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29 October 2014
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Speeches

Colin Cameron

Controller of Network Development, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations & Regions


Action, not Talk


28 November 2001
Printable version

Speech given at the Television from the Nations and Regions Conference, Salford - Creative Cities Session


The Creative Cities that I'm concerned with are the three vibrant and creative bases of Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow. It's from these cities that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is launching the most radical shift of network commissioning ever seen by any broadcaster in Britain. This is action, not talk.

Already, in this financial year, the network commissions from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the genres of Drama, Entertainment, Factual and Music & Arts have increased by 28% to Β£70 million; and they are planned to rise by a further 14% to Β£78.1 million in 2002/03. Commissions in Children's, Current Affairs, Education and Feature Films account for a further Β£9 million. And there is yet further investment of Β£33 million going into programmes specifically designed for the audiences in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is not doing this for reasons of political correctness or industry point-scoring. It's doing it because it recognises that the audience - across the UK - wants to see itself reflected to the rest of the UK. That an effective UK broadcaster has a responsibility for encouraging a diversity of views about how we live today, and that you can only do that with programme-makers rooted in their own communities and cultures. And that there has been an historic imbalance of investment - both in funding and in talent - to encourage programme-makers to deliver effectively from the great cities of Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow.

To deliver this - and to deliver it so we win the absolute trust and confidence of the network commissioners - the Creative Cities are going to need to be populated with Creative People - and lots of them. Execs, Producers, Directors, Designers, DoPs, Artists, Actors, Entertainers and Presenters. We need to focus all the talents and experience that already exist in these Nations, and enhance them with names old and new, people who can recognise the new network energies emerging and who want to be part of them. A reverse Β‘brain-drain' if you like.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will not, cannot, do this on its own. It will need partnerships: with Independent producers; with other broadcasters where appropriate - Stuart (Cosgrove) and I are already working closely over our mutual talent needs; with local authorities and development agencies; with PACT; and with the freelance community.

So it is with great pleasure that I can use this opportunity to announce a brand new initiative in a partnership between the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and The Research Centre to establish a Producer Development Programme. This will be modelled on their highly-successful Researcher Development Programme and fully-funded by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations & Regions. It is aimed at experienced programme-makers in the indie and freelance marketplace with a strong network track-record, who are either currently working in the three nations or who wish to relocate and live and work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The programme will deliver a range of high-level masterclasses aimed at building the network skills - particularly to Executive Producer levels - in the Nations. The programme will start in April 2002 and run for one year, with around 9 places available.

I intend this as only one of a range of initiatives to support the in-house and indie network television teams in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow, ensuring that they are in as strong a position as possible to deliver to all the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's network television outlets. It should be the start of a Β‘Nations Network' a loose federation of those programme-makers committed to living and working in the Nations, but committed to providing the best of network television as well.

We are being set stretching targets by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in all genres, and they will only be met if we can win, not only the commissions, but the full and continuing trust of the commissioners. They need to believe in their hearts - not just in their policy pronouncements - that we have the talent and imagination to meet their needs. We have great indigenous strengths - which are often undervalued - and we need to draw on them, but also supplement them with new people, new energies, new thoughts that make us truly competitive. We need to let out our little secret - remind the expats - and tell the harassed metropolitan commuter - that to work in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland is not only to have a fantastic quality of life, but a terrific slate of creative programmes too.



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