Published: Fri 14 Dec 2018
Broadcasters publish joint guidance note on Ofcom out-of-London definitions
The UK's PSBs (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) have today (Friday 14th December) published a joint guidance note on the application of Ofcom's out of London (OOL) definitions in order to give greater clarity to the independent production sector.
Together the PSB's invest hundreds of millions of pounds each year on programming outside London, supporting thousands of jobs in the creative industries in the nations and regions. Each individual broadcaster has their own quotas and commitments to meet, as set out in their regulatory licenses.
Recent debates in the sector and a number of responses to Ofcom's call for evidence have identified a need for greater clarity on how the definitions regarding substantive base, spend and crew should be applied in practice. In order to address this, and ensure greater consistency the PSBs have come together to produce the new guidance.
This guidance reflects both the Government's original policy objective to stimulate and strengthen production outside of London, and Ofcom's original intent that the definitions are sufficiently flexible to accommodate a range of circumstances. In particular the Ofcom Definitions need to combine serious local investment and talent development, with the need to accommodate their application across a wide variety of genres, locations, business models and local production ecologies.
This guidance is being published now to help support greater consistency for the new industry wide reporting requirements which the Broadcasters have been asked to introduce from January 2019, which asks for more detail about where production budgets are spent. Ofcom are due to consult soon on their review of regional TV production and programming guidance, but the conclusions of that review are unlikely to be known before spring 2019. If necessary, the guidance can be updated as required.
The note is structured around the criteria set out in paragraph 5 of the Ofcom Definitions. These criteria provide a framework against which to assess whether a programme is a regional production. They are designed to allow a range of approaches to regional production to be taken, encouraging diversity in business models and productions. Broadcasters and producers will therefore need to judge whether a commission qualifies as a regional programme against these criteria on a case-by-case basis.
The joint broadcasters said:
We are all clear that the overarching principle must be that: Every production qualifying as out of London' should make a meaningful contribution to the ambition to support talent development and strengthen regional production in the UK. We hope this guidance contributes to a wider understanding of what that means in practice for companies making productions across the UK.'
The guidance note is divided into three sections:
Section 1 sets out the guidance for production companies on the interpretation of the Ofcom Definitions to qualify as an out of London production. This includes further clarity on the definitions covering:
- a substantive base'
- production spend'
- production talent'
Section 2 explains how productions that do qualify are allocated to a particular nation or region; and
Section 3 provides guidance on the steps required by Broadcasters for producers to demonstrate compliance with the Ofcom Definitions, as this remains the responsibility of producers as set out in commissioning contracts.
The purpose of the document is to achieve clarity of expectation and best practice at the start of productions, improve understanding of progress, and what information is required at the point of delivery, or for clarification or audit purposes afterwards.
Copies of the guidance note can be found on each of the broadcasters commissioning websites, and will be in use immediately.
Ofcom Guidance on Regional Production and Regional Programme Definitions (commonly referred to as the Made out-of-London Guidelines) was published in 2010 and provides guidance on the application of quotas for regional programmes made by the four UK public service broadcasters: BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. In March 2018, Ofcom launched a Call for Evidence as the first stage of a review of the Definitions and Guidance. At that time, Ofcom stated that it would aim to publish a consultation (the second stage of its review) later in 2018. The four PSBs made submissions in response to Ofcom's Call for Evidence, copies of which are available on Ofcom's website.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
COW Jobs: Visual Storyteller - Emeryville, CA
Brie Clayton October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Visual Storyteller
October 7, 2026 COW Jobs: Cinematographer...
09/10/2026
Master 3-Point Lighting in After Effects With an Orbiting Light Rig
Graham Quince October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Ever wondered why your 3D renders in Afte...
09/10/2026
nxtedition will exhibit for the first time at Asias Broadcasting & Infotainment Show (A.B.I.S) in Mumbai, bringing its integrated production platform and latest...
09/10/2026
Today's AI Isn't the Answer
Andy Marken October 8, 2026
0 Comments
Let's say you're telling the truth, and this is all a dream. - Do...
09/10/2026
Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New York, Offering Advanced Cr...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Witness world firsts, new arrivals and the work that goes on behind the scenes a...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Published: Fri 14 Dec 2018
