ITV's regional production regs altered

Media regulator Ofcom has proposed cutting public service regulatory requirements for non-news regional programming on ITV1.

This year, Ofcom will cut the requirement for non-news regional programming in England from the current three hours per week to 1.5 hours. The reductions will be allowed to come outside of peak viewing hours. Once analogue switchoff begins, this requirement will be cut further to just half an hour per week.

In return for the concessions, which were welcomed by investors on Wednesday due to their cost-cutting implications, Ofcom will require ITV1 to increase its quota of out-of-London production for the network to 50% in terms of both value and volume. The regulator hopes that more signature programming will be produced in the regions rather than the current low-budget regional programmes used to fill up the three hour requirement.

Outside England, the requirements will be somewhat different. Non-news regional programming requirements will be ramped up in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ofcom plans to establish licence requirements for ITV Wales, Scottish TV, Grampian TV and UTV to stipulate that at least four hours of non-news regional programming be aired on each station per week. When the first region in the UK becomes completely digital, this requirement will be reduced to three hours.