There was a "dramatic" decline in commissions from indies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in recent years, a survey by Pact has shown.

In 2004 179.6 hours of television were made in Scotland compared to 102.7 in 2004 - a loss of 76.9 hours or about £11m, according to the producers' alliance.

Wales lost 11.3 hours on its annual total in the same period while production out of Northern Ireland increased slightly from 7.5 to 11.2.

The Production Trend Report for out of London showed other UK regions varied in strength - the South West and South East being top performers - but overall the picture was gloomy.

Pact said it showed the big terrestrial broadcasters were meeting their regulatory obligations to regional programming but not going beyond them.

Chairman Charles Wace called for change. He said: "We are wasting not only the economic abilities of a huge part of the sector, we are neglecting an opportunity to celebrate the diverse creative voices of the nation. The question is how long can this remain the state of the nation?"