BBC In-House Production and the Role of the Window of Creative Competition

Abstract

Broadcasters in the UK are required by law to commission 25 percent of their content from the independent production sector, and in 2007 the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) adopted a policy, the Window of Creative Competition (WoCC), whereby BBC commissioners can commission an additional 25 percent of their audiovisual content from the commercial sector. The logic behind the WoCC is that television production creativity can be stimulated by increasing competition between internal and external production. This paper critically assesses the WoCC and the potential consequences of a weak BBC production arm.