BBC told to up its game on UK-made and regional programming

The BBC must broadcast more original UK programmes, Ofcom said on Friday, under new rules designed to ensure the broadcaster offers “high-quality, distinctive” programmes for its entire audience.

Viewers had reportedly told the regulator that programmes made in the UK were important to them.

Original content could also help the BBC meet duties under its new charter, which include being distinctive, creative and reflecting the UK’s diverse communities, Ofcom asserted.

“From next year, we are requiring at least three quarters of all programme hours on the BBC’s most popular TV channels to be original productions, commissioned by the BBC for UK audiences - reaching 90% during ‘peak’ evening hours on BBC One and BBC Two,” Ofcom said in its statement.

“There will be new requirements on Radio 1 and Radio 2 to play a broader range of music than commercial stations, and more music from new and emerging UK artists,” it added.

“The children’s channels, CBBC and CBeebies, must respectively show at least 400 and 100 hours of brand new, UK-commissioned programmes each year.”

The rules were part of a new operating licence for the BBC published on Friday - the first since Ofcom became the BBC’s first independent, external regulator in April.

Ofcom said it wanted all parts of the UK to be accurately reflected, and invested in, by the BBC. “The licence also requires more BBC content to be made across the UK and in the nations.

“At least half of network hours on the BBC’s television channels will be made outside of London, with separate minimum quotas for each UK nation, broadly reflecting their population size,” Ofcom said.

“We are also launching a review of guidance on programmes made outside London, which aims to help ensure that such programming supports and strengthens production in the UK’s nations and regions.”

Under its new licence, BBC One and BBC Two must also between them broadcast more than 6,000 hours of programmes which are of “specific interest” to the nations and regions –-95% of which must be made in the areas to which they relate.

Ofcom said it would ensure that each of the UK’s nations received a “fair share” of the BBC’s spending on network programmes.

For the first time, the BBC would be required to spend broadly the same amount on programmes, per head, in all four of the UK’s nations.