BBC Head marks TV’s future19 March 2009
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. 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. Return to News Archive page Return to News Menu page |