Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 by Media Business Insight

Indies The annual survey of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent TV producers

2010

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15/03/2010 14:39

Indies 2010 04

Adapting to tough times There is little doubt that the UK independent production sector had a tough 2009. Across the board, indies had to fight harder to get business through the door, with broadcast commissions more difficult to come by. And when ideas were given the green light, indies found that budgets were not what they once were. Producers had to do much more development work and to negotiate harder with broadcasters’ business affairs departments, which were offering David less favourable terms. Wood Life might have got a lot tougher, but the results of our eighth annual survey of the independent production sector, based on companies trading in 2009, shows that many businesses rose to the challenges thrown up by a fast-changing industry. Turnover for the sector was up to £2.22bn from £2.02bn in 2008 – a rise of just under 10%. Non-acquired independent producers broke through the £1bn barrier for the first time, with revenues up 20%. The 142 producers that took part in our survey (plus others such as Tinopolisowned Sunset + Vine, which divulged programme hours but not turn over) made a total of 17, 412 hours of original production in 2009. That’s down by 2,904 hours from 2008’s total of 20, 316. Much of that shortfall was taken up by broadcasters running more repeats, which were up by 5,759 hours to 30,261 from 24,502 in 2008. Original hours in most genres of TV were down, although some managed to buck the trend – the number of hours of drama produced in 2009 was up by 42 to 602, and kids’ hours were up by 182 to 442. So how did producers manage to generate more revenue from a difficult broadcasting marketplace? To a certain extent, the combined turn over for the sector has been raised simply by 22 more indies taking part in this year’s survey, with some big names returning this year. Another reason is that indies are getting more business-like. They are better at programme finance and at marketing their finished product for financial gain. And they are certainly getting better at diversification, with many growing new ventures that are less dependent on the vicissitudes of a volatile broadcasting marketplace. A big thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s survey. ➤ David Wood, supplement editor

Contents 30

4 League table UK independent producers have beaten expectations with increases in turnover despite difficult trading conditions 18 Top suppliers The BBC remains the indies’ favourite broadcaster as Channel 4 and ITV come in for strong criticism in this year’s survey 26 Top specialists Drama, children’s and factual producers fared well last year, while hours of entertainment, fact ent and sports programmes suffered 30 Nations and regions Producers based outside the capital saw turnover rise by 20% after increasing foreign sales and expanding digital services 31 Peer poll Drama specialist Kudos returns to the top of the list as the producer rated most highly by its peers in this year’s poll

Supplement Editor David Wood Broadcast Editor Lisa Campbell Broadcast Deputy Editor Emily Booth Production Editor Dominic Needham Sub Editor Sangeeta Chauhan Group Art Director Peter Gingell Senior Commercial Director, Media Alison Pitchford Group Advertising Manager Rebecca Jones Production Manager David Cumming Account Director Charlotte Bowskill Account Manager Nathan Leong Digital Sales Manager Cath Waller www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 3

Indies 2010 League table

The end of Big Brother means there are great opportunities for indies Janey Walker, Channel 4, Top Suppliers, page 18

UK indies:

Top owners/Consolidators 1-11

beating the budget cuts

Predictions that 2009 would be a disastrous year for UK independents have proven wide of the mark, with many increasing their turnover despite the difficulties. David Wood reports

n 2008, the UK’s independent production sector was enjoying what many suspected was a last hurrah before the chill winds of recession blew through the business. But despite the challenges that indies have been confronted with in 2009, including programme budget cuts from UK broadcasters and much tougher business negotiations, for many in the indie sector, 2009 did not turn out to be the annus horribilis that was predicted. Overall turnover for the sector last year was £2.22bn, up from £2.02bn in 2008, an overall rise of just under 10%. Even more surprising is that, in some respects, the struggling nonacquired independent producers fared better in 2009 than the previous year, breaking the £1bn barrier with combined turnovers of £1.01bn – an increase of £172.5m, or 20%. The consolidated indies took their turnovers from 1.18bn in 2008 to 1.21bn in 2009 – a more modest 2.2% rise. In the context of a sector that has been hit by programme budget cuts of up to 20%, it’s a counter-intuitive outcome to say the least. There are several explanations. First of all, more producers took part in the survey this year, up from 120 to

‘If broadcast clients can’t support our businesses, we will get our funding direct from the brand names’ David Frank, chief exec, RDF Media

Spooks: Kudos 4 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

142 companies filing turnover figures. Second, there has been one notable departure from the top owners table in the shape of IMG Media. The company’s withdrawal from this year’s survey removes IMG Sports Media, which in 2008 had a turnover of £126m, from the top owners table. Boosting this year’s non-acquired indie total is the addition of 19 Entertainment and its £119m in turnover from TV-related activities and the welcome return of Aardman (£20m) and Ecosse (£18m) – notable absentees last year. Despite the difficulties in squeezing money out of broadcasters, the indie sector has managed to boost turnover by a company average of 4.4% through a combination of belt-tightening and diversification. Diversification is clearly illustrated by responses to the digital part of the survey, where it emerges that production for the web and mobile has become more significant. Eleven companies report making mobile content for broadcasters, while 10 make content for non-broadcasters. But content for the web is clearly the biggest emerging opportunity, with 42 (28%) making web content for broadcasters and 35 (23%) employed by non-broadcasters.

The Apprentice: Talkback Thames

Corporate work is also becoming more significant, and this is an area on which RDF Media has capitalised through its digital division, RDF Contact. Chief executive David Frank explains: “If broadcast clients can’t support our businesses, we will get our funding direct from the brand names.” At the opposite end of the scale, smaller producers have also learned to diversify. Michael Proudfoot from The Proudfoot Company says he’s relying more on the corporate sector than broadcast commissions. “We’ve found non-broadcast as creatively fulfilling and dealing with business clients is sometimes easier and more predictable than TV – without them we wouldn’t have survived.” Many businesses are now generating revenues from intellectual property, with 61 (41%) reporting revenues from on-demand, while 60 companies say international sales were a more important part of their business in 2009. And if times are tough in the UK, more indies are exporting their skills to international markets – the US in particular. DCD Media chief David Green declares: “The UK commissioning business is stuck in a rut that it’s not going to come out of for a long time. Continued on page 16 ➤

Benidorm: Tiger Aspect www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Company

Turnover 2009 (£)

Turnover 2008 (£)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£m)

Amount from UK (%)

Companies

Shine Group

265.00

216.00

22.69

–

40.0

Endemol

225.00

170.00

32.35

–

All3Media

224.10

230.00

-2.57

–

55.0

Bentley, Cactus TV, Company Pictures, IDTV, Lime Pictures, Lion, Maverick, MME Entertainment, Objective, North One, Studio Lambert, South Pacific Pictures, Zoo Productions

RDF Media

130.60

120.60

8.29

10.80

69.0

The Comedy Unit, IWC Media, The Foundation, Presentable, RDF Television, Touchpaper Television, RDF Rights

Shed Media

81.90

63.00

30.00

11.90

53.0

Shed Productions, Shed Media Scotland, Shed Media USA, Ricochet, Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Outright Distribution

Ten Alps

80.22

–

3.33

91.0

Brook Lapping, Blakeway Productions, Films of Record, Below the Radar, Ten Alps Asia, Ten Alps Vision

Tinopolis

70.00

68.00

2.94

–

85.0

Sunset + Vine, Mentorn, Pioneer Productions, Fiction Factory, POP1, Folio, Daybreak Pictures

Zodiak Entertainment

48.00

–

6.5

Diverse Productions, Lucky Day, Red House, Bullseye, Dangerous Films

DCD Media

34.50

34.00

1.47

2.40

52.0

Done and Dusted, Matchlight, Prospect Pictures, September Films, West Park Pictures, DCD Drama

Target Entertainment

24.15

25.00

-3.40

–

50.0

Greenlit Rights

Boomerang +

24.03

20.90

14.96

–

90.0

Boomerang+, Alfresco, Fflic, Apollo, Indus

UK – Shine TV, Kudos, Dragonfly, Princess; US – Reveille; Nordic - Metronome Group; European - Shine France, Shine Germany; Others - Shine Australia, Shine International, Shinevu Initial, Zeppotron, Remarkable Television, Tigress, Darlow Smithson, Tiger Aspect

top owners/consolidators a year of change by a combination of ‘Queengate’ and a general For several of the UK’s biggest owners, 2009 stock market dive. “The depressed share price was a year of dramatic change. Shine Group made it difficult to do acquisitions, so we spent took top slot with overall turnover up 23% to a year putting together a financing package to £265m, a position earned through its expanget off the market,” explains Frank. sion in international markets throughout the Dips in the UK and US production markets US and Europe. were countered by expansion in children’s proEndemol UK edged second place with the addition of IMG’s three production brands – Dar- grammes and international rights for RDF, but low Smithson, Tiger Aspect and Tigress – boost- the overall outcome was mild growth, with group ing turnover by 32%, with last year’s frontrunner, turnover up 8% to £130m. “I was pretty All3Media, dropping to third place with turnover pleased,” reflects Frank. “We didn’t grow that much but, down to £224m. The lesson is: you can’t afford equally, we didn’t to stand still in today’s market. contract. And IMG decided that a diversified content busiin the 2009 marness was no longer the right strategy – and ket, that was a dropped out of the survey altogether. “These good result.” companies have never been synergistic with More than IMG’s core business,” said IMG executive Alex Connock, CEO, Ten Alps anything, the vice-president and chief financial officer Chris problem for listed owners is the scale of their Davis at the time. businesses, says Frank. “If you’re a very small But new faces have joined, with European company, it’s difficult to generate a proper media owner Zodiak Entertainment – owner of analyst following as there’s very little trade in Diverse, Bullseye, Lucky Day, Dangerous Films and Red House – making its first entry onto the the stock.” But some are persevering. DCD Media’s list with interests amounting to £48m. With David Green says: “We believe in the market Zodiak poised to acquire RDF Media, it looks set for a dramatic leap up the rankings in 2010. and we are staying on. Yes, our shares have Last year was also a year of strategic change taken a hit, but we believe that it’ll come back for RDF Media chief exec David Frank, prompted and we are hugely undervalued.”

“No matter what everyone tells you, 2009 was brutal’

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

One problem that helped dampen the acquisitions market in 2009 was the difficulty leveraging cash against valuation. “It’s impossible in the present climate to do acquisitions based on part cash and part shares,” says Green. “But it doesn’t stop us doing all-paper deals – we are not involved in any but we might be in the future.” Shed’s Nick Southgate adds that a tough sales environment has held back indie owners. “Where the recession has hit us is in selling our dramas in secondary markets in the UK and internationally. They are just not buying.” Ten Alps CEO Alex Connock is more emphatic about 2009’s tough trading conditions. “No matter what everyone tells you, 2009 was brutal. Everyone I know in the business world is proud to have survived,” he says. For Connock, and a lot of other indie owners, 2010 is the time to put the foot back on the gas. “Growth, growth, growth is our aim,” he says. “With conditions easing, it’s the perfect time.” But the traditional concept of a TV producer as a gun for hire may have had its day, he warns. “That idea now seems slightly antiquated – now you are an independent publisher of content. Publishers own stuff and there will be a big shift towards creating and publishing your own material. By 2015, the TV industry will be almost unrecognisable.”

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 5

Indies 2010 League table

The end of Big Brother means there are great opportunities for indies Janey Walker, Channel 4, Top Suppliers, page 18

UK indies:

Top owners/Consolidators 1-11

beating the budget cuts

Predictions that 2009 would be a disastrous year for UK independents have proven wide of the mark, with many increasing their turnover despite the difficulties. David Wood reports

‘If broadcast clients can’t support our businesses, we will get our funding direct from the brand names’ David Frank, chief exec, RDF Media

Spooks: Kudos 4 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

The Apprentice: Talkback Thames

Benidorm: Tiger Aspect www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Company

Turnover 2009 (£)

Turnover 2008 (£)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£m)

Amount from UK (%)

Companies

Shine Group

265.00

216.00

22.69

–

40.0

Endemol

225.00

170.00

32.35

–

All3Media

224.10

230.00

-2.57

–

55.0

Bentley, Cactus TV, Company Pictures, IDTV, Lime Pictures, Lion, Maverick, MME Entertainment, Objective, North One, Studio Lambert, South Pacific Pictures, Zoo Productions

RDF Media

130.60

120.60

8.29

10.80

69.0

The Comedy Unit, IWC Media, The Foundation, Presentable, RDF Television, Touchpaper Television, RDF Rights

Shed Media

81.90

63.00

30.00

11.90

53.0

Shed Productions, Shed Media Scotland, Shed Media USA, Ricochet, Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Outright Distribution

Ten Alps

80.22

–

3.33

91.0

Brook Lapping, Blakeway Productions, Films of Record, Below the Radar, Ten Alps Asia, Ten Alps Vision

Tinopolis

70.00

68.00

2.94

–

85.0

Sunset + Vine, Mentorn, Pioneer Productions, Fiction Factory, POP1, Folio, Daybreak Pictures

Zodiak Entertainment

48.00

–

6.5

Diverse Productions, Lucky Day, Red House, Bullseye, Dangerous Films

DCD Media

34.50

34.00

1.47

2.40

52.0

Done and Dusted, Matchlight, Prospect Pictures, September Films, West Park Pictures, DCD Drama

Target Entertainment

24.15

25.00

-3.40

–

50.0

Greenlit Rights

Boomerang +

24.03

20.90

14.96

–

90.0

Boomerang+, Alfresco, Fflic, Apollo, Indus

“No matter what everyone tells you, 2009 was brutal’

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 5

SMAll iSlANd

Channel 4’s highest single drama audience for over eight years

Two Royal Television Society nominations

FiVE MiNuTES OF HEAVEN

HuNGER

GAME OF THRONES HBO series commencing production June 2010

Winner: Sundance Film Festival – The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic and The World Cinema Screenwriting Award

OccupATiON Winner: Prix Europa – Best Television Fiction Series or Serial of the Year 2009

BC_NIScreen_19Mar2010.indd 1

Winner: Caméra d’Or, Cannes Film Festival Winner: BAFTA Carl Foreman Award

FilMEd iN NORTHERN iRElANd FuNdEd by NORTHERN iRElANd ScREEN

15/3/10 09:42:13

Indies 2010 League table Top Independent companies 1-27 Indie

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit 2009 (£m)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps CGI; Fireman Sam CGI; Thomas & Friends CGI

–

220

Britain's Got Talent; The X Factor; I Dreamed A Dream; The Apprentice; All Star Family Fortunes; QI

452

–

220

American Idol; So You Think You Can Dance; Superstars Of Dance; Little Britain USA

180

Hit Entertainment

157.20

136.30

15.33

62.40

Talkback Thames (Fremantle)

139.00

141.00

-1.42

–

19 Entertainment

119.25

–

49.5

Tiger Aspect (Endemol)

64.00

59.00

8.47

–

Robin Hood; The Home Show; Ross Kemp: Return To Afghanistan; Benidorm; Ladies Of Letters

148

1,000+

Lime Pictures (All3Media)

46.82

40.40

15.88

–

Hollyoaks; Apparitions; Living On The Edge; The Well; Hollyoaks Later

151

140

339

Kudos Film and TV

41.00

52.30

-21.61

–

Spooks; Ashes To Ashes; MI High; Occupation; Law & Order: UK

–

Company Pictures (All3Media)

39.70

53.80

-26.21

–

Shameless; Skins; Wild At Heart; George Gently; Devil’s Whore

10 (terrestrial)

Shine TV

37.30

–

Merlin; MasterChef; MasterChef Professionals; Celebrity MasterChef; Gladiators

142

–

Carnival Film & Television

36.50

23.50

55.32

–

Whitechapel; The Philanthropist; Enid; Hotel Babylon

697

Power

32.20

30.00

7.33

8.40

The Day Of The Triffids; Crusoe; The Devil’s Whore; XIII; Ice

296

294

Avalon

29.00

0.00

–

Harry Hill’s TV Burp; Al Murray’s Happy Hour; Not Going Out; Al Murray’s Multiple Personality Disorder

–

RDF TV

28.09

–

3.99

The Secret Millionaire; How the Other Half Live; Wogan’s Perfect Recall; Dickinson’s Real Deal

200

–

153

Twofour

24.30

28.70

-15.33

–

The Hotel Inspector; Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?; Design For Life; Big Chef Takes On Little Chef

191

–

251

Boomerang

24.03

–

Freesports On 4; Martha Jac A Sianco; Amazon; ABC; Rhestr Nadolig Wil

429

–

140

North One TV (All3Media)

23.40

33.89

-30.96

–

Fifth Gear; The Gadget Show; Tarrant Lets The Kids Loose; Brighton Beach; World Rally Championship

176

–

Objective Productions (All3Media)

23.00

20.00

15.00

–

The Cube; Perrin; Peep Show; The Real Hustle On Holiday; Derren Brown: The Events

350

Optomen

22.70

22.30

1.79

–

Gordon’s Great Escape; Great British Menu; Heston’s Feast; Market Kitchen; Mary Queen Of Charity Shops

322.5

–

Bentley Productions (All3Media)

22.28

23.80

-6.41

–

Midsomer Murders

120

Lion Television (All3Media)

21.30

22.50

-5.33

–

Victorian Farm; Hottest Place On Earth; Horrible Histories; On Tour With The Queen

160

200

100

Aardman

*20.00

–

*1.00

Shaun The Sheep 2; Timmy Time

100

400

Hat Trick

19.60

24.30

-19.34

2.60

Have I Got News For You; Outnumbered; The Armstrong & Miller Show; Krod Mandoon

22.5

–

Brook Lapping

18.40

23.60

-22.03

0.90

Iran And The West; Crash Gordon; Sharkbite Summer; Ocean Of Fear; Great Escape – The Reckoning

200

Ecosse Films

18.00

–

1.70

Mistresses; RAW; Nowhere Boy; Black Death; Pelican Blood

Darlow Smithson (IMG)

15.80

18.10

-12.71

9/11: Phone Calls From The Towers; Tsunami: Caught On Camera; Miracle Of The Hudson Plane Crash

500+

108

Input Media

15.00

0.00

2,280

637

125

Pioneer

15.00

0.00

–

Raging Planet; Christianity: A History; Inside Planet Earth; Journey To The Edge of the Universe

–

100

Princess Productions

13.60

19.10

-28.80

–

The Wright Stuff; Something For The Weekend; T4; School Of Saatchi; Sunday Night Project

520

350

125

FA Cup preview; French Open preview and daily highlights; UEFA Champions League magazine

*Provisional figure

Fireman Sam: Hit Entertainment www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Shameless: Company Pictures (All3Media)

So You Think You Can Dance: 19 Entertainment 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 7

➤

Indies 2010 League table

Top Independent companies 28-54

Top Independent companies 55-81

Indie

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit 2009 (£m)

IWC

13.22

–

0.91

Maverick (All3Media)

13.20

11.40

15.79

–

Left Bank Pictures

13.09

2.70

384.70

Leopard Films

13.00

12.00

Cactus (All3Media)

12.70

Diverse

Impossible Pictures

Key shows

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit 2009 (£m)

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

–

115

Betty TV

7.00

6.50

7.69

–

Country House Rescue; Find Me A Family; Hotel Rescue; Freaky Eaters; The Big Food Fight

50+

Ten Years Younger; Embarrassing Bodies; Bizarre ER; How To Look Good Naked; Bizarre Animal ER

51.5

164.5

Monkey Kingdom

6.90

7.20

-4.17

–

Young, Dumb & Living Off Mum; The Charlotte Church Show; The Secret World Of Sam King

–

Wallander; School Of Comedy; Father & Son; The Damned United

3.5

4.5

Touchpaper (RDF)

6.82

–

0.44

Being Human; Single-Handed; Murderland

6.0

8.33

–

An Englishman In New York; Forces Reunited; Life Givers; Missing; Missing Live

200

100

Baby Cow

6.70

8.67

-22.72

1.10

Gavin & Stacey; Ideal; Home Time; Brave Young Men; Steve Coogan – The Inside Story

11.5

100+

9.80

29.59

–

Richard & Judy; Saturday Kitchen; Hairy Bikers Food Tour Of Britain; Rachel Allen: Home Cooking

189.5

276

ETV

6.10

5.78

5.54

–

Fat Pets, Fat Owners; Spandau Ballet Concert; Horoscope Bingo With Claire Petulengro

2,844

677

12.00

14.00

-14.29

–

Man V Wild; Beat The Star; Mrs Mandela; Tribal Wives; The Frankincense Trail

29.5

–

Big Talk Productions

6.07

–

Free Agents

*11.60

19.70

-41.12

*0.60

Primeval; Project Earth

Antix Productions

5.62

4.30

30.74

–

Screaming Banshees; Enfield Poltergeist; Ghosthunting With Boyzone; Death In Venice

185.5

200

Ragdoll

10.80

7.00

54.29

–

Tronji; In The Night Garden; Teletubbies; Brum; Blips

80-100

Fresh One

5.50

4.70

17.02

–

Jamie’s American Roadtrip; Jamie’s Family Christmas; Jonathan Dimbleby’s African Journey

–

Greenlit Rights

10.36

–

Foyle’s War; Collision; Vexed

Freeform

*5.30

**6.30

-15.87

–

A Place In The Sun; Gemma Factor

–

Rondo Media

10.30

9.70

6.19

–

Rownd A Rownd; Sgorio; Côr Cymru 2009; Tigh Dudley; Karl Jenkins Celebration Concert

169

164

Outline Productions

5.20

6.50

-20.00

–

Economy Gastronomy; Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance; Fat Families

Zig Zag

10.00

–

Superagents; Transgender Kids; Where Did It Go Right; Restaurant In Your Home; Toughest Cops

150

DLT Entertainment

5.05

4.60

9.78

0.30

My Family

5.5

Parthenon

9.90

9.10

8.79

1.80

Jakers!; Baby Planet; The Lost Symbol; Wild Russia

Tern TV

5.00

4.20

19.05

0.17

Beechgrove; Teen Spa; Britannia; KNTV Sex; Last Resort

Silver River

9.80

11.10

-11.71

–

Grow Your Own Drugs; The Supersizers Eat…; Pulling; Oops TV; Off By Heart

71.5

200

Bwark Productions

5.00

1.50

233.33

1.80

The Inbetweeners

The Foundation (RDF)

9.77

–

1.71

Waybuloo; Mister Maker; Dani’s House; Big Barn Farm; Escape From Scorpion Island

74.5

1,014

Blast! Films

4.93

3.90

26.51

0.28

Blitz: The Bombing Of Coventry; The Queen; Family Reunion; The Scandalous Adventures Of Lord Byron

21.5

5.5

Open Mike

9.18

9.00

2.00

1.55

Live At The Apollo; Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow; Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Windfall Films

4.83

4.20

15.02

0.15

Inside Nature’s Giants; The Operation: Surgery Live; Big, Bigger, Biggest; Generals At War

–

Dragonfly

9.00

10.70

-15.89

–

The Family; Kill It, Cook It, Eat It; World & Me

–

Keo Films

4.60

2.45

87.76

0.28

River Cottage

22.50

–

Attaboy

8.70

–

Wheeler Dealers

500

2AM Films

4.50

–

Personal Affairs

–

So Television

8.00

0.00

0.70

41.5

22.5

True North Productions

4.25

3.90

8.97

0.34

To Build Or Not To Build; Cutting Edge: Addicted To Surrogacy; Churchill’s German Army

170

Love Productions

8.00

10.80

-25.93

–

Famous, Rich And Homeless; My Big Decision; Boys And Girls Alone; Kidnapped By The Kids

153

Fever Media

4.00

7.40

-45.95

–

Dancing On Wheels; Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza; Move Like Michael Jackson; Rat Pack

–

Raw TV

7.90

5.90

33.90

–

Neighborhood Watched; Fugitive Chronicles; Banged Up Abroad; Battlefront; Breakout

–

Blakeway

4.00

3.00

33.33

0.19

17.5

Spun Gold

7.30

6.70

8.96

0.55

The Alan Titchmarsh Show; When Piers Met Sir Cliff

104

–

October Films

3.80

4.90

-22.45

–

Rude Tube; Sun, Sea And A&E; Chris Ryan’s Elite Police; Caribbean Cops

–

Bullseye TV/Roth Media

7.22

–

Grooveriderz; Witch Doctor; Hot Pursuits

Electric Sky

3.74

4.00

-6.50

–

World’s Fattest Man; Fat Doctor; First Love; Vertical City

147

Tigress (IMG)

7.20

7.00

2.86

–

Alone In The Wild; Around The World In 80 Trades; Nature Shock; The One Show inserts

350

Remedy Productions

3.70

4.66

-20.60

0.85

Gonzo; Freshly Squeezed; NME Awards; Switch Live; E4 Music

1,502

1,000

Dangerous Films

7.20

8.40

-14.29

–

Moonshot; Nasa: The Missions

–

Blink Films

3.50

2.00

75.00

0.40

Great Sperm Race; When Boris Met Dave; The Lion Cub From Harrods; Ancients Behaving Badly

19.75

Somethin Else

7.20

7.30

-1.37

–

The Orange Music Show; BBC Advice; 606; Gardeners' Question Time; Essential Mix

–

Pulse Films

3.50

2.60

34.62

–

Pineapple Dance Studios; Blur: No Distance Left To Run

Steadfast TV

7.10

6.20

14.52

0.81

Doctors & Nurses At War; Coastline Cops; UK Border Force; Brit Cops: Zero Tolerance

Century TV

3.45

–

Tour Of Britain Cycle; FIBA African Basketball Championships 2009; Aston Villa v Fiorentina

20.5

Kindle Entertainment

7.05

–

0.56

Big And Small; Jinx; Harry Potter – Behind the Magic; My Spy Family

19.25

1,024

Icon Films

3.45

2.30

50.00

–

River Monsters; Weird Creatures With Nick Baker; Mountains Of The Monsoon; The One Show

11.5

Lost Kingdoms Of Africa; Extreme Fishing With Robson Green; Relocation Relocation

The Graham Norton Show; Sorry, I’ve Got No Head; Bring Back Star Trek; Bring Back Fame

8 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

➤

Key shows

The Future Of Food; Dispatches: Jon Snow’s Unseen Gaza; Going Postal

*2008 turnover **2007 turnover

*Provisional figure, year to end May 2009

Ten Years Younger: Maverick (All3Media)

Indie

Primeval: Impossible Pictures

Dani’s House: The Foundation (RDF) www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Being Human: Touchpaper (RDF) www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Caption:American Jamie’s XXXXXXXXX Road Trip: Fresh One

The Inbetweeners: Bwark 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 11

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Indies 2010 League table

Top Independent companies 28-54

Top Independent companies 55-81

Indie

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit 2009 (£m)

IWC

13.22

–

0.91

Maverick (All3Media)

13.20

11.40

15.79

–

Left Bank Pictures

13.09

2.70

384.70

Leopard Films

13.00

12.00

Cactus (All3Media)

12.70

Diverse

Impossible Pictures

Key shows

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit 2009 (£m)

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

–

115

Betty TV

7.00

6.50

7.69

–

Country House Rescue; Find Me A Family; Hotel Rescue; Freaky Eaters; The Big Food Fight

50+

Ten Years Younger; Embarrassing Bodies; Bizarre ER; How To Look Good Naked; Bizarre Animal ER

51.5

164.5

Monkey Kingdom

6.90

7.20

-4.17

–

Young, Dumb & Living Off Mum; The Charlotte Church Show; The Secret World Of Sam King

–

Wallander; School Of Comedy; Father & Son; The Damned United

3.5

4.5

Touchpaper (RDF)

6.82

–

0.44

Being Human; Single-Handed; Murderland

6.0

8.33

–

An Englishman In New York; Forces Reunited; Life Givers; Missing; Missing Live

200

100

Baby Cow

6.70

8.67

-22.72

1.10

Gavin & Stacey; Ideal; Home Time; Brave Young Men; Steve Coogan – The Inside Story

11.5

100+

9.80

29.59

–

Richard & Judy; Saturday Kitchen; Hairy Bikers Food Tour Of Britain; Rachel Allen: Home Cooking

189.5

276

ETV

6.10

5.78

5.54

–

Fat Pets, Fat Owners; Spandau Ballet Concert; Horoscope Bingo With Claire Petulengro

2,844

677

12.00

14.00

-14.29

–

Man V Wild; Beat The Star; Mrs Mandela; Tribal Wives; The Frankincense Trail

29.5

–

Big Talk Productions

6.07

–

Free Agents

*11.60

19.70

-41.12

*0.60

Primeval; Project Earth

Antix Productions

5.62

4.30

30.74

–

Screaming Banshees; Enfield Poltergeist; Ghosthunting With Boyzone; Death In Venice

185.5

200

Ragdoll

10.80

7.00

54.29

–

Tronji; In The Night Garden; Teletubbies; Brum; Blips

80-100

Fresh One

5.50

4.70

17.02

–

Jamie’s American Roadtrip; Jamie’s Family Christmas; Jonathan Dimbleby’s African Journey

–

Greenlit Rights

10.36

–

Foyle’s War; Collision; Vexed

Freeform

*5.30

**6.30

-15.87

–

A Place In The Sun; Gemma Factor

–

Rondo Media

10.30

9.70

6.19

–

Rownd A Rownd; Sgorio; Côr Cymru 2009; Tigh Dudley; Karl Jenkins Celebration Concert

169

164

Outline Productions

5.20

6.50

-20.00

–

Economy Gastronomy; Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance; Fat Families

Zig Zag

10.00

–

Superagents; Transgender Kids; Where Did It Go Right; Restaurant In Your Home; Toughest Cops

150

DLT Entertainment

5.05

4.60

9.78

0.30

My Family

5.5

Parthenon

9.90

9.10

8.79

1.80

Jakers!; Baby Planet; The Lost Symbol; Wild Russia

Tern TV

5.00

4.20

19.05

0.17

Beechgrove; Teen Spa; Britannia; KNTV Sex; Last Resort

Silver River

9.80

11.10

-11.71

–

Grow Your Own Drugs; The Supersizers Eat…; Pulling; Oops TV; Off By Heart

71.5

200

Bwark Productions

5.00

1.50

233.33

1.80

The Inbetweeners

The Foundation (RDF)

9.77

–

1.71

Waybuloo; Mister Maker; Dani’s House; Big Barn Farm; Escape From Scorpion Island

74.5

1,014

Blast! Films

4.93

3.90

26.51

0.28

Blitz: The Bombing Of Coventry; The Queen; Family Reunion; The Scandalous Adventures Of Lord Byron

21.5

5.5

Open Mike

9.18

9.00

2.00

1.55

Live At The Apollo; Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow; Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Windfall Films

4.83

4.20

15.02

0.15

Inside Nature’s Giants; The Operation: Surgery Live; Big, Bigger, Biggest; Generals At War

–

Dragonfly

9.00

10.70

-15.89

–

The Family; Kill It, Cook It, Eat It; World & Me

–

Keo Films

4.60

2.45

87.76

0.28

River Cottage

22.50

–

Attaboy

8.70

–

Wheeler Dealers

500

2AM Films

4.50

–

Personal Affairs

–

So Television

8.00

0.00

0.70

41.5

22.5

True North Productions

4.25

3.90

8.97

0.34

To Build Or Not To Build; Cutting Edge: Addicted To Surrogacy; Churchill’s German Army

170

Love Productions

8.00

10.80

-25.93

–

Famous, Rich And Homeless; My Big Decision; Boys And Girls Alone; Kidnapped By The Kids

153

Fever Media

4.00

7.40

-45.95

–

Dancing On Wheels; Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza; Move Like Michael Jackson; Rat Pack

–

Raw TV

7.90

5.90

33.90

–

Neighborhood Watched; Fugitive Chronicles; Banged Up Abroad; Battlefront; Breakout

–

Blakeway

4.00

3.00

33.33

0.19

17.5

Spun Gold

7.30

6.70

8.96

0.55

The Alan Titchmarsh Show; When Piers Met Sir Cliff

104

–

October Films

3.80

4.90

-22.45

–

Rude Tube; Sun, Sea And A&E; Chris Ryan’s Elite Police; Caribbean Cops

–

Bullseye TV/Roth Media

7.22

–

Grooveriderz; Witch Doctor; Hot Pursuits

Electric Sky

3.74

4.00

-6.50

–

World’s Fattest Man; Fat Doctor; First Love; Vertical City

147

Tigress (IMG)

7.20

7.00

2.86

–

Alone In The Wild; Around The World In 80 Trades; Nature Shock; The One Show inserts

350

Remedy Productions

3.70

4.66

-20.60

0.85

Gonzo; Freshly Squeezed; NME Awards; Switch Live; E4 Music

1,502

1,000

Dangerous Films

7.20

8.40

-14.29

–

Moonshot; Nasa: The Missions

–

Blink Films

3.50

2.00

75.00

0.40

Great Sperm Race; When Boris Met Dave; The Lion Cub From Harrods; Ancients Behaving Badly

19.75

Somethin Else

7.20

7.30

-1.37

–

The Orange Music Show; BBC Advice; 606; Gardeners' Question Time; Essential Mix

–

Pulse Films

3.50

2.60

34.62

–

Pineapple Dance Studios; Blur: No Distance Left To Run

Steadfast TV

7.10

6.20

14.52

0.81

Doctors & Nurses At War; Coastline Cops; UK Border Force; Brit Cops: Zero Tolerance

Century TV

3.45

–

Tour Of Britain Cycle; FIBA African Basketball Championships 2009; Aston Villa v Fiorentina

20.5

Kindle Entertainment

7.05

–

0.56

Big And Small; Jinx; Harry Potter – Behind the Magic; My Spy Family

19.25

1,024

Icon Films

3.45

2.30

50.00

–

River Monsters; Weird Creatures With Nick Baker; Mountains Of The Monsoon; The One Show

11.5

Lost Kingdoms Of Africa; Extreme Fishing With Robson Green; Relocation Relocation

The Graham Norton Show; Sorry, I’ve Got No Head; Bring Back Star Trek; Bring Back Fame

8 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

➤

Key shows

The Future Of Food; Dispatches: Jon Snow’s Unseen Gaza; Going Postal

*2008 turnover **2007 turnover

*Provisional figure, year to end May 2009

Ten Years Younger: Maverick (All3Media)

Indie

Primeval: Impossible Pictures

Dani’s House: The Foundation (RDF) www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Being Human: Touchpaper (RDF) www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Caption:American Jamie’s XXXXXXXXX Road Trip: Fresh One

The Inbetweeners: Bwark 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 11

➤

Indies 2010 League table Top Independent companies 82-108 Indie

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

Margot; Wuthering Heights

4.5

Mammoth Screen

3.45

–

0.09

Reef Television

3.40

4.20

-19.05

–

Chefs – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is; Dealers – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

100+

Plum Pictures

3.20

–

James May’s Toy Stories; The Secret Caribbean With Trevor McDonald; Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker

Wild Dream Films

3.00

0.00

–

Ancient Discoveries; Death Masks; Sex in the Ancient World; The Second Coming

Quicksilver Media

3.00

2.60

15.38

–

Unreported World; Terror In Mumbai; Orphans Of Burma’s Cyclone

15.5

–

Presentable (RDF)

2.91

–

0.10

Only Connect; Full Tilt Poker Late Night Poker; Changing Lives: Going Green; Shan Cothi

Wag TV

2.90

2.50

16.00

0.38

X Machines

100+

Green Inc Film & Television

2.85

–

0.16

The Afternoon Show; The Friday Show; Panic Attack; You’re Not The Man I Married

264

256

Lucky Day

2.80

–

Word Play; School of Silence

106.5

–

Denham Productions

2.62

2.56

2.34

–

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey; Memoirs Of A Seafood Chef; Rhodes Across The Caribbean

24.5

–

Gogglebox Entertainment

2.68

–

Move Like Michael Jackson; Gerry’s Big Decision; Trust Me I’m A Dealer

The Comedy Unit (RDF)

2.58

–

-0.33

Rab C Nesbitt; Gary Tank Commander; Limmy Show; Burnistoun; The Story of Slapstick

Summer Films

2.50

–

Living With My Idol: The Hoff: When Scott Came To Stay; My Shocking Story; Meet The Hasselhoffs

Flame TV

2.40

3.20

-25.00

–

Heir Hunters; Saints & Scroungers; Alesha Dixon: Who’s Your Daddy; Fix Your House for Free

Darrall Macqueen

2.30

2.20

4.32

0.39

Bear Behaving Badly; The Fluffy Club; Hi-5

294

Great Meadow Productions

2.29

–

0.07

Margaret

WMR Production

2.26

–

World’s Worst Disasters; World War II in Colour; Nazi Hunters

Raw Cut TV

2.20

4.20

-47.62

–

Police Interceptors; You’re Nicked With Natalie Pinkham; Road Wars; Disaster Eyewitness

675

100

Cicada Productions

2.20

–

0.31

Secrets Of The Tribe; Blame It On The Boogie; Earth Wonders

–

101

Pilot

2.10

2.40

-12.50

0.09

Globe Trekker; Planet Food; World Cafe Asia; Treks In A Wild World; Metropolis

200

102

Films of Record

2.10

1.40

50.00

0.05

Panorama: The Child Protectors; The Millionaire And The Murder Mansion; The Truth About Crime

6.5

103

Walsh Brothers

2.10

1.80

16.67

1.30

Sofa Surfers; Karate Kids; My Life; Parliament Road

104

Buffalo

2.07

–

0.37

Doc Martin; Islands Of Britain

105

Illuminations

2.00

0.00

0.03

Arts On Film; Anthony Gormley And The Fourth Plinth; Hamlet; Art Race

106

Calon

2.00

2.50

-20.00

–

Hana’s Helpline; Igam Ogam; Sali Mali

107

Hardy Pictures

1.90

–

1066; Forgotten Fallen; True Horror

108

Pacific

1.87

3.13

-40.15

–

Barefoot Contessa

16.5

45.5

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey: Denham 12 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

James May’s Toy Stories: Plum Pictures

➤

Police Interceptors: Raw Cut TV www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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Indies 2010 League table Top Independent companies 109-142 Indie

Overall turnover 2009 (£m)

Overall turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£)

Key shows

Hours of progs 2009

Hours of repeats 2009

Full-time staff

109

Talent TV

1.84

2.32

-20.65

-0.45

How Clean Is Your Crime Scene?

50+

110

Glasshead

1.83

1.60

14.38

0.31

My Monkey Baby; Psychic Academy; Just So Darwin; Magic Grandad

111

True Vision

1.83

–

0.02

Britain's Challenging Children; Danielle Lloyd – Dangerous Love; Slumdog Children Of Mumbai

112

3DD Productions

1.80

1.60

12.50

0.02

Album Chart Show; 360 Sessions; Video Killed The Radio Star; Harold Pinter; Brigitte Bardot

113

Testimony Films

1.80

2.00

-10.00

0.02

The Children Who Fought Hitler; Ford’s Dagenham Dream; Hop Skip And Jump; The Last Voices Of WW1

114

Wildfire Television

1.80

–

0.10

Man On Earth; Decoded: Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol

115

World's End Television

1.80

0.00

–

Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show; Movie Mash; Fighting Talk

–

116

Pett Television

1.78

1.90

-6.21

0.27

Shooting Stars; The Inside Story; All Star Impressions Show

117

Topical Television

1.75

1.90

-7.89

0.37

Real Rescues; The One Show inserts

–

118

Skyworks

1.70

–

0.37

Railway Walks; Wainwright Walks: Coast to Coast; Cloudspotting

7.5

120

119

Fulcrum

1.50

2.00

-25.00

–

Black Market Britain; Jack The Ripper In America; Hunt For The Shoe Rapist – Crime & Investigation

120

Century Films

*1.28

3.20

-60.10

–

My Five Husbands; Million Dollar Traders; Would You Save A Stranger; Cannabis: Britain’s Secret Farms

121

Televisionary

1.25

1.75

-28.57

0.18

Ultimate Ulster; The Fat Face Night Series

122

Red Planet Pictures

1.22

0.53

130.34

0.26

Crash; Hustle; Moving Wallpaper

123

Seventh Art Productions

1.20

1.50

-20.00

0.05

Making War Horse; In Search Of Beethoven; Tim Marlow on…; Tim Marlow at…; Marlow Meets…

380

124

Juniper

1.20

3.00

-60.00

–

The Execution Of Gary Glitter; How Do You Know God Exists?; The Politics Show

–

125

Back2Back

1.20

–

0.36

Joseph Fritzl: Story Of A Monster; Susan Boyle: I Dreamed A Dream

126

Impossible TV**

1.20

–

0.20

Angels Of Jarm; The Beeps

2.5

127

Giant Film & TV

1.16

–

Golden Globes 2009 red carpet and highlights show; Oscars 2009 red carpet and highlights show

128

Iambic Productions

1.10

–

0.36

The Michael Jackson Story; Placido Domingo – My Greatest Roles; The Abba Years

129

Lambent

1.10

0.90

22.22

0.08

Tony: I’ve Lost My Family; The Russians Are Coming; Teachers TV, BBC Learning: Citizenship

–

130

Carbon Media

1.01

1.30

-22.31

–

Big Art: The Noughties – Was That It?; Naked Britain

15.5

100

131

Touch Productions

1.00

2.25

-55.56

–

Dallas DNA; Love in Numbers

132

Dartmouth Films

0.90

–

0.01

The End of the Line; Mario and Nini: A Childhood Under Threat; Cameron’s Money Men

–

133

Colonial Pictures

0.80

0.75

6.67

–

Peter Ackroyd’s Venice; Dream Homes With Oliver Heath

100

134

Hard Cash

0.80

0.64

25.00

0.10

Mum, Dad, Alzheimer’s And Me; Undercover Debt Collector; Inside Britain’s Israel Lobby

135

The Proudfoot Company

0.70

0.88

-9.09

–

The Rolex Awards For Enterprise

–

136

Lupus Films

0.51

–

0.13

The Pinky & Perky Show; The Hive

137

Tigerlily Films

0.50

1.48

-66.02

0.13

Only When I Dance; Naples

–

138

Landmark Films

0.50

–

Baby Beauty Queens; How to Snare a Millionaire

–

139

Peter Williams TV International

0.35

–

0.06

Human Cloning; Love and War

140

Wellpark Productions

0.35

–

Cutting Edge: Love, Life, Death In A Day; The Red Lion

–

141

Rise Films

0.30

–

0.03

Muslim School; Cowboys In India; Rough Aunties

2.5

142

Redbird Media

0.25

0.05

The Time Of Their Lives

1.5

*Provisional turnover **turnover and profit estimated

14 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

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A time to pick up the phone..? Dangerous Films

Disposal to Zodiak Entertainment

Pioneer Productions

ITV plc

Darrall Mcqueen

Disposal to Tinopolis Limited

Disposal of CSA UK to DCM Disposal of CSA Rol to Mepro Ltd

Acquisition from Southern Star Entertainment (UK) Plc

Cinema advertising

TV production

TV production Grant Thornton provided lead advisory and tax services

Grant Thornton provided lead advisory and tax services

Grant Thornton provided deal support services

Grant Thornton provided lead advisory and tax services

Carnival Films

12 Yard Productions

Twenty Twenty Television

Shine

Disposal to NBC Universal

Disposal to ITV plc

Disposal to Shed Media plc

TV production

Grant Thornton provided lead advisory services

Grant Thornton provided lead advisory and tax services

Acquisition of Kudos, Princess and Firefly Film and TV production Grant Thornton provided advisory, due diligence and tax services

Whatever your needs, whatever your aims, we are here to help you achieve them. Should you be speaking with our corporate finance team that can help you sell your business or help you acquire other businesses? In addition, our audit and tax teams can help with all of your regulatory needs. With more than 20 years of experience in the worldwide TV production sector we are perfectly placed to advise your business. One team, one process, one solution. For further information, please contact: Thomas Dey Partner – Corporate Finance, Media T 020 7728 2251 E thomas.dey@gtuk.com

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Indies 2010 League table

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“Everybody needs to diversify. That’s why we’ve made a major push into the US market to avoid being reliant on the UK production business, which in 2009 had its worst year in my memory.” It’s a point not lost on Shed Media chief exec Nick Southgate, who points out that the company’s turnover growth from £63m in 2008 to £82m last year was largely thanks to expansion into the US. “We have doubled our hours of US production in what is a growth market,” declares Southgate, who points out that there are 53 channels in the US with bigger budgets than many UK broadcasters. A US version of Ricochet format Supernanny was Shed’s calling card, which Southgate has used to build a reputation. “Over three years, it’s grown so now we are in a position where we are creating new formats such as Real Housewives Of New York City for Bravo and MBA Wives for VH1.” Like the heads of many businesses, RDF Media chief exec David Frank embarked on a programme of judicious belt-tightening in 2009. “There was nothing amazingly dramatic but when you add it all up it makes a difference,” he comments. “We trimmed our US overhead – we were too heavy there – we instituted a pay freeze last year (people are our biggest single cost) plus we rationalised offices.” There are three UK-registered independent production

businesses with turnovers of more than £100m in this year’s survey, with Hit Entertainment reclaiming top slot with £157m, up an impressive 15%. Hit edges out Talkback Thames, home of The X Factor, which slips to second place with £139m – hardly a disaster. Other companies that have bucked the downturn are Carnival Film & Television, which had a stellar 2009, leaping from 15th place up to 9th on the back of hit shows such as Whitechapel and Hotel Babylon. Drama can, it seems, be a matter of feast or famine. Feast for the likes of Carnival and Lime Pictures, again our highest-

‘Everybody needs to diversify. That’s why we’ve made a major push into the US market’ David Green, chief exec, DCD Media

placed drama specialist, with turnover above £46m thanks to shows such as Hollyoaks and new BBC1 drama Apparitions. Famine for one famous name, Red Production, which drops out again. Other producers choosing to keep a low profile in a tough commissioning climate include Ash Atalla’s Rough Cut and Northern Ireland’s Wild Rover. Further proof that drama can be a volatile business can be seen with Left Bank – the indie behind Wallander – which gets this year’s

2009 falling budgets and key concerns Did your programme budgets fall in 2009?

Key concerns for independent producers

55%

30%

21% 28%

34%

33%

44%

19%

39%

41%

3.5%

32% 11%

3.5% Yes 1-10% Yes 10-20% Yes 20-50% No decrease

16 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Winning commissions Budget cuts Downturn Slow commissioning Other

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

League table methodology In January, Broadcast emailed more than 300 independent producers a questionnaire on which the survey is based. Companies are ranked in the listing based on their 2009 turnover or on the most recent full year for which figures are available. Where turnovers are equal, the company with the most hours of production is ranked higher. Producers that are part of holding companies that opted not to break out the turnovers of their production subsidiaries are not listed in the league table but their turnovers are included in the topowners table. To qualify, producers need to have had at least one hour of commissioned programming broadcast in the UK in 2009. prize for the biggest surge in turnover, up 384% to more than £13m, propelling Left Bank up from 78 to 30 in the ranking. Other big risers include Bwark, up 233% on the back of hit comedy The Inbetweeners and rising from 102 to 67, and Tony Jordan’s Red Planet, which enjoyed a rise in turnover of 130%, although it has fallen down the ranking from 114 to 122. Other fallers this year include North One, with turnover down 31% to £23m, and Hat Trick, down from 12th to 21st with a 19% fall in turnover. Many firms report that life as an indie got tougher in 2009, with broadcasters negotiating harder on business terms and expecting them to take on more of the development of a show in return for their IP rights. Outline Productions’ Laura Mansfield says: “We have managed to get three new returnable formats commissioned – but it felt like hard, hard work. “In the old days, you could pitch an idea off the back of a fag packet but now you have to really think through not only the editorial proposition but a detailed budget before you get your commission. That puts more financial risk on the indie, because you have to spend the money to work up the idea.” Others report that terms of trade negotiations are becoming more of a sticking point, with ITV cited by 19 companies as the broadcaster most likely to tear up trade agreements and demand its own terms. So much for 2009. How is the independent sector feeling about the future? Happily, the mood of impending doom and gloom that pervaded last year’s survey has lifted significantly. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

This year, the number of producers saying they are more confident about the future is equal to those feeling less confident, compared with an overwhelming 71.5% in 2008 who felt less confident about the future. Twofour MD Melanie Leach underlines the more upbeat tone: “It feels like there is renewed energy and people are more opti-

‘Dealing with business clients is sometimes easier and more predictable’ Michael Proudfoot, Proudfoot Co

mistic than last year, in part due to the general economic recovery.” One big question that divides opinion is the impact of an incoming Tory government, or at least the exit of Labour. A change of government would have no impact on the industry said 24 (16%), while 23 (15%) thought it would. The maybes are the biggest group, with 43 saying political change could impact the industry. One indie cites relaxations in advertiser funding and product placement rules as an upside, but concerns and fears dominate. The privatisation of C4 under Tory rule, and its demise as a commissioner of public-service content, is a regular theme, but top of the list is the damage that a Tory administration would do to the BBC’s status as a powerful commissioning force in the indie sector. One producer predicts: “The Tories are talking about big changes to the BBC – including axing BBC3 and cutting the licence fee. If they do, it will squeeze commissioning.” 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 17

Indies 2010 League table

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

‘Everybody needs to diversify. That’s why we’ve made a major push into the US market’ David Green, chief exec, DCD Media

2009 falling budgets and key concerns Did your programme budgets fall in 2009?

Key concerns for independent producers

55%

30%

21% 28%

34%

33%

44%

19%

39%

41%

3.5%

32% 11%

3.5% Yes 1-10% Yes 10-20% Yes 20-50% No decrease

16 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Winning commissions Budget cuts Downturn Slow commissioning Other

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

‘Dealing with business clients is sometimes easier and more predictable’ Michael Proudfoot, Proudfoot Co

Indies 2010 Top suppliers

You can’t survive on one-offs, even if they rate well and have critical acclaim Factual producer, Top 10 Specialists, page 26

Broadcasters

BBC indies’ favourite ➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

in the firing line

Channel 4 comes in for strong criticism in this year’s survey, despite being indies’ second-favourite broadcaster, while ITV is blasted over its stance on terms of trade

he effects of the downturn are clear from the tables of which key suppliers the broadcasters were working with in 2009. The general trend is that, with the exception of ITV, broadcasters worked with fewer indies and spent less money. In this year’s indie survey, more criticism is aimed at Channel 4, with indies increasingly passionate in their opinions. C4 is now loved and reviled in equal measure by 20% of our indies, with slow decision-making, late payment and shrinking budgets the key issues cited. This is the inevitable consequence of the severe budget constraint C4 faced in 2009, according to managing editor, commissioning, Janey Walker. “We hope that there’ll be greater clarity in 2010. The economic climate looks steadier and the end of Big Brother means there are great opportunities for indies offering new formats across entertainment, factual and drama,” she comments. The BBC, in contrast, has enjoyed a surge in popularity, although 38% of survey respondents single it out as the worst broadcaster to deal with – still 18% more than C4. Helen Blenkinsop, the BBC’s managing editor, vision commissioning,

Company

Key shows

1 2

IMG Media Endemol

Snooker; Darts; The Football League Show Total Wipeout; Step Up To The Plate; Roar

Sunset + Vine

Cricket 20/20; Horseracing

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lion Television Leopard Films Mentorn 12 Yard Productions Talkback Thames Cactus TV Shine

House Swap; The Hottest Place On Earth; Cleopatra Cash In The Attic; Car Booty; Missing Motorway Cops; The Truth About Crime; Double Jeopardy Egg Heads; In It to Win It Never Mind The Buzzcocks; Hole In The Wall Saturday Kitchen; Rachel Allen: Bake! As Seen On TV; Battle Of The Brains

➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by spend)

‘When commercial broadcasters are hurting, there is a knock-on effect for us – they become less flexible’ David Frank, RDF Media

Big Brother: Endemol 18 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

reveals that the broadcaster has conducted its own survey covering its relations with external suppliers. “We are keen to address the problems wherever we can – especially around speed and transparency,” she says. One subject that comes through loud and clear this year is terms of trade. Negative comments about broadcasters’ business dealings with indies are commonplace, but ITV comes out particularly badly, with the vast majority of terms of trade complaints levelled at the network. Most producers are taking a sanguine approach and negotiating for the best deal they can get. RDF Media chief executive David Frank says: “In bull markets, broadcasters’ business affairs, finance and editorial departments come together to produce a happy, constructive working environment. But when commercial broadcasters are hurting, there is a pretty immediate knock-on effect for us – they become less flexible and are generally more difficult to deal with. The past year has been the worst I have known in my 13-14 years’ in this sector, characterised by difficult negotiations, business affairs and editorial. I don’t blame them – it’s a fact of life.” To negotiate effectively, indies need strong relationships with a wide

Ashes To Ashes: Kudos

Best broadcaster (% share)

BBC C4 ITV Five Sky 2 Others

2010

46 20 16 4 3 11

2009

2008

29.1 18.2 12.7 8.2 6.4 25.4

17.2 17.2 20.5 18.0 3.3 23.8

Worst broadcaster (% share)

BBC C4 ITV Sky Five Others

2010

38 20 14 10 8 10

2009

2008

38.5 13.2 14.3 - 6.6 27.4

47.1 20.2 9.6 2.9 20.2

range of channels so they are not overly reliant on a single outlet. The programme-makers who appear most regularly in the top 10s of the major broadcasters are broadly the most successful – with companies such as Fremantle, Endemol, RDF and Shine all ranked highly on the lists of several broadcasters’ suppliers. Endemol, top of Channel 4’s list by hours and spend, second on ITV’s list and highly placed at the BBC, appears to have little to worry about.

MasterChef: Shine

Company

Key shows

1 2

Kudos Shed

Spooks; Ashes To Ashes Waterloo Road; Hope Springs; Garrow’s Law

Shine

MasterChef; Merlin

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Talkback Thames Endemol Tiger Aspect Wall to Wall Hot Sauce Lion Television Mentorn

QI; Escape To The Country; The Apprentice Ready Steady Cook; Animal Park Robin Hood; Undercover Dads; Island Parish Who Do You Think You Are?; Electric Dreams; New Tricks Friday Night With Jonathan Ross; David Lean in Close Up Homes Under The Hammer; Horrible Histories Question Time; The Big Questions; Underage & Pregnant Source: BBC

n 2009, the BBC worked with 276 indies, down from 289 in 2008. Although the corpor ation won’t reveal its spend on indies until the figures are verified by Ofcom for it’s annual report, the indications are that the figure will be comparable with the £435m the broadcaster spent on independently produced TV, radio and online production in 2008/09 – and that represented a £44m fall (9%) on the previous year. But although the BBC com missioned fewer indies and spent less cash, that hasn’t stopped it from being the indies’ favourite broadcaster. Traditionally, the BBC is rated by indies as the best broadcaster and the worst – an inevitable consequence of being pitched more ideas and having to say “yes” or “no” more often. The real measure of the BBC’s fluctuating relationship with its indie suppliers is how the share of those who rate it best or worst changes. This year, the effect of the recession has been to make the indie sector’s relationship with the

corporation more emphatically positive. The BBC is even more valued as a commissioning force, with 46% of indies singling it out for praise. That’s up a huge 16.9 points on last year’s figure. In tough times, fewer indies are minded to criticise the corporation – 38% slate the BBC, compared with 38.5% the previous year. There has been little change in the BBC’s list of top suppliers, with IMG Media, which has dropped out of this year’s survey, cropping up as the key supplier by hours. Kudos remains top by spend, thanks to dramas such as Spooks and Ashes To Ashes. One notable entrant is Shed, which wasn’t placed in either top 10 last year, but thanks to commissions such as Waterloo Road, Hope Springs and Garrow’s Law, it enters the spend list in second spot, pushing Endemol down to fifth. It has also been a good year for Mentorn, which moves up from ninth to sixth place in this year’s hours list and enters the top spenders list at 10.

what the Indies say PROS “The BBC sticks to the terms of trade” “Time and Money – it has both”

CONS “Slow and bureaucratic” “Inflexible, it changes payment terms at the last minute... and refuses to negotiate” “Inflexible and doesn’t want to listen to indies’ needs”

“Transparent and fair” “It’s the most straightforward and least slippery to deal with” “Cogent and caring execs, with clear lines of communication”

“Slow development, long periods of silence, commissioner indecision” “Too slow and overworked”

Broadcaster response

Helen Blenkinsop Managing editor, vision commissioning, BBC

“Some of the comments reflect positively on changes we have made in the past year or so, and our role in turbulent economic times clearly comes through – a responsibility we take very seriously. We also hear the negative comments. We are keen to address the problems wherever we can because we want the BBC to be a place where indies bring their best ideas. Their success and ours are inter-linked.”

The X Factor: Talkback Thames www.broadcastnow.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19

Indies 2010 Top suppliers

You can’t survive on one-offs, even if they rate well and have critical acclaim Factual producer, Top 10 Specialists, page 26

Broadcasters

BBC indies’ favourite ➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

in the firing line

Channel 4 comes in for strong criticism in this year’s survey, despite being indies’ second-favourite broadcaster, while ITV is blasted over its stance on terms of trade

Company

Key shows

1 2

IMG Media Endemol

Snooker; Darts; The Football League Show Total Wipeout; Step Up To The Plate; Roar

Sunset + Vine

Cricket 20/20; Horseracing

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lion Television Leopard Films Mentorn 12 Yard Productions Talkback Thames Cactus TV Shine

➤ BBC – Top Suppliers (by spend)

‘When commercial broadcasters are hurting, there is a knock-on effect for us – they become less flexible’ David Frank, RDF Media

Big Brother: Endemol 18 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Ashes To Ashes: Kudos

Best broadcaster (% share)

BBC C4 ITV Five Sky 2 Others

2010

46 20 16 4 3 11

2009

2008

29.1 18.2 12.7 8.2 6.4 25.4

17.2 17.2 20.5 18.0 3.3 23.8

Worst broadcaster (% share)

BBC C4 ITV Sky Five Others

2010

38 20 14 10 8 10

2009

2008

38.5 13.2 14.3 - 6.6 27.4

47.1 20.2 9.6 2.9 20.2

MasterChef: Shine

Company

Key shows

1 2

Kudos Shed

Spooks; Ashes To Ashes Waterloo Road; Hope Springs; Garrow’s Law

Shine

MasterChef; Merlin

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Talkback Thames Endemol Tiger Aspect Wall to Wall Hot Sauce Lion Television Mentorn

what the Indies say PROS “The BBC sticks to the terms of trade” “Time and Money – it has both”

CONS “Slow and bureaucratic” “Inflexible, it changes payment terms at the last minute... and refuses to negotiate” “Inflexible and doesn’t want to listen to indies’ needs”

“Transparent and fair” “It’s the most straightforward and least slippery to deal with” “Cogent and caring execs, with clear lines of communication”

“Slow development, long periods of silence, commissioner indecision” “Too slow and overworked”

Broadcaster response

Helen Blenkinsop Managing editor, vision commissioning, BBC

The X Factor: Talkback Thames www.broadcastnow.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19

Indies 2010 Top suppliers

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

channel 4 losing popularity

itv concerns over terms of trade ➤ channel 4 – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Company

Hours

Key shows

1 2

Endemol Highflyer

713 243

Big Brother; Deal Or No Deal; 8 Out Of 10 Cats Channel Four Racing

1 2

Talkback Thames 194 The X Factor; The Bill; Britain's Got Talent Endemol 181 Golden Balls; Divided; 7 Days On The Breadline

Lime

138

Hollyoaks

Spun Gold

132 Alan Titchmarsh Show; The Duchess On The Estate

4 5 6 7 8 9 9

Olga RDF Remedy IWC Media Maverick Boomerang Freeform

132 85 80 40 36 31 31

The New Paul O'Grady Show Secret Millionaire; Shipwrecked; Scrapheap Challenge Freshly Squeezed Relocation, Relocation; Location, Location 10 Years Younger; Embarrassing Bodies 4Sport: Destination 2012 A Place In The Sun Home Or Away; My Place In The Sun

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RDF Prospect Shine Fever 2Waytraffic Can Tiger Aspect

125 53 46 30 23 20 17

Company

➤ channel 4 – Top Suppliers (by spend)

Deal Or No Deal: Endemol

Hours

Key shows

Dickinson's Real Deals; The Truth About Beauty Daily Cooks Challenge The Biggest Loser; Demons No Place Like Home Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? Katie And Peter Stateside; Peter Andre: Next Chapter Benidorm; Robson Green's Swimming Adventure

➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by spend)

Company

Key shows

Company

Key shows

1 2

Endemol Lime

Big Brother, Deal Or No Deal; 8 Out of 10 Cats Hollyoaks

1 2

Talkback Thames Endemol

The X Factor; The Bill, Britain's Got Talent Golden Balls; Divided; 7 Days On The Breadline

Olga

The New Paul O'Grady Show

Kudos

The Fixer; Law & Order UK; Moving Wallpaper

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Company RDF Objective Highflyer IWC Media Revolution Optomen

Shameless Secret Millionaire; Shipwrecked; Scrapheap Challenge Derren Brown The Event; Derren Brown's 3D Magic Channel Four Racing Relocation, Relocation; Location, Location Red Riding 1974, 1980, 1983 Gordon Ramsay's Fword; Feast With Heston Blumenthal

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Tiger Aspect Spun Gold Avalon Impossible Pictures Company Pictures Bentley Productions RDF

Benidorm; Robson Green's Swimming Adventure Alan Titchmarsh Show; The Duchess On The Estate Harry Hill's TV Burp; Al Murray's Multiple Personality Primeval Wild At Heart Midsomer Murders Dickinson's Real Deals; The Truth About Beauty

Britain’s Got Talent: Talkback Thames

Source: ITV

Source: Channel 4

hannel 4 is keeping its powder dry for its annual report in April/May so the only concrete figures available are the numbers from its 2008 annual report. Here it details a £331m spend on shows from a total of 300 independent producers. About a third of that (£115m) was spent outside London. But it doesn’t take a genius to work out that in 2009, budget cuts meant C4 spent less on the indie sector and employed fewer independent producers. The largest beneficiaries haven’t changed much. Highflyer, Lime and Olga TV all make more than 100 hours of C4 programmes, while Endemol is a long way ahead of the pack with 713 hours – although that includes Big Brother. IWC makes a return to the top 10 with 40 hours of programming in 2009 including Relocation, Relocation and Location, Location. Although we give praise and complaints levelled by indie producers equal weight in our “what the indies say” box, one notable

outcome from this year’s survey that won’t make pleasant reading for incoming C4 CEO David Abraham is the dissatisfaction with the channel this year – a marked change from 2008 when C4 enjoyed the status of “second most-loved” after the BBC. This comparative fall from grace in the eyes of suppliers is underlined in the best and worst broadcaster tables. C4 has leapfrogged ITV into second place in the worst broadcaster table, with 20% of our survey deciding it was the worst broadcaster to deal with, compared with only 13% in 2008. Indies point to a lack of edit orial clarity, indecision and a surge in internal politicking among a team of commissioning editors affected by a climate of anxiety – clear signs that in 2009, the pips were squeaking at Channel 4. Several in the indie sector also voice concerns about the future of C4 under a possible Tory government, with a future privatisation cited as a major concern.

20 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

what the Indies say PROS “Part of the process rather than aloof like the BBC”

“Flexible, willing to negotiate and understands the production process” “Straightforward and efficient” “Takes new media seriously, with specialists who have a good understanding of how projects work”

CONS “Slow decision-makers, incredibly late payers”

“Shrinking budgets and a climate of anxiety and uncertainty has affected commissioning editors” “General lack of editorial clarity” “Vicious internal politics” “Aloof, patronising, remote”

Broadcaster response

Janey Walker Managing editor, commissioning

“We take it as a compliment to hear we’re straightforward and efficient. Comments on our online commissioning are welcome as we’ve worked hard over the past year to improve the process. It’s been a tough year with a fluctuating ad market and pressure on the programme budget. We acknowledge there are criticisms about being slow and indecisive, but this was an inevitable consequence of the severe budget constraints.”

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

TV spent between £270m and £280m on independent producers in 2009 –a decrease of between £5m and £15m on its £285m 2008 spend. Given that the network is one of the commercial broadcasters that has been most affected by the recession, the indie sector might consider it has got off lightly. ITV continues to spend heavily on independent producers, which accounted for 52% of its programme spend in 2009. The broadcaster employed a total of 83 indies across the ITV family of channels, compared with 69 in 2008. Fremantle Media, owner of Talkback Thames, takes over stop slot from Endemol as the indie from which ITV commissions the most programme hours. North One was the big loser with ITV last year, dropping out of the top 10 suppliers by hours with ITV’s loss of the rights to broadcast Formula 1. Kudos has done well to keep its number three slot in terms of ITV spend, with shows such as The Fixer and Law & Order UK. Other

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

drama suppliers such as LaPlante Productions, Coastal and Greenlit have dropped out of the top 10. As usual, drama and entertainment producers dominate the ITV league table, with new names including producer/ agency Can Associates. To a certain extent, ITV’s difficult trading relationship with indies has been offset by the unpopularity of C4. Although it is considered to be tougher to deal with than it was the previous year, C4 edges it for unpopularity, with ITV falling from second to third in the ‘most difficult’ table. While the network still has plenty of fans in the indie sector, the fly in the ointment has become increasingly clear – dealings over terms of trade are proving increasingly troubled. Indies say ITV is the broadcaster most likely to play fast and loose with the terms of trade agreements laid down in the 2003 Communication Act, with 19 making a specific complaint – more than for all other broad casters combined.

what the Indies say PROS “Quick commissioning decisions”

“Still head and shoulders above the BBC from a commissioning/decisionmaking point of view”

CONS “ITV will not stick to its terms of trade”

“It seems to rewrite the rulebook according to its own agenda”

“Allows direct, easy contact and no hierarchies”

“Seems to have so few slots available and everything is dependent on celebrity involvement”

“It replies to proposals with clear feedback”

“Has been atrocious to deal with on business matters”

Broadcaster response

Peter Fincham ITV director of TV, channels and online

“It matters greatly to us that producers find ITV’s commissioning team clear and straightforward to deal with, and that we have welldefined requirements. As we have always said, the terms of trade represent an agreed start point for deals with producers, but they are not the only way forward, and there are many examples of suppliers who have come to us with innovative ideas that are beneficial to both producer and broadcaster.”

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 21

Indies 2010 Top suppliers

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

channel 4 losing popularity

itv concerns over terms of trade ➤ channel 4 – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Company

Hours

Key shows

1 2

Endemol Highflyer

713 243

Big Brother; Deal Or No Deal; 8 Out Of 10 Cats Channel Four Racing

1 2

Talkback Thames 194 The X Factor; The Bill; Britain's Got Talent Endemol 181 Golden Balls; Divided; 7 Days On The Breadline

Lime

138

Hollyoaks

Spun Gold

132 Alan Titchmarsh Show; The Duchess On The Estate

4 5 6 7 8 9 9

Olga RDF Remedy IWC Media Maverick Boomerang Freeform

132 85 80 40 36 31 31

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RDF Prospect Shine Fever 2Waytraffic Can Tiger Aspect

125 53 46 30 23 20 17

Company

➤ channel 4 – Top Suppliers (by spend)

Deal Or No Deal: Endemol

Hours

Key shows

➤ ITV – Top Suppliers (by spend)

Company

Key shows

Company

Key shows

1 2

Endemol Lime

Big Brother, Deal Or No Deal; 8 Out of 10 Cats Hollyoaks

1 2

Talkback Thames Endemol

The X Factor; The Bill, Britain's Got Talent Golden Balls; Divided; 7 Days On The Breadline

Olga

The New Paul O'Grady Show

Kudos

The Fixer; Law & Order UK; Moving Wallpaper

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Company RDF Objective Highflyer IWC Media Revolution Optomen

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Tiger Aspect Spun Gold Avalon Impossible Pictures Company Pictures Bentley Productions RDF

Britain’s Got Talent: Talkback Thames

Source: ITV

Source: Channel 4

20 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

what the Indies say PROS “Part of the process rather than aloof like the BBC”

CONS “Slow decision-makers, incredibly late payers”

Broadcaster response

Janey Walker Managing editor, commissioning

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

what the Indies say PROS “Quick commissioning decisions”

“Still head and shoulders above the BBC from a commissioning/decisionmaking point of view”

CONS “ITV will not stick to its terms of trade”

“It seems to rewrite the rulebook according to its own agenda”

“Allows direct, easy contact and no hierarchies”

“Seems to have so few slots available and everything is dependent on celebrity involvement”

“It replies to proposals with clear feedback”

“Has been atrocious to deal with on business matters”

Broadcaster response

Peter Fincham ITV director of TV, channels and online

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 21

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Top suppliers Indies 2010

Five less work for indies

ive is widely acknowledged to be one of the commercial broadcasters hit hardest by the recession, a fact underlined by the number of indies the broadcaster worked with in 2009 – down to 78 from 2008’s total of 97, although indies still account for 50% of all broadcast hours. No change at the top of Five’s list of key suppliers with Sunset + Vine way out in front with 809 hours, and Princess – producer of The Wright Stuff – in second place.

what the Indies say PROS “Innovative,

honest and fair, with the least budget” “Straightforward and responsive” CONS “Chaotic commercial ambitions that make no sense”

“No money”

The key change is Town House Television slipping down the rankings, following the decommissioning of Trisha – a move that saw Town House become one of the highest-profile casualties of the recession last summer. Eyeworks and Lucky Day buck the trend as new suppliers to the network, with Talkback (Minder, The Farmer Wants A Wife) and North One Midland (The Gadget Show, Fifth Gear) the top two suppliers by spend.

Broadcaster response Five spokesman “Producers that have been quick to grasp the new economic reality, and are collaborative and creative in the way they approach funding projects, are the ones we want to work with. We always want to make the relationship between Five and independent production companies a true partnership.”

Fifth Gear: North One

➤ Five – Top Suppliers (by Hours) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9

Company

Hours

Key shows

Sunset+Vine Princess Lucky Day TalkBack Town House North One Chorion True North Raw Cut Windfall

809 322 106 97 94 52 29 25 20 20

Late Night Sport; Uefa football and cricket highlights The Wright Stuff Wordplay Minder; Going For Gold; Farmer Wants A Wife Trisha Fifth Gear; The Gadget Show Mr Men; Noddy; Olivia Animal Rescue Squad; Michaela's Animal Road Trip Police Interceptors; You're Nicked Monster Moves; Big, Bigger, Biggest Source: Five

Sky 1 Crackit cracks it

ky 1 spent £49m in 2009 working with 30 producers, with its biggest supplier by far being Twofour – producer of Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old? and Noel’s HQ – which earned an impressive £9.8m from Sky 1 dealings in 2009 – more than any other indie. But Twofour has been knocked off the top spot of suppliers by hours by Crackit Production, producer of Angela & Friends, which kicked off in the autumn.

Oops TV: Silver River

➤ Sky 1 – Top Suppliers (by Hours) 1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Company

Hours

Key shows

Crackit Twofour Silver River Thumbs Up RDF Raw Cut Shine Tiger Aspect Lion TV Outline

141 89.5 50 50 25 20 17 14 12 11

Angela & Friends Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old? Oops TV Sell Me the Answer Don't Forget The Lyrics Road Wars Gladiators; Got To Dance (with Princess) Ross Kemp, Shane Ritchie: Make Me Irish Hello Goodbye Guinness World Records Smashed

Across Sky 1, 2 and 3, the broadcaster showed 933 first-run hours of programming, of which 412 (44%) came from commissioned UK producers, while 521 (56%) was acquired. New entries include Silver River with 50 hours of Justin Lee Collins blooper series Oops TV, and Thumbs Up (Sell Me the Answer), while Shine has slipped down the list to 7th place following the loss of Gladiators and Don’t Forget The Lyrics.

what the Indies say

Broadcaster response

PROS “Easy access to the commissioning and commercial sides”

Stuart Murphy director of programmes, Sky 1, 2, 3 and HD “We love TV, and work hard on trying to be clear and fast with those we work with. We also take seriously our role to try and inspire other creatives and to be imaginative in coming up with the best shows on TV. We’re really pleased the feedback reflects that.”

“Supportive teams and clear and passionate vision coming from the top” CONS “Minimal understanding of production… unreasonable budget restrictions” Source: Sky 1

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 23

Top suppliers Indies 2010

Virgin Media TV all change

ollectively the Virgin Media Television channels Living, Virgin 1 and Bravo spent less on commissioning indepen dent producers in 2009. Sixteen companies shared £17.7m, 25% down from £23.8m in 2008. The number of indies VMTV worked with was also down, from 23 to 16. Stockport-based Antix Productions remains the key supplier but it was all change for the broadcaster’s top 10 list of suppliers, with VMTV working with 8 of its 16 indies for the first time. Out go Splash Media, Tiger Aspect, Twofour and Mentorn, and in come Rain Media, Initial, Summer Films and Vera. Antix’s Most Haunted, Initial’s Dating In The Dark and Britain’s Next Top Model from Thumbs Up were among the best performers.

➤ Virgin media TV – Top Suppliers (by Hours) Company

1 2 3 3 5 6 6 8 8 8

what the Indies say

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10

Optomen Cactus North One Splash Twofour Denham Tiger Aspect Talkback Shine UMTV

275 117 46 30 17 15 13 10 10 6

Key shows

Most Haunted; In Bed With Yvette And Karl Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men; World’s Toughest Towns Dating In The Dark; Rehab Trawlers Rigs And Rescues; Living With The Dead Britain’s Next Top Model Britcops Living With My Idol; Meet The Hasselhoffs Sun, Sea And A&E Restaurant In Our Living Room Big Trouble In Thailand

Broadcaster response Mark Sammon head of commissioning, Virgin Media “It’s completely wrong to suggest we don’t care about indies… we attracted eight new indies to work with us in 2009.”

PRO “Easy to deal with and a supportive partner” CON “It doesn’t really care about indies”

Discovery fresh faces

Market Kitchen: Optomen

There’s little movement in the top 10 suppliers, with only Tern TV disappearing to make way for Shine’s Family Supercooks.

➤ UKTV – Top Suppliers (by Hours) Hours

94 19 16 16 13 10 10 8 8 8

Source: Virgin Media

Company

Hours

Most Haunted: Antix

uktv recipe for success KTV commissioned 726 hours of programming across its 10-channel portfolio in 2009 and worked with 16 indies. Channels such as Good Food and Watch soaked up a lot of the activity, with commissions such as Market Kitchen and Richard And Judy putting Optomen and Cactus in first and second place in the hours table again this year.

Antix Zig Zag Initial Original Thumbs Up Steadfast Summer October Rain Media Vera

nother year of radical change in Discovery’s list of top UK suppliers to its global network. Out go IWC Media, World of Wonder, Twofour and Raw TV, and in comes Ricochet, grabbing this year’s top slot with It’s Me Or The Dog. Wag TV moves up to second adding X Machines to its regular commission How Do They Do It?, while Attaboy,

Company

Market Kitchen Rachel Allen: Home Cooking; Richard And Judy World Rally; Tarrant Lets The Kids Loose Fantasy Homes By The sea; Celebrity Fantasy Homes Save Our Boozer; Ty’s Great British Adventure Rhodes Across The Caribbean Argumental series 2 Love The Place You’re In Family Supercooks Red Bull X Fighters

1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 8 10

Ricochet Wag TV Darlow Smithson Diverse Attaboy Pioneer Isis Media Tigress Icon Films Mandrill

Hours

39 32 30 25 20 20 17 16 16 11

Key Shows

It’s Me Or The Dog How Do They Do It; X Machines Atlas 4D Bear Grylls: Born Survivor Wheeler Dealers Engineering The Universe The Water Boatman Everest 2009 River Monsters Wartime London With Harry Harris

Source: UKTV

PRO “Easy access to commissioners” CON “Few opportunities”

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Isis and Mandrill all make the top 10 this year. The network worked with 71 UK producers in 2009 on a total of 608 hours.

➤ Discovery – Top Suppliers (by Hours)

Key shows

what the Indies say

It’s Me Or The Dog: Ricochet

broadcaster response Jane Rogerson director of commissioning “We’re always looking for shows that complement our schedules.”

Source: Discovery

what the Indies say PRO “Clear process” CON “Everything takes so long”

broadcaster response Barbara Bellini SVP, business affairs and programming legal “We do not want to compromise on quality.”

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 25

Indies 2010 Genre league tables

There’s a huge increase in activity around the regions, which is exciting Stephen Stewart, Green Inc, Nations & Regions, page 30

Top 10 specialists

factual budget benefits ➤ top 10 factual producers

It was a year of mixed fortunes for specialist producers – drama, children’s and factual were the winners, while fact ent, entertainment and sport faced a much tougher environment

Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

drama on the up ➤ top 10 drama producers Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 9 10

The Bill: Talkback Thames

onventional logic dictates that in lean times, expensive genres such as drama are hit hard. And there’s no doubt that some drama specialists in the indie sector are struggling but, overall, drama hours from indies are up. In 2008, there were

563 hours of drama, but last year that was up to 605. All3Media’s Lime Pictures is still the dominant force in drama thanks to stalwarts such as Hollyoaks and replacing losses such as Grange Hill with new commissions (Apparitions, Living On The Edge).

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

Lime Pictures Talkback Thames Company Kudos Shed Power Tiger Aspect Boomerang Bentley Touchpaper

146 79 45 38 38 19 18 18 16 15

130 83 52 55 18 28 35 33 -

The most resilient drama producers are those with plenty of backing, with big names backed by parent companies with deep pockets such as Talkback (The Bill), All3Media’s Company (Shameless) and Shine’s Kudos (Spooks) coming out on top.

Key shows

Making War Horse: Seventh Art

Hollyoaks; Apparitions The Bill Shameless; Skins; Wild At Heart Spooks; Ashes To Ashes; MI High Hope Springs; Garrow’s Law The Day Of The Triffids; Crusoe Robin Hood; Secret Diary Of A Call Girl A Child's Christmases In Wales; Teulu Midsomer Murders Being Human

Company overtakes Kudos to land third spot, while Shed rises to 5th from 10th last year on the back of dramas such as Hope Springs and Garrow’s Law. Red Planet drops out of the top 10 – pushed out by the return of Bentley, producer of ITV’s Midsomer Murders.

ptomen is the doyenne of factual programme-making, upping the 308 hours it produced in 2008 to 322 hours in 2009 to take pole position in our factual league. The indie, known as the UK’s leading producer of food programmes, boasts an output ranging from volume productions such as Good Food’s Market Kitchen to its hugely successful Gordon Ramsay franchise –

which includes 2009’s Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape. There’s plenty of change in the factual top 10 this year, with names such as Leopard Films, Parthenon, Raw Cut, Denham, Topical and North One going out, and True North, Seventh Art, Electric Sky, Raw TV and Wall to Wall coming in. But the highestplaced new entrant is Boomerang – a distant second to Optomen with 118 hours of factual –

Optomen Boomerang Remarkable Tiger Aspect True North Seventh Art Darlow Electric Sky Raw TV Wall to Wall

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

2,641 1,791 1,500 243 191 189 105 100 86 64

350 4,965 1,600 220 8 52 60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ntertainment might be the genre that everybody wants more of to lighten the load during the bleak days of the recession, but like a lot of TV genres, hours of new commissions were down in 2009. The UK

Key shows

Gala TV; Fat Pets, Fat Owners Big Brother; Deal or No Deal Gonzo; Freshly Squeezed; NME Awards Britain's Got Talent; The X Factor Something For The Weekend; T4 Total Wipeout Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old? Word Play; School Of Silence Gladiators Argumental; Britain’s Best Brain

indie sector made 7,441 hours of entertainment, down from the 7,686 hours it made in 2008. The vast majority of this was made by entertainment producers in our top 10, accounting for 6,911 hours, with shows such as

The Wright Stuff: Princess

Total Wipeout: Initial

Big Brother, Deal Or No Deal, Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor. Not surprisingly, the producers of these shows – Remarkable (owned by Endemol UK) and Talkback Thames – are near the top of our table, but the number

one slot goes to ETV, which at the beginning of 2009 took over the production of Gala TV, turning out 2,641 hours of entertainment. Remedy has also had a big year, with 1,500 hours of Gonzo for MTV and Freshly Squeezed for E4.

Key shows

Gordon’s Great Escape Royal Welsh Show Supersize v Superskinny Celebrity Quitters; The Home Show To Build Or Not To Build Making War Horse; Tim Marlow On… 9/11: Phone Calls from The Towers World’s Fattest Man; Fat Doctor Neighborhood Watched Who Do You Think You Are?

such as entertainment, which are perceived as risky and expensive. The secret of doing well in factual is getting returning factual series, an area where producers such as Optomen have done so well. As one factual producer points out: “You can’t survive on one-offs, even if they rate well and have critical acclaim. You must have series. But with factual budgets squeezed, ambitious commissions are harder to secure.”

➤ top 10 factual entertainment producers

➤ top 10 entertainment producers ETV Remarkable Remedy Talkback Thames Princess Initial Twofour Lucky Day Shine TV Tiger Aspect

308 52 67 50 -

factual entertainment in decline

entertainment falling volume

Company

322 118 55 46 39 35 34 30 29 27

followed by Endemol’s Remark able with 55 hours Our factual top 10 this year accounted for 735 of the 1,332 hours of factual programmes made by indies in 2009. That’s significantly up on the 1,208 hours in 2008, and demonstrates that in tough times, commissioners are turning to producers of factual shows as these can be made on tighter and more easily controlled budgets than genres

Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

he reported boom in factual entertainment during tough times isn’t reflected in our survey. In 2008, indies made 2,314 hours of fact ent shows, but in 2009, there was a sharp decline to 1,626 hours. At least part of the reason for this can be found in another telling statistic in this year’s survey – the level of repeats aired by broadcasters in 2009. Across the board, hours of repeats are up

by 23.5% to 30,261 from 24,502 in 2008. That’s a lot of programming hours not being commissioned out to independent producers. Of course, for some indies, repeat fees can be a nice little earner, but for the majority, it’s a commission they won’t get. That’s reflected in the top 10’s hours of fact ent commissions in 2009, which slipped to 1,054 from 1,545 in 2008. The reality is that even the UK’s fact ent production

Princess Leopard Films Talkback Thames Antix Remarkable Twofour North One RDF TV Maverick Love

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

322 180 129 101 67 61 57 55 44 37

360 205 147 124 90 286 -

powerhouses are making less hours of programming. This year’s winners include Princess (The Wright Stuff), which made the most hours, followed by Leopard (Cash In The Attic) and Talkback (The Apprentice), with RDF slipping from 2nd to 8th with the loss of shows such as Ladette to Lady, Scrapheap Challenge and Wife Swap. Out of this year’s top 10 go Freeform, Ricochet and Bullseye,

Key shows

The Wright Stuff Cash In The Attic The Apprentice Screaming Banshees Gok's Fashion Fix; Ready Steady Cook The Hotel Inspector Fifth Gear, The Gadget Show The Secret Millionaire Ten Years Younger, Embarrassing Bodies Famous Rich And Homeless

and in come Maverick (Ten Years Younger, Embarrassing Bodies), Love Productions (Famous Rich And Homeless, Young Mums’ Mansion) and North One, our highest-placed new entrant with 57.5 hours including Five regulars Fifth Gear and The Gadget Show. Antix continues to exploit its paranormal niche with more than 100 hours of shows such as Screaming Banshees, Enfield Poltergeist and Most Haunted USA. ➤

26 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 27

Indies 2010 Genre league tables

There’s a huge increase in activity around the regions, which is exciting Stephen Stewart, Green Inc, Nations & Regions, page 30

Top 10 specialists

factual budget benefits ➤ top 10 factual producers

It was a year of mixed fortunes for specialist producers – drama, children’s and factual were the winners, while fact ent, entertainment and sport faced a much tougher environment

Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

drama on the up ➤ top 10 drama producers Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 9 10

The Bill: Talkback Thames

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

Lime Pictures Talkback Thames Company Kudos Shed Power Tiger Aspect Boomerang Bentley Touchpaper

146 79 45 38 38 19 18 18 16 15

130 83 52 55 18 28 35 33 -

Key shows

Making War Horse: Seventh Art

Optomen Boomerang Remarkable Tiger Aspect True North Seventh Art Darlow Electric Sky Raw TV Wall to Wall

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

2,641 1,791 1,500 243 191 189 105 100 86 64

350 4,965 1,600 220 8 52 60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Key shows

The Wright Stuff: Princess

Total Wipeout: Initial

Key shows

➤ top 10 factual entertainment producers

➤ top 10 entertainment producers ETV Remarkable Remedy Talkback Thames Princess Initial Twofour Lucky Day Shine TV Tiger Aspect

308 52 67 50 -

factual entertainment in decline

entertainment falling volume

Company

322 118 55 46 39 35 34 30 29 27

Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

Princess Leopard Films Talkback Thames Antix Remarkable Twofour North One RDF TV Maverick Love

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

322 180 129 101 67 61 57 55 44 37

360 205 147 124 90 286 -

Key shows

26 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 27

Indies 2010 Genre league tables

sport challenging times ➤ top 10 sport producers Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

BBC Horseracing: Sunset + Vine

hile sport is a hugely significant area of programme production, it’s also one dominated by only a handful of specialist producers, with much sport made by the in-house production divisions of the BBC, ITV and Sky. The table can be divided into two: sports specialists including Input, Sunset+Vine and North One, which handle coverage of big sports events; and the smaller

producers that have managed to secure one-off sports coverage to add to their portfolios. Input Media remains in pole position, with 2,280 hours (down from last year’s 2,887) of programming including preview shows for the FA Cup, French Open tennis, Uefa Champions League, Davis Cup and cricket’s IPL. With Sunset+Vine in second place with 902 hours, North One remains third in our league with

Input Media Sunset+Vine North One TV Indus Rondo Media Boomerang Apollo Century TV Presentable Pulse Films

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

2,280 902 81 75 71 47 24 20 10 3

2,887 1,000 247 – 80 23 – – 21 –

81 hours, way down on the 247 hours it made in 2008 when it was responsible for ITV’s Formula One coverage. Welsh producers Indus, Rondo Media, Boomerang and Apollo take the next four slots, with shows such as Sgorio and Freesports on 4. This year, hours of sport registered in our survey are down from 6,270 to 2,614, a situation almost entirely due to the absence of

Key shows

FA Cup/French Open tennis previews BBC Horseracing; Mobil 1 The Grid World Rally Championship BBC Wales Snooker Sgorio Freesports On 4 Rasus Tour Series; Tour of Britain Cycle Full Tilt Poker Late Night Poker The Lions Tour documentary

IMG Sports Media – which declined to take part in the survey but remains one of the UK’s largest sports producers, making 2,764 hours of sport in 2008. The main challenge for sports producers in 2009, according to one of our top 10, was “the effect of the credit crunch decreasing demand for original content”, coupled with the creative expec tations of commissioners not being matched by realistic budgets.

children’s making a comeback ➤ top 10 children’s producers Company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Waybuloo: The Foundation

he good news is that the 25 producers of kids’ content in this year’s survey made a total of 442 hours of programmes – that’s up 158 hours on the 260 hours made in 2008. After several years in the doldrums due to being hit by the ban on junk-food advertising, it seems that kids’ TV production in the UK might have turned the corner. Hit Entertainment is the biggest independent producer in

the UK ranked by turnover but, surprisingly, it only makes second place in our ranking, with 53 hours. First place goes to RDF Media-owned kids’ specialist The Foundation, with hours up from 44 to 68 thanks to its CBeebies commission Waybuloo and shows such as Mister Maker. Third slot goes to Darrall Macqueen, with 40 hours of kids’ production including Bear Behaving Badly, The Fluffy Club and Hi 5.

28 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

The Foundation Hit Darrall Macqueen Boomerang Remarkable Rondo Media Fflic Initial Twenty Twenty Kindle

Hours (‘09) Hours (‘08)

68 53 40 33 26 24 23 21 20 18

44 45 23 650 10 -

Welsh broadcaster S4C’s influence can be seen in the presence of two of Boomerang+ producers – Boomerang TV and Fflic – makers of ABC and Stwffio. New entries include Kindle Entertainment (Big And Small), which this year edges out Lupus Films (The Pinky & Perky Show) and September Films, which makes Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab out of its newly set up children’s division.

Key shows

Waybuloo; Mister Maker; Dani’s House Angelina Ballerina: Next Steps; Thomas Bear Behaving Badly; Fluffy Club; Hi-5 ABC Roar Rownd A Rownd Stwffio Emu; I Can Cook; Paradise Café Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2 Big And Small; Jinx; My Spy Family

Cash flow is a growing problem for our kids’ producers, who note that falling licence fees at home and abroad (typically 1-10%) are having an effect on the all-important co-production market. “It is having a huge impact on our overall business,” says one producer. “The near collapse of the licensing fees of Canadian broadcast partners has had a very detrimental impact on our ability to structure co-productions.”

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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Supported by the London Development Agency

Avant Garde • World • Big g Band • Soul • Dubstep p • Abstract • Jazz • Blues • Easyy Listening g • Swing g Beat • Children’s • Dancehall • Pop p • Modern Jazz • Electro • Rap • Big Beat • Bossa Nova • Mambo • Comedy • UK Garage • Post Rock • Lounge • Reggae • Drum ‘n’ Bass • Gardening • Arabic • Dayytitime TV TV • 60s Pop P p • Gosp G pell • North thern Soull • Cooki king g•T Techn h obe b att • Indie di • Electrocl t lash h • R& R&B B • Sa S mba b • Grime Gi • Punk k • Fado F d •D Drama • Cl Classiicall • Tech Tech Ho House use • New Newsre sreel el • S Sals alsa a • Ps Psych ychede edelic lic Ro Rock ck • A Art rt • A Anti ntique quess • Hi Hip-H p Hop op • D.I.Y I Y. • Math Mathcor core e • Ma Maria riachi chi • Amb Ambien ientt • Ca Calyp lypso so • Ska Ska • Polk Polka a • Ac Acid id Jazz • C Cajjun • Tej T jano • Af Afriican C Ch hoirs i • Kl Klezmer • C Celti ltic • Q Quiick k St Step • F Fllamenco • Minim i all Tech hno • Cabaret C b t • Plainsong i g•F Fusion i •R Rare Groove • Orient Ori ental al • D Disc isco o • La Latin tin • Jun Jungle gle • Dow Down n Temp Tempo o • Pa Paso so Dob Doble le • N New ew Age • Ele Electr ctroni onica ca • P Polo olonai naise se • Hea Heavy vy Met Metal al • O Orch rchest estral ral • Mus Musiqu ique e Conc Concrèt rète e • Ar Artt Rock Roc k • Wa Waltz ltz • Ele Elevat vator or Mus Music ic • Tran Trance ce • Bhan Bhangra gra • Tri Trip p Hop Hop • Danc Dance e • Na Natio tional nal An Anthe thems ms • Stri Stride de Pia Piano no • Folk Folk • Per Persia sian n • Po Polyn lynesi esian an Dru Drums ms • Lati Latin n• Dixiielland Di d • Spi S iritituall • Di Disco House • Gene G rall Vi Views • Film Music i • Bl Bluegrass • D Dance B Band d • Merengue M •B Brititpop • Pop P Rock k • Electro t Acoustitic • Euro E Pop p • Syn y th Pop p • Spe p ed Metal • Smooth Jazz • Rave • Drama • New Wave • Tribal • Ope p retta • Japa p nese Pop p • Zouk • Acid House • Charleston • Delta Del ta Blu Blues es • E Elec lectro tro Ro Rock ck • C Coun ountry try & Wes Wester tern n • La Latin tin Ch Chant ant • Dro Drones nes • Cim Cimbal balom om • J Jung ungle le • R Rock ockabi abilly lly • Gru Grunge nge • 50s Po Pop p • El Elect ectrob robeat eat • Dub • Pip Pipe e Band Ban d • Ne New wO Orle rleans ans Ja Jazz zz • L Lamb ambada ada • Mod Modal al Jaz Jazzz • Se Sea aS Shan hanty ty • A Ande ndean an • G Goth othic ic Roc Rock k • Gy Gypsy psy Fo Folk lk • S Squa quare re Dan Dance ce • V Voca ocall H Hous ouse e • Ra Ragga gga • Chi Chilea lean n •T Trib ribal al Hou House se • F Free reesty style le • E Ethn thnic ic Har Harp p • Mo Motow town n • Bo Boler lero o • Ku Kurdi rdish sh Fol Folk k • Fa Farr E East ast • Alt Altern ernati ative ve Roc Rock k • Ac Acous oustic tic Ro Rock ck • S Swin wing g • Bl Blaxp axploi loitat tation ion • Panpip Pan pipes es • D Doooo Wop • Pyg Pygmy my Voc Vocals als • Hea Heavy vy Gri Grime me • B Baro aroque que • Nos Nostal talgia gia • Spe Speed ed Gar Garage age • Mao Maori ri Hak Haka a • Te Techn chno o • Br Break eakbea beatt • Eu Euro ro Hou House se • S Salo aloon on Piano • Blues Rock • Vaudeville • Meditation • Nu-Metal • Afro-Cuban • Minimal House • Mazurka • Acapp ppella • Urban Jazz • Nurseryy Rhyme y • Barn Dance • Uilleann Bagpipes • Marching Bands • Slavonic Dance • Power Rock • Deep House • Showbiz • Hard Trance • New Romantic • Bebop • Opera • Primeval • Traditional Macedonian • Cool Jazz • G Gregorian Chant C • C Celtic Jig • Surf S Pop • C Chamber b Musiic • Nuev N o Trova T • Boogi B ie Woogie i • Acid-Electro • Irish Folk • Ska Punk • Military • Americana • Tubular Bells • Bandoneon • Hardhouse • Zydeco • Alternative Country •

Indies 2010 Nations and regions

A clever producer that is capable of turning out cinema-quality work Comment on Kudos, Peer Poll, page 32

Diversification pays off

Top regional indies 1-39

Indies based outside London enjoyed 20% higher turnover in 2009 as they focused on increasing foreign sales and expanding their digital divisions

ne of the unsung success stories of the TV production sector in 2009 was the improved performance from regional indies, which for the purposes of this survey means producers headquartered outside the M25. The total turnover of the 39 regional indies in this year’s survey was up to £252m from £210m in 2008 – a healthy increase of 20%, and a long way above the average UK indie’s turnover, which was up just 4.4%. Compare the performances of the top 10 with 2008 and those companies have fared better still, with £182m – up 24% from £147m in 2008. The top 10 has seen a few changes, with notable returners in Bristol-based animation specialist Aardman – a no-show last year – and Glasgow-based IWC Media, which returns thanks to the delisting of parent company RDF Media. With RDF now able to break out turnovers of its individual production companies, Maidstone-based kids specialist The Foundation comes in at 10, thanks to CBeebies successes Way buloo and Mister Maker, edging out Bristol-based Tigress. The year got off to a bad start for Newcastle-based Coastal Productions – its mainstay Wire In The Blood was one of the big casualties of ITV drama cutbacks and it drops out of our survey altogether. Not all regional drama producers have had a tough year though – Liverpool’s Lime Pictures remains the UK’s biggest regional producer, with 339 staff and a £47m turnover, up 16%. If the biggest regional indies are doing better, it’s not all down to the BBC handing them bigger chunks of its devolved budget. Hours of

‘With a lot of projects now, we know we can’t cover the production costs with UK licence fees alone’ Melanie Leach, MD, Twofour

what’s bothering regional indies Creative expectations not being matched by realistic budgets” “Falling production budgets and consequent drop in quality”

“Continuing to secure a regular flow of quality work” “Pressure on programme budgets, particularly from the commercial sector” “Fudging of the Nations Production Targets”

30 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

production from regional producers are down 6% to 2,142, a situation mirrored in this year’s top 10, where programme hours are down by 6% to 1,039. This year, regional producers made 55 hours of TV on average, compared with 60 hours in 2008. This compares with a UK average of 110 hours, down from 155 in 2008. The improved performance of regional indies is at least in part due to their own entrepreneurial activity – relying less on broadcasters and more on diversifying revenues to create more stable businesses. Three-quarters of regional producers now sell their programmes internationally, while 36% have dedicated digital arms. A total of 265 staff worked in digital divisions across regional independent production last year, out of a total of 494 across the UK as a whole. At 7%, that’s slightly lower than the average of 9.5% for all indies, but an indi cation that regional companies are taking digital seriously. Tern TV joint managing director David Strachan says: “We are very committed to digital because we feel if we are not in there, we are dead. That’s why we are making a fair bit of effort there for a company with 24 staff.” Twofour MD Melanie Leach, whose Plymouth-based company boasts the biggest digital division in regional TV, with 110 staff, adds: “With a lot of projects now, we know we can’t cover the production costs with UK licence fees alone so we tend to question much more rigorously how international an idea is going to be before we develop it.” Going forward, Leach predicts that in addition to digital, co-production, advertiser-funded programming (AFP) and corporate work will be big growth areas. Strong links with corporate clients can reinforce the broadcast commissioning side of the business, she says, particularly now that broadcasters are more tuned in to the benefits of AFP than ever before. It’s a trend picked up on by Stephen Stewart, MD of Belfast-based Green Inc. “Broadcasters are actively asking us to meet with AFP clients these days,” says Stewart, who notes a particularly upbeat vibe in regional television at the

Company

Locations

Turnover 2009 (£m)

Turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£m)

Key shows

Lime

Liverpool

46.82

40.40

15.88

–

Hollyoaks; Apparitions; Living on the Edge

Hours of progs 2009

Full-time staff

151.00

339 251

Twofour

Plymouth, London

24.30

28.70

-15.33

–

Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?

191.00

Boomerang

Cardiff

24.03

–

Freesports On 4; Martha Jac a Sianco

429.00

140

Aardman

Bristol

*20.00

–

*1.00

Shaun The Sheep 2; Timmy Time

10.00

400

IWC

Glasgow

13.22

–

0.91

Lost Kingdoms Of Africa

68.00

115

Best/Worst broadcaster (%)*

Maverick

Birmingham

13.20

11.40

15.79

–

Ten Years Younger; Embarrassing Bodies

51.50

Best

Ragdoll

Stratford-Upon-Avon

10.80

7.00

54.29

–

Tronji; In the Night Garden; Teletubbies

15.00

47 23.5 12.0 6.0 6.0 5.5

Rondo Media

Cardiff

10.30

9.70

6.19

–

Rownd A Rownd; Sgorio

169.00

Parthenon

Chorleywood, Bristol, Munich

9.90

9.10

8.79

1.80

Jakers!; Baby Planet; The Lost Symbol

31.00

The Foundation

Maidstone, Kent

9.77

–

1.71

Waybuloo; Mister Maker; Dani’s House

74.50

Tigress

Bristol

7.20

7.00

2.86

–

Alone In The Wild; Around The World In 80 Trades

40.00

Stockport

5.62

4.30

30.74

–

Screaming Banshees; Enfield Poltergeist

185.50

A Place In The Sun; Gemma Factor

BBC C4 ITV Five S4C Other

51.0 11.0 7.5 7.5 7.5 15.5

Worst

BBC Five ITV C4 Sky Other

Antix Productions

*Share of regional votes

Freeform

moment. “I’ve never known a change as rapid as there has been in the past six months. There’s a huge increase in activity around the regions, which is exciting – particularly when you think that TV has traditionally been such a London-centric business.” Despite the greater sense of optimism, in the interim, regional producers face the same problems as all UK indies, namely shrinking programme budgets – 59% of regional indies said that the budgets they have been offered over the past year from broadcasters are between 1% and 20% down. Managing cash flow and maintaining profitability amid reduced levels of commissioning are the key concerns. One way that regional indies are controlling costs is by doing much more post-production in-house – 70% have in-house post operations compared with 58% of UK indies. With the BBC committed to spending much more money outside London by 2016, and a rosier economic picture, regional indies are in a more positive mood – with 51% saying they feel more confident about the future compared with 35% of all producers. One sign that there is an expectation of better times to come can be seen in staffing levels, up to a total of 1,821 from 1,465 in 2008. Average staffing levels at regional producers have risen to 47 from 42 in 2008. Compared with a UK average of 35, it confirms that full-time jobs are more common in regional indies, where freelance labour is more scarce. Tern’s David Strachan says the uplift from the devolution of BBC production to the regions, which began in 2009, will be seen much more clearly in the years to come. “It’s predicted that we will see three to four times the growth provided by the BBC,” he says.

Tern TV

True North Productions

Electric Sky

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

–

Manchester

*5.30

6.30

-15.87

–

Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast

5.00

4.20

19.05

0.17

Beechgrove; Teen SPA; Britannia; KNTV Sex

55.00

Leeds

4.25

3.90

8.97

0.34

To Build Or Not To Build

70.00

Brighton

3.74

4.00

-6.50

–

World’s Fattest Man; Fat Doctor; First Love

47.00

8 40

Icon Films

Bristol

3.45

2.30

50.00

–

River Monsters; Weird Creatures With Nick Baker

11.50

Quicksilver Media

Oxford

3.00

2.60

15.38

–

Unreported World; Terror In Mumbai

15.50

Wild Dream Films

Cardiff

3.00

0.00

–

Ancient Discoveries; Death Masks

10.00

Presentable

Cardiff

2.91

–

29.00

–

0.10

Only Connect; Full Tilt Poker Late Night Poker

–

0.16

The Afternoon Show; The Friday Show

Green Inc Film & TV

Belfast, Dublin

2.85

–

Denham Productions

Plymouth

2.62

2.56

The Comedy Unit

Glasgow

2.58

–

Calon

Cardiff

2.00

2.50

Testimony Films

Bristol

1.80

Pett Television

Surrey

1.78

Southampton

1.75

Devon

1.25

264.00

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey

24.50

-0.33

Rab C Nesbitt; Gary Tank Commander

23.00

-20.00

–

Hana’s Helpline; Igam Ogam; Sali Mali

10.00

2.00

-10.00

0.02

The Children Who Fought Hitler

12.00

1.90

-6.21

0.27

Shooting Stars: The Inside Story

6.00

1.90

-7.89

0.37

Real Rescues; One Show inserts

30.00

1.75

-28.57

0.18

Ultimate Ulster; The Fat Face Night Series

10.00

2.34

–

Topical Television

Televisionary

Red Planet Pictures

Ampthill (Bedford)

1.22

0.53

130.34

0.26

Crash; Hustle, Moving Wallpaper 2

6.00

Seventh Art Productions

Brighton

1.20

1.50

-20.00

0.05

Making War Horse; In Search of Beethoven

35.00

Joseph Fritzl: Story Of A Monster

Back2Back

Brighton

1.20

–

0.36

21.00

Impossible TV

Brighton

***1.20

–

***0.20

Angels Of Jarm; The Beeps

2.50

Iambic Productions

Lambent

Bristol

1.10

–

0.36

The Michael Jackson Story

8.00

Brighton

1.10

0.90

22.22

0.08

Tony: I’ve Lost My Family

8.00

Touch Productions

Bath

1.00

2.25

-55.56

–

Dallas DNA; Love In Numbers

8.00

Colonial Pictures

Jersey

0.80

0.75

6.67

–

Peter Ackroyd’s Venice

15.00

Landmark Films

Oxford

0.50

–

Baby Beauty Queens; How To Snare A Millionaire

2.00

Peter Williams TV Int’l

Faversham

0.35

–

0.06

Human Cloning; Love And War

2.00

Redbird Media

Winchester

0.25

–

0.05

The Time Of Their Lives

1.50

NoteL: Rondo Media Cyf formed April 2008 by merger of Nant and Opus. *Provisional **2008 figure ***Estimate

Apparitions: Lime Pictures www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?: Twofour

Timmy Time: Aardman 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 31

Indies 2010 Nations and regions

A clever producer that is capable of turning out cinema-quality work Comment on Kudos, Peer Poll, page 32

Diversification pays off

Top regional indies 1-39

Indies based outside London enjoyed 20% higher turnover in 2009 as they focused on increasing foreign sales and expanding their digital divisions

‘With a lot of projects now, we know we can’t cover the production costs with UK licence fees alone’ Melanie Leach, MD, Twofour

what’s bothering regional indies Creative expectations not being matched by realistic budgets” “Falling production budgets and consequent drop in quality”

“Continuing to secure a regular flow of quality work” “Pressure on programme budgets, particularly from the commercial sector” “Fudging of the Nations Production Targets”

30 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Company

Locations

Turnover 2009 (£m)

Turnover 2008 (£m)

Change (%)

Pre-tax profit (£m)

Key shows

Lime

Liverpool

46.82

40.40

15.88

–

Hollyoaks; Apparitions; Living on the Edge

Hours of progs 2009

Full-time staff

151.00

339 251

Twofour

Plymouth, London

24.30

28.70

-15.33

–

Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?

191.00

Boomerang

Cardiff

24.03

–

Freesports On 4; Martha Jac a Sianco

429.00

140

Aardman

Bristol

*20.00

–

*1.00

Shaun The Sheep 2; Timmy Time

10.00

400

IWC

Glasgow

13.22

–

0.91

Lost Kingdoms Of Africa

68.00

115

Best/Worst broadcaster (%)*

Maverick

Birmingham

13.20

11.40

15.79

–

Ten Years Younger; Embarrassing Bodies

51.50

Best

Ragdoll

Stratford-Upon-Avon

10.80

7.00

54.29

–

Tronji; In the Night Garden; Teletubbies

15.00

47 23.5 12.0 6.0 6.0 5.5

Rondo Media

Cardiff

10.30

9.70

6.19

–

Rownd A Rownd; Sgorio

169.00

Parthenon

Chorleywood, Bristol, Munich

9.90

9.10

8.79

1.80

Jakers!; Baby Planet; The Lost Symbol

31.00

The Foundation

Maidstone, Kent

9.77

–

1.71

Waybuloo; Mister Maker; Dani’s House

74.50

Tigress

Bristol

7.20

7.00

2.86

–

Alone In The Wild; Around The World In 80 Trades

40.00

Stockport

5.62

4.30

30.74

–

Screaming Banshees; Enfield Poltergeist

185.50

A Place In The Sun; Gemma Factor

BBC C4 ITV Five S4C Other

51.0 11.0 7.5 7.5 7.5 15.5

Worst

BBC Five ITV C4 Sky Other

Antix Productions

*Share of regional votes

Freeform

Tern TV

True North Productions

Electric Sky

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

–

Manchester

*5.30

6.30

-15.87

–

Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast

5.00

4.20

19.05

0.17

Beechgrove; Teen SPA; Britannia; KNTV Sex

55.00

Leeds

4.25

3.90

8.97

0.34

To Build Or Not To Build

70.00

Brighton

3.74

4.00

-6.50

–

World’s Fattest Man; Fat Doctor; First Love

47.00

8 40

Icon Films

Bristol

3.45

2.30

50.00

–

River Monsters; Weird Creatures With Nick Baker

11.50

Quicksilver Media

Oxford

3.00

2.60

15.38

–

Unreported World; Terror In Mumbai

15.50

Wild Dream Films

Cardiff

3.00

0.00

–

Ancient Discoveries; Death Masks

10.00

Presentable

Cardiff

2.91

–

29.00

–

0.10

Only Connect; Full Tilt Poker Late Night Poker

–

0.16

The Afternoon Show; The Friday Show

Green Inc Film & TV

Belfast, Dublin

2.85

–

Denham Productions

Plymouth

2.62

2.56

The Comedy Unit

Glasgow

2.58

–

Calon

Cardiff

2.00

2.50

Testimony Films

Bristol

1.80

Pett Television

Surrey

1.78

Southampton

1.75

Devon

1.25

264.00

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey

24.50

-0.33

Rab C Nesbitt; Gary Tank Commander

23.00

-20.00

–

Hana’s Helpline; Igam Ogam; Sali Mali

10.00

2.00

-10.00

0.02

The Children Who Fought Hitler

12.00

1.90

-6.21

0.27

Shooting Stars: The Inside Story

6.00

1.90

-7.89

0.37

Real Rescues; One Show inserts

30.00

1.75

-28.57

0.18

Ultimate Ulster; The Fat Face Night Series

10.00

2.34

–

Topical Television

Televisionary

Red Planet Pictures

Ampthill (Bedford)

1.22

0.53

130.34

0.26

Crash; Hustle, Moving Wallpaper 2

6.00

Seventh Art Productions

Brighton

1.20

1.50

-20.00

0.05

Making War Horse; In Search of Beethoven

35.00

Joseph Fritzl: Story Of A Monster

Back2Back

Brighton

1.20

–

0.36

21.00

Impossible TV

Brighton

***1.20

–

***0.20

Angels Of Jarm; The Beeps

2.50

Iambic Productions

Lambent

Bristol

1.10

–

0.36

The Michael Jackson Story

8.00

Brighton

1.10

0.90

22.22

0.08

Tony: I’ve Lost My Family

8.00

Touch Productions

Bath

1.00

2.25

-55.56

–

Dallas DNA; Love In Numbers

8.00

Colonial Pictures

Jersey

0.80

0.75

6.67

–

Peter Ackroyd’s Venice

15.00

Landmark Films

Oxford

0.50

–

Baby Beauty Queens; How To Snare A Millionaire

2.00

Peter Williams TV Int’l

Faversham

0.35

–

0.06

Human Cloning; Love And War

2.00

Redbird Media

Winchester

0.25

–

0.05

The Time Of Their Lives

1.50

NoteL: Rondo Media Cyf formed April 2008 by merger of Nant and Opus. *Provisional **2008 figure ***Estimate

Apparitions: Lime Pictures www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old?: Twofour

Timmy Time: Aardman 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 31

Indies 2010 Peer poll

The indies’ indie Drama specialist Kudos regains its place this year as the producer ranked most highly by its peers, while Left Bank makes its debut in our industry poll ➤ cream of the crop Company

Votes

1 2

Kudos Wall to Wall

42 36

Company

4 5 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 10

Left Bank Talkback Thames Love Objective Shine Twofour Blast Hat Trick October Tiger Aspect

19 17 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 10

best of the rest Darlow Smithson “Consistent highquality programming” Dragonfly “Good programmes, really great profile” RDF TV “Role model on how to grow a business organically” Leopard Films “Smart growth strategy, exciting business” Aardman “Continues to deliver superb quality and invest real money in the sector” Sunset + Vine “Creative use of technology and post” Keo “Consistently glossy, good-looking shows” Outline “For surviving as a medium-sized indie” Plum “Innovative, energetic” Studio Lambert “Popular ideas with excellent casting” Optomen “Event TV always solidly produced” Windfall “For Inside Nature’s Giants” Lion TV “Big-scale, ambitious series”

1 Kudos

2 Wall to Wall

Law & Order UK: ITV1 hit

Toppled from the top slot in last year’s peer poll by Wall to Wall, drama specialist Kudos is back on top again with 42 points. The indie best known for BBC1’s glossy spy drama Spooks certainly re-established its credentials as the indie’s favourite with a range of fiction few can match. Last year, courtroom drama Law & Order UK did good business on ITV1, while BBC1’s hard-hitting Prix Europa-winning Iraq drama Occupation garnered huge critical acclaim. Range is another key feature of the Life On Mars producer. At the glossy, populist end of the spectrum there is BBC1’s con drama Hustle, while in teen drama it boasts Spooks spin-off spy series MI High, and is also capable of grittier work, exemplified by ITV1’s hitman series The Fixer. Peers rated the indie as a “terrific producer of high-quality, talkedabout drama”. Its shows were consistently innovative, and combined originality and quality, said rivals. “A clever producer that is capable of turning out cinemaquality work with high production values,” was one producer’s verdict. There’s little question that under the leadership of Stephen Garrett as executive chairman, Jane

32 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Featherstone as creative director, and Simon Crawford Collins and Daniel Isaacs as joint managing directors, Kudos has developed into the UK’s most successful drama powerhouse, which continually sets the benchmark. Commissioners also hold Kudos in the highest regard because of its ability to turn out hit returning series and win awards both in the UK and internationally, including Baftas, International Emmys and RTS awards. According to Kudos, which in 2007 was acquired by Liz Mur doch’s Shine Group, the company has earned its reputation by repeatedly working with the best established and new talent around the world to create ground-breaking programming. Whatever Kudos does, it clearly works. Recently the indie landed another BBC1 commission for a post-apocalyptic drama, Outcasts, penned by Spooks writer Ben Richards. More than anything, it is Kudos’s ability to keep ahead of the game that repeatedly makes it the one to watch. “Kudos is the indie I regard the most highly because of its ability to stay smart and flourish in the toughest of markets,” said one rival.

6 Love Productions

3 Company Pictures

What is it about Wall to Wall that makes it so consistently highly rated by its peers? One thing is the Shed Media-owned company’s clear talent as a multi-genre producer – a dab hand at both drama (New Tricks) and factual (Who Do You Think You Are?). One producer votes for Wall to Wall because of the diversity and strength of its programme port folio. Another singles it out “for its great-quality docs and dramas”. For others, it’s the ability to combine business savvy in the shape of major returnable series – most clearly demonstrated by the huge international and multiplatform success of Who Do You Think You Are? – with high-quality documentaries. “It’s a big indie with small indie skills,” explains one rival. According to chief executive Alex Graham, the success of the bigger programme brands is crucial to the overall success of the company, as it provides a firm foundation that allows it to invest in other areas of the business, such as development and expansion into the US – a key aim of its parent Shed Media. “When there is an upturn, we will be in a great position,” says Graham. So far, Wall to Wall doesn’t seem to have been too badly affected by the downturn, receiving an £18m, 40-hour boost from the BBC with new orders of New Tricks and Who Do You Think You Are?, plus a six-parter on the cleaning of National Trust properties, The Big Spring Clean.

New Tricks: Re-ordered www.broadcastnow.co.uk

“Consistent high quality”, “good ideas” and “intelligent programming” are some of the qualities that have propelled drama producer Company Pictures up this year’s peer poll ranking into third place, with a respectable 31 votes, from 5th in 2008. One rival voted for Company for its “surprisingly varied” drama slate. Another said it stood out because of the “wonderful diversity of drama” it produces. Consistency is another Company watchword, with C4’s Shameless now in its seventh series, Wild At Heart for ITV1 now on its fifth run, and BBC1’s Inspector George Gently and C4’s iconic Skins on their fourth outings. Company’s outstanding success in returnable drama is the major factor in its consistently high placing in our overall league table, where

the All3Media-owned company appears in 7th place with £39.7m. But it’s not all about returnability for Company. Slated for the spring is the eagerly anticipated Fiona Seres four-parter The Silence on BBC1, about a deaf girl who witnesses a murder.

Inspector George Gently: Fourth outing

A producer with a talent for headline-grabbing shows, Love Productions makes our poll in sixth place with 12 votes. Headed by former Maverick boss Richard McKerrow, the medium-sized operator has carved a strong niche in factual entertainment shows that are as thought-provoking as they are entertaining. Boys And Girls Alone, a series that gave 20 kids the freedom to live without adults, was arguably one of 2009’s bravest shows. Love has already raised eyebrows in 2010 with Tower Block Of Commons and Famous, Rich And Jobless. The indie’s USP is finding original ways to put the microscope on big social issues. Peers rate the company for making “great original programming” and “innovative factual formats that can sell internationally”. Others admire Love’s creative integrity and commitment.

4 Left Bank Launched in 2007, it’s not taken drama indie Left Bank long to get established. Set up by ex-ITV drama boss Andy Harries, Francis Hopkinson and Marigo Kehoe, the indie can already boast one recommission in the shape of its BBC1 feature-length series Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh (pictured). With its second major series Married Single Other away on ITV1, rivals have widely admired Left Bank’s ability to make such a big impact in a hugely competitive drama market so rapidly – making it their fourth-favourite indie with 19 votes. One peer said that Left Bank stood out for “building a thriving and highly respected

indie in record time”. Others praised its output, and said that Wallander was just the first of many top-quality dramas from Left Bank. With Married Single Other debuting with 6.2 million, comparisons with ITV’s hugely successful comedy drama Cold Feet, also executive produced by Harries, are being made. First-time writer Peter Souter is already working on a second outing for the Leeds-based series. New projects for 2010 include Strike Back, based on Chris Ryan’s international bestseller, for Sky 1, and international coproduction The Aurelio Zen Mysteries, three films based on the best-selling novels by Michael Dibdin.

5 Talkback Thames Given its awesome programming slate, you might think that Talkback Thames would be highly regarded by peers and a familiar face in our peer poll. But its entry this year in 5th place with 17 votes is comparatively rare. The reason seems to be that the entertainment, factual entertainment and drama juggernaut, with its titanic output of 452 hours of

Grand Designs: Factual output www.broadcastnow.co.uk

programming and a turnover of £139m, demands respect rather than affection among its peers. But there’s no questioning its ability in entertainment as producer of some of the UK’s biggest shows, including ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor. Rivals point out that it produces “brilliantly executed, outstanding programming” and “is one of the world leaders in shiny-floor entertainment”. One of its most recent commissions for BBC1 – the corporation’s latest search for a star format, Wizard Of Oz, with Andrew Lloyd Webber – underlines Talkback’s pre-eminence in big-ticket entertainment. Of course, there’s much more to the company, helmed by former BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey, with major factual shows such as BBC1’s The Apprentice and C4’s Grand Designs, and drama ranging from The Bill to the BBC’s Stephen Poliakoff adaptations.

Famous, Rich And Jobless: Raising eyebrows

6 Objective Equal sixth with Love comes Objective, rated by other producers for its ability to produce “quality programmes in difficult genres”. Objective injected new life into magic and gameshows with its Derren Brown: The Events series and ITV’s futuristic primetime gameshow The Cube in 2009. Originally entertainment-focused, the London and Glasgow-based indie, founded by Andrew O’Connor and Michael Vine in 1991, has now developed into a significant producer of entertainment, factual enter tainment and comedy, with 2009 output including Peep Show, Regie Perrin and The Real Hustle. “A slick and well-run indie which manages to be on the money both editorially and financially,” was one rival’s verdict.

The Cube: Fresh format 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 33

➤

Indies 2010 Peer poll

Votes

1 2

Kudos Wall to Wall

42 36

Company

4 5 6 6 8 8 10 10 10 10

Left Bank Talkback Thames Love Objective Shine Twofour Blast Hat Trick October Tiger Aspect

19 17 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 10

1 Kudos

2 Wall to Wall

Law & Order UK: ITV1 hit

32 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

6 Love Productions

3 Company Pictures

New Tricks: Re-ordered www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Inspector George Gently: Fourth outing

Grand Designs: Factual output www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Famous, Rich And Jobless: Raising eyebrows

The Cube: Fresh format 19 March 2010 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 33

➤

Indies 2010 Peer poll

8 Shine TV

8 Twofour

10 Blast!

Shine’s reputation for producing outstanding content across a broad portfolio earns it a place in this year’s poll. MasterChef remains the indie’s most successful brand. Now in its sixth series on BBC1, the UK show, fronted by Gregg Wallace and John Torode, has spawned professional and celebrity versions, and this year will see a remake of the Loyd Grossman classic Junior MasterChef. The dramatic mainstay of the company is BBC1 series Merlin, although its ITV super natural counterpart Demons, starring Phil Glenister, was not renewed. Last year, Shine TV parent Shine Group strengthened its international business with the acquisition of Nordic producer Metronome, which followed the purchase of US producer Reveille, with Shine lined up to pilot their formats in the UK.

Broadcast’s indie of the year, Twofour grabs more limelight in this year’s peer poll with 11 votes. Producers rate the Plymouth-based indie for “running a terrific regional business”, and operating with a “good business model”. There’s no doubt that Twofour had a strong year, with 191 hours of programming across a range of broadcasters including factual entertainment series The Hotel Inspector for Five, Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old? for Sky 1, Design For Life and On Thin Ice for BBC2, and Big Chef Takes On Little Chef for C4 (pictured). In addition to a strong programming slate, Twofour is one of the most diversified content businesses in the UK, with production for network broadcasters only part of its overall strategy, which also includes running a corporate communications agency, a digital division and an interactive multimedia arm, HMC Interactive. Out of 251 staff, 110 work in Twofour’s digital businesses. Entertainment is the producer’s strongest TV genre, with MD Mel Leach setting her sights on creating a new hit show in the genre.

Blast! Films is consistently highly rated by its peers, and this year is no different. The docs, drama and drama docs specialist run by Edmund Coulthard is ranked equal 10th with 10 votes. “A smallish indie that has managed to survive for years making intelligent and distinctive programmes across factual, drama and features,” reads one comment. Last year’s 21.5 hours of programming, principally for C4, included high-profile drama doc The Queen and factual series such as the Rupert Everett-fronted The Scandalous Adventures of Lord Byron and The World’s Oldest Mums. Blast!’s mission statement is to put film makers at the heart of what it does and make television that innovates and breaks boun daries. Popular, noisy, honest and original are the hallmarks of Blast!’s output.

10 Hat Trick

10 October

10 Tiger Aspect

One of the indie sector’s most consistent performers, Hat Trick continues to impress its rivals. The secret of its success is quality rather than quantity. Last year, it made 22.5 hours of entertainment and comedy, headlined by its perennial panel show Have I Got News For You, a series that comes high on the must-watch list of many industry peers. Sitcom Outnumbered (pictured), winner of this year’s Broadcast Award for best comedy, is also singled out for praise. Other output in 2009 included The Armstrong & Miller Show, Krod Mandoon and It’s Only A Theory. According to Hat Trick, the secret of the company’s success is working with the best writers and producers, who in turn attract the best on-screen talent. The indie has taken its involvement with up-andcoming talent a stage further by backing indie start-ups including factual and entertainment producer Plum Pictures and comedy and drama indie Toff Media, founded in 2008 by Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller.

Formerly known as a documentary and current affairs specialist, October has become a broader factual producer under managing director Denman Rooke and creative director Adam Bullmore. Rivals have warmed to October in this year’s peer poll as a producer that has managed to successfully adapt as commissioners’ interest in documentary and current affairs dries up. “October has managed to survive by reinventing itself,” says one peer, a comment born out by the 20 hours of popular factual that the indie produced in 2009 out of a total of 41 hours. October has hit a string of multichannel successes from Virgin1’s light-hearted Brits abroad hit Sun, Sea And A&E, recommissioned for a second run this year, to Chris Ryan’s Elite Police for National Geographic and Bravo, and user-generated content series Rude Tube for E4.

Tiger received 10 votes this year and is admired for its ability to produce a huge range of output across comedy, drama, entertainment, factual, features, animation and children’s TV. Its 148 hours of content included 64 hours of entertainment, with shows such as Ross Kemp: Return To Afghanistan and Dave/BBC2’s Argumental, as well as 46 hours of factual, from BBC2’s An Island Parish to Five series Celebrity Quitters. The company’s £64m turnover was boosted by 18 hours of drama, including Robin Hood for BBC1 and ITV’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Now that the company’s long-standing managing director, Andy Zein, has stepped down to join Warner Bros, Endemol’s Richard Thomson has stepped in as director of operations. He is expected to bring his digital experience to bear on Tiger’s multi-genre TV successes.

Merlin: Dramatic mainstay

34 | Broadcast Indie Survey 2010 | 19 March 2010

Sun, Sea And A&E: multichannel success

The Queen: High-profile

Ross Kemp – Return to Afghanistan: key show

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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