine Sunset + Vine

1 Wall to wall

2 Kudos

14 13 7 6 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 3

Best of the rest Firefly – for re-inventing the ob doc” “Juniper, Brook Lapping – classy films, definitive or trend-setting fresh approaches” “Love Productions – it has produced some really interesting, thought-provoking series” “Mammoth Screen – because Lost in Austen was excellent and really original” “Optomen – for consistently good programming and for being a well-structured organisation" “Passion Pictures – an indie that makes great films” “Steadfast TV – because it has been incredibly successful over a short period of time” “The Foundation – brilliant breadth of formats and great energy” “Tiger Aspect – because of its diversity” “Twenty Twenty – a broad range of factual entertainment output” “Twofour – out-of-London star”

28 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Who Do You Think You Are?

D

uring a period when it is almost impossible to say with conviction what any company is worth, the £25m that Shed Media Group forked out on Wall to Wall in late 2007 already looks like a snip. Doing one better than last year’s second place and claiming top spot with a popularity poll-busting 14 votes, Wall to Wall stood out for a number of reasons.

Not only has genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? built on its early success and continued to grow into one of the most successful 360-degree UK series exports of all time, the production house founded by Alex Graham in 1987 is still fresh from winning an Oscar for its theatrical release Man on Wire. Not many indies can claim that distinction.

One feature of Wall to Wall which has underpinned its success is its comprehensive output, producing a wide range of programming from features to factual entertainment, specialist factual, drama, factual drama, current affairs and arts. With shows as

distinctive as drama and ratings banker New Tricks and the acclaimed Neanderthal Code, it is easy to see why Wall to Wall has been singled out for its “quality and innovation” by industry peers.

One producer praises Wall to Wall for the fact it is “always creative and producing something edgy”, while another says it “produces consistently high concept, classy, commercial ideas”.

Now celebrating its 21st year, Wall to Wall is applauded not just for the standards it sets in terms of its programming slate, but for its general philosophy. One producer sums it up by saying: “Wall to Wall is a big indie with small indie ethos.”

So, having claimed more awards, ratings, acclaim and praise from peers, what next for Graham and his team? Well, they already have their claws in a new theatrical project. Man on Wire director James Marsh is working with the indie on another original documentary collaboration based entirely on the world of dreams.

It may have been toppled from first place after three years at the top, but the indie behind Ashes to Ashes and Spooks continues to be a firm favourite among its peers. Scoring an impressive 13 votes, Kudos continues to produce thrilling and intelligent dramas across all channels. Praised for its range and quality of ideas, one producer says the indie deserves recognition for “its constant ability to deliver high quality, terrific productions”.

This year has seen the indie wooed by ITV, with commissions ranging from its first ITV drama The Fixer, to a recommission for comedy Moving Wallpaper.

While Kudos’ magic touch may not have extended to audience figures for Moving Wallpaper, Law & Order: UK has proved to be a ratings success for the commercial broadcaster, consistently drawing 6 million viewers to ITV1’s 9pm slot on Mondays.

This year Kudos will be continuing its strong drama slate with a new series of Spooks, Hustle and MI High, and a second series of The Fixer for ITV1.

“Kudos has developed and maintained its own style for high end drama,” says one producer, while another describes it as “outstanding output from an outstandingly run company”.

A new drama is also believed to be in development with Law & Order: UK show-runner Chris Chibnall.

Law & Order:UK www.broadcastnow.co.uk

3 Darlow Smithson

4 Century

It has been another strong year for Darlow Smithson Productions, with the indie breaking into the top three of the Peer Poll for the first time.

Darlow continues to be one of the most prolific producers of factual programming in the industry. Some of its key recent titles include Thriller in Manila and Day of the Kamikaze for Channel 4, and Richard Hammond’s Engineering Connections for National Geographic.

It has also developed something of a track record in fast-turnaround documentaries, its latest being its one-off show about the Hudson plane crash for Channel 4. As one producer says, Darlow Smithson “tells great stories and moves so fast”.

Best known for its specialisms in documentaries, specialist factual and docu-drama, Darlow aims to continue to branch out into drama, following up on Clapham Junction for C4 and The Diary of Anne Frank for BBC1.

Peers gave praise to Century’s integrity and its “consistently great film-making”. The indie, which secured six votes, made “classy , trend-setting films” say admirers.

There was no better example of Century boss Brian Hill seizing the zeitgeist than BBC2’s Million Dollar Traders, in which Century created its own trading floor and trained eight ordinary people in the skills to run their own milliondollar hedge funds. With all hell breaking loose in the financial markets, this was one project that reflected every nuanced shift in global economic fortunes.

Also timely was Scams, Fiddles & Honest Claims, which followed Norwich Union’s fraud squad as it sniffed out bogus insurance claims. The Cutting Edge documentary so impressed C4 bosses that a full series is now on the way.

Henry Singer told the story of the embattled Wibsey working men’s club in Bradford in Last Orders, a revealing documentary for BBC2’s ambitious and

The Diary of Anne Frank

Altogether, the company headed by creative directors John Smithson and Tom Brisley produced 75 hours of content in 2008 with its output prompting one producer to declare Darlow had “remained focused through a tough period”.

The company has also been celebrating continued success for its mountain-climbing documentary drama, The Beckoning Silence, the follow-up to Bafta Awardwinning feature doc Touching the Void. The film picked up the International Emmy for best documentary last year and Darlow Smithson has sold it to broadcasters around the world.

5 Company pictures

6 Love productions

“Quality” is the word that came up most among Company’s peers after another year of strong dramas.

Most notably, the Skins and Shameless indie teamed up with the hottest properties at HBO – The Wire’s creators David Simon and Ed Burns – for the acclaimed Iraq war mini-series Generation Kill.

Closer to home, it delivered a unique take on another fraught period of warfare. The Devil’s Whore was Channel 4’s most elaborate and expensive period drama to date, with Peter Flannery stitching together an accomplished and provocative picture of the human cost of the English Civil War. Producers gave praise to fifthplaced Company for the consistency, originality and quantity of its output. For example, the indie formed a central plank in C4’s knife crime season, Disarming Britain.

Skins also pulled off an audacious coup in dumping

Love Productions is a popular choice among its peers, claiming joint sixth spot. Other indies’ praise for the company included it providing consistently “interesting, thought-provoking” programming. Under the leadership of founder and creative director Richard McKerrow, the indie has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2004.

The former Maverick TV managing director has been a driving force and led a strong team whose output includes ground-breaking series such as The Baby Borrowers, Young Mums’ Mansion, Filthy Rich and Homeless, and one-offs including Britain’s Youngest Grannies (all BBC3). It has also made highprofile entertainment show Cirque De Celebrité for Sky 1.

Another reason why Love Productions stood out among its peers was its ballsy approach to topics. At a time when broadcasters are arguably more riskaverse than ever, Love Productions

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Generation Kill

almost the entire cast for a bunch of fresh faces – without alienating its core teen audience. True to its multiplatform roots, the Company show is also gaining an even bigger audience online than on TV. Company was equally at home in the mainstream, with George Gently and new show The Invisibles. And with Wild At Heart on the way, co-founders George Faber and Charlie Pattinson look well-placed to weather the choppy waters in which TV drama has found itself in these tough economic times.

Million Dollar Traders

controversial White season, using his outsider status as a US citizen to paint some telling and touching portraits of the club’s members.

Other highlights included a landmark look at contemporary attitudes to abortion in Abortion: The Choice, and Our Big Fair Trade Adventure, in which three teenage students had a lesson in ethical trading on a road trip through the cotton fields and factories of India.

Brian Hill’s track record for talent spotting was once again recognised in 2008, when the BBC poached his head of development Tim Wardle to be its factual head of documentary development.

Boys and Girls Alone

continues to stack its chips high.

Headline-grabbing, thoughtprovoking series include Britain’s Missing Top Model (BBC3) and Boys and Girls Alone (Channel 4).

The latter was the epitome of risk, offering viewers the chance to see a scary world governed by children – and grabbing headlines in the process.

Now in its fifth year and boasting production offices in London, Bristol and Los Angeles, the indie is also growing its international profile with the acclaimed The ➤ Baby Borrowers USA on NBC. 20 March 2009 | Broadcast | 29

Indies 2009 Peer Poll 6 Objective

8 Aardman animations

It has been another year of “wellmade, stylish, witty programming” from Objective, according to one producer. The indie makes programmes of a “consistently good quality”, says another.

Peep Show continued its golden run with a fifth series, and a sixth is now on its way. C4 comedy pilot sketch format The Kevin Bishop Show enjoyed a full series, while another Kevin Bishop vehicle, Star Stories, returned for a third. The Real Hustle went from strength to strength, Balls of Steel was back for more and BBC3 series Undercover Princes won a second run on BBC1.

There are few kids producers around the world that have achieved the level of success and international recognition of Aardman Animations, in joint eighth position.

The Oscar-winning films featuring characters Wallace and Gromit have established the company’s unrivalled reputation for claymation, prompting one producer to call Aardman the “best stopmotion company in the world”.

This success is showing no signs of waning. A Matter of Loaf and Death, the latest film in the series, became the most-watched

The Cube

This year will see Objective burst further into the mainstream with a Justin Lee Collins chat show for ITV2, an update of comedy Reginald Perrin for BBC1 and Saturday night ITV1 physical game show The Cube.

8 Blast! Films

8 Monkey kingdom

Blast! Films’ reputation for creativity and ambitious programme making has earned it a worthy eighth-place ranking in our peer poll this year, with admirers singling out the company, established

by Edmund Coulthard in 1994, as a producer of “distinctive films”.

Peers pointed to Blast!’s “consistently creative ambition”.

The indie underlined its credentials again this year, winning a Bafta for feature film Hunger about the life of Irish hunger striker Bobby Sands.

With a turnover of £3.9m in 2008, more than 50% higher than in 2007, Blast! has a reputation for

Monkey has received praise from peers as a “tremendously creative” and “innovative risk-taking producer”. The creative force behind programmes such as The Charlotte Church Show and Prince Charles’ Other Mistress for Channel 4, Monkey specialises in entertainment and factual programming.

Created in 2001 out of Ginger TV by Will Macdonald and David Granger, it turned over £7.2m last year and continues to land strong commissions. Last month, Monkey secured an order from C4’s Cutting Edge strand for a documentary about marriage, which it will make with Peter Dale’s indie Rare Day.

My New Best Friend

quirky, insightful documentaries ranging from BBC4’s My New Best Friend to Victorian Sex Explorer for Channel 4. It produced just 14 hours last year but manages to be one of those indie brands that inspire others to remain independent.

8 Shine

8 Sunset+Vine

Despite slipping from third place to joint eighth in our peer poll, producers still single out the indie’s “impressively diverse slate” and its “fun and populist approach to programming” for specific praise.

Shine has certainly enjoyed a stellar year, with the Elisabeth Murdoch indie continuing to prove its clout across genres.

This year saw the producer diversify with the big-budget entertainment programme Gladiators for Sky 1 and family dramas such as BBC1’s Merlin and ITV1’s Demons.

As well as offering thoughtprovoking, controversial series such as Five’s Banged Up, the

One of the most high-profile names in sports production, Sunset + Vine has been praised this year for keeping standards high on its long-standing contracts.

Peers singled out the company’s reputation for “high quality production”, “a strong production team” and its ability to “use the latest technology and postproduction kit” effectively.

Best known for outstanding coverage of racing fixtures The Derby and Grand National for the BBC and the Tour de France for ITV, S+V made headlines again this month when it streamed a live webcast from Crufts after

30 | Broadcast | 20 March 2009

Merlin

super-indie managed to build its fact ent slate with upcoming daytime programmes The Biggest Loser for ITV and Build a New Life in the Country. But triumphing was MasterChef, which is now set for BBC1 after two successful series, with finales peaking at 5.2 million.

A Matter of Loaf and Death

programme on British TV in 2008.

The indie is now branching out into other areas, with CBeebies series Timmy Time, a pre-school spin-off of Shaun the Sheep, and CGI series Chop Socky Chooks for Cartoon Network.

Prince Charles' Other Mistress

But the company also prides itself on producing content “that works beyond the TV screen”.

Credits include Sound with Radio 1’s Annie Mac for online portal BBC Switch and podcasts that supported last year’s Secret Policeman’s Ball.

Grand National

the BBC dropped the competition amid concerns about dogs’ welfare.

The company’s owner, Tinopolis, insists that S+V has performed strongly, landing contracts for all the BBC’s racing coverage and the Africa Nations Cup 2008. www.broadcastnow.co.uk