BBC Head marks TV’s future

19 March 2009

BBC Director General points to the film industry model as a way for broadcasters to beat the recession, during his BU masterclass.

BBC Director General Mark Thompson encouraged the television producers of tomorrow to look to the film industry for inspiration during a recent visit to Bournemouth University (BU).

Thompson was leading a Masterclass of BU students and staff, hosted by the University's HEFCE-funded Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP) based in the Media School.

Thompson encouraged those aspiring to a career in television production to follow the example set by the film industry and open new ‘windows’ as a way of funding high quality comedy and drama.

“The broadcasting industry is moving to a world where programme makers have to become more like film producers and work out quite carefully how to fund the making of programmes,” said Thompson. “The film industry discovered that it couldn’t just make money by putting on movies in a theatre. But it could make money if it got films into movie theatres around the world in addition to having a pay-TV window, a DVD rental window, a DVD sell-through window and a free TV broadcast window which add up to more money coming in than the films cost to make.

“The bit that makes that possible, and makes it exciting in a way, is that good television should be around forever,” he continued. “TV producers should not think of comedy, drama or indeed any TV as something shown once and is forgotten. You should aim to make content which is like a great book which people will want to keep it and read forever.“

Mark Thompson is one of a series of industry speakers to have hosted CEMP Masterclasses at BU. In the past, the University has welcomed broadcaster Andrew Marr, film director Roger Michell ('Notting Hill', 'Enduring Love'), Jana Bennett, Director of Vision at the BBC, Ed Richards, Chief Executive of industry regulator Ofcom and Max Clifford, the PR guru.