deckard

Hi all! I hope all is well with everyone! I finally had a reply from the Beeb re: the lack of British film shown on all Beeb channels....here it is ...your comments would be most welcome!! Regards, Decks.


Thank you for your recent e-mail to the BBC Complaints website. Please
accept my apologies for the extremely long delay in replying. We know our
correspondents appreciate a quick response and I regret that you've had to
wait so long on this occasion.

I'm sorry to hear of your concern that the BBC does not broadcast enough
British films. Please be assured that the BBC's acquisitions department
buys a wide variety of films to show across our four TV channels, ranging
from world cinema on BBC Four to the very best British films alongside
blockbuster movies on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Three. Our core business is
to use licence fee money wisely to provide a range of films and programmes
for a vast and varied audience.

The BBC has a continuing, substantial and serious commitment to the British
Film Industry, but we recognise there is more to do. The number of recent
British films (made within the last 8 years) broadcast by channels 1 to 5
soared by 83.1% last year according to the UK Film Council stated in its
2004 Statistical Bulletin, which was released on March 11, 2005. In
particular, the number of recent British films shown on BBC Two in 2004
more than tripled (+220%). BBC Two is also the channel that shows the
highest proportion of recent British films (9.6%).

The BBC invests about £10m a year in original film production and recent
BBC Film hits have included My Summer of Love , Stage Beauty and The
Mother , the latter two being part of our Christmas season on BBC Two.
Other recent critical successes for the BBC include In this World , Iris
and Dirty Pretty Things , and recent acquisitions include Bend it Like
Beckham and Calendar Girls .

The BBC acknowledges it should examine whether it is doing enough to
support the British film industry and we recently told a select committee
in the House of Commons that it was time to rebalance the schedule in
favour of UK films instead of US imports. I understand the UK Film Council
have welcomed the statement by the BBC, albeit adding that it was "long
overdue".

Asked about the BBC's commitment to the British film industry, Director
General Mark Thompson said: "British film and the development and support
of the British film industry by broadcasters is very important." We accept
that in the past there has been little access to the airwaves for British
films. For example, four years ago there was only a handful - five, six or
seven - British films shown on peak time on BBC One, but this year we are
trying to increase the number to 70. One of the questions we need to look
at inside the BBC is whether £10 million is enough a year to support the
British film industry or whether we should provide a bigger role.

The Director General also sounded a note of warning, saying that low
quality British movies should not make it onto the TV screens
automatically. He said: "A lot does depend on the kind of films that we
make. Films that fail at the box office are not successful with TV
audiences, but I think the rebalancing towards British films as opposed to
low-quality American films makes sense." A key part of this is trying to
work with the film industry and the Film Council to make sure that the
supply of films is going to work with the audiences.

I hope I have been able to clarify the BBC's position and put your mind at
rest that we will certainly be addressing this matter in the future. Thank
you for taking the trouble to contact us with your views and I apologise
again for the delay in replying.

Lee Rogers
Divisional Advisor
BBC Information

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

Gibbie

It is nice that Mr. Rogers was amiable in his reply.

Tossing up statistics is a very academic model today that is based on a materialist / socialist notion that everything that substantively matters is based on naturalistic measurements. What's missing is the substance to your reply.

What is being stated is that the Beeb is very cost minded and is angling toward a certain undefined audience that may mean - beyond traditional or older British tastes.

Keep up the campaign, Decks! Let the Beeb know what you want to see. They are also motivated by the capitalist notion of supply and demand.

Once more into the breach, brother!

Gibbie

DB7

Well done Decks

They seem to focus on current films and given the minuscule amount broadcast terrestrially they'd only have to air 1 or 2 more per month to get a massive upward trend. (eg: "the number of recent British films shown on BBC Two in 2004 more than tripled")

I notice they always speak of "across our four TV channels", it would be interesting if they factored in all British films from the 30s to present day into their figures rather than focusing on a small date window.

smudge

I agree, they do seem to focus on a modern audience. I wonder how many of the cinema-going teens actually contribute towrads their licence fees ?

This reply is very much geared to the 'now' or the recent past. It doesn't strike me that there's much room for monchrome in there.

Well done Decks. Perhaps we all should be e-mailing them separately and keeping up the pressure ?

SMUDGE

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David Brent

Great effort Decks

You have to keep them on their toes otherwise those guys in the ivory towers havn't a clue as to what their real viewer's really want. Where do television programmer's go to learn their job? I've never been able to work that one out.
Seems they just read the latest ratings survey's and order more of the same.

The letter seemed like average fair, very much like a standard letter reply without any real substance.
I was a little worried to read in the letter that in the eyes of those at the BBC, films that fail at the box office are not successful with TV audiences.
Look at any list of "successful" films around at this time and a lot of them are full of mindless dross made for the brain dead and teenage masses.
There have been many very fine films made in the past that have never reached box office hit status. Does this mean that the BBC in future will not show such unheralded films in it's schedule? Many gems may be lost on the say so of a BBC programmer.
When talking of British film content Mr.Rogers does not mention the many old British film classics that they are holding in the vault. He seems more concerned with newer productions. As anyone who reguarly reads this Forum knows there are plenty of viewers in the UK whom would love the chance to see many of these old films again.

Dave.

deckard

Thanks for the support chaps! I think the next step will be to ask in a more direct manner, "As well as your efforts to support latest British films, are you going to show more classic British films( 30's,40's, 50's and 60's),if so, when and how many?" ....and go on a bit about the BBC film archive and so on....any ideas you have to add to the response would be most welcome! (No,no and thrice no! I will not give up my quest.... Regards, Decks.

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

Gibbie

If no success on the next round, take it to the top. I recommend making enquiry to HRH to support a foundation of classic British films.
Why not!

Gibbie

sanndevil

Thanks for sending the letter, much appreciated.

I too wrote to the BBC late last year, the thrust of my letter was for the broadcast of forgotten British films from the 1940s-1960s. I included in my letter a proposed television show format which would analyse the old films and have interviews with the actors and crew (should they be still alive!).

I received three or four letters back from Autie Beeb, and distilling the responses, the upshot was:-

1. Severe anxiety that broadcasting old British films would receive poor audience figures;
2. However, there was some sympathy for my concerns that many films just disappear from the radar and are NEVER broadcast. I can name films which I believe have not been shown on TV for 30 years. Reading between the lines, it looks like my proposal was given serious consideration. In the end, the Beeb decided to make a documentary (perhaps a series?) on the history of British Film, and they felt they had neither the audience nor the money for both my proposal and this Film History.

So, where to next? I too believe we have to keep the pressure on them. Whilst making a documentary on British cinema is laudible, it is hardly new territory and I suspect it will be an exercise in trotting out stuff we've seen countless times before. I'm not sure that justice can be done to 100 years of British film in a single documentary (or perhaps a short series - I'm unclear on that point).

Any thoughts on how to progress would be appreciated.

Cheers
Nigel

DB7

The Beeb will always spin the figures to put themselves in the best light. If there is criticism of the licence fee or poor viewing figures for a prestige production they'll spin the 'public broadcaster not in Sexy Beast of chasing ratings' line quick enough. I wasn't surprised things went this was under Greg Dyke but it still appears they want to be a state-funded clone of ITV1.

Similarly, the excuse given to Deck s that "Films that fail at the box office are not successful with TV audiences" is both hypocrisy and a nonsense. I'm sure last night's BBC1 film was a US tv movie and I'm sure tonight's is too, and these are the most banal of cinema output. Whilst some UK films fail at the box office because they're bad (Thunderbirds, Avengers) many turn out to be a tale of distribution woe and should be judged on their own merits and not wether a major picked up the distribution rights.

Fraid to say the French probably have it right and some form of cultural protectionism should be introduced if the state broadcaster is merely chasing star vehicles and ratings.

smudge

In the current week on ABC TV (NSW) Australia, there are 7 British films. The only day in which one isn't being shown is Saturday. Only two of the seven are in colour.

So what's the excuse for the BBC not doing it when a mainstream foreign channel can ; the Beeb could always push them late night onto on of their minority digital channels if they wanted to 'protect' Beeb 1 & 2.

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

smudge

A teed off me sent this to the BBC a few moments ago...

"BIAS in the BBC

Can you please tell me how the BBC buys its films and what is their policy in screening them ? It appears to me that there is a distinct bias towards modern 'blockbuster' films and American product.

As I recall, in the 1970s (if not before) films used to be sold in bundles ; presumably in distributor-based packages. Principal negotiations would be for more recent movies, but then parcelled in with these would be lots of back catalogue movies.

Said back catalogue products were generally given screen time in the afternoons, weekend matinees or (when transmission times were extended) late at night. A number of these back catalogue titles were British.

Out of 51 films being listed for broadcast in the RADIO TIMES 23-29 April, 5 of these are British (fewer than 10%), there are a further 4 British co-produced films and just 1 of all these (a co-production) is being shown by the BBC.

This is across five network channels.

By contrast, ABC (NSW) Australia, in the week commencing 21/4 are shown 7 older British movies alone. Out of that 7, 5 are monochrome. ABC shows titles which haven't been seen in their country of origin for many, many years. ABC have been following this screening policy for quite some time.

Considering that the BBC is a publicly-funded National broadcaster, this comparison does not look very good.

A few similar-minded acquaintances of mine have written to the BBC in a similar vein of late, to ask why such a screening policy like ABC's is not being followed here, only to be fobbed off with excuses such as people want modern films, and that the ratings for such screenings will be poor.

Well, the BBC prides itself on serving every other minority interest in the Nation, so why can't they serve a group of people who enjoy film history, older films and who are not afraid of seeing monochrome being broadcast ; even if they have paid for an expensive colour licence ?

Dare I suggest that the modern audience that the BBC seems determined on chasing (teens and early twenties) are generally living with their parents and contributing little, if any, to the Corporation's licence fee coffers.

Are some of us being pushed out of your audience because we, like the films we appreciate, are deemed to be too old ?

If the BBC has concerns about ratings, they could always try an experiment and run these items in the small hours, or on one of the over-expensive and under-viewed digital channels.

I will be interested to receive your reply and see what statistics you will generate, or excuses you will give, to try to fob me off...

Yours sincerely,"

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Rob Compton

Great missive Smudge! Please do let us know what you get by way of reply! I couldn't agree more

rgds
Rob

David Brent

Smudge,

Why didn't you tell them what you REALLY think !?!

Well done mate
More of the same required.

By the way the ABC shows it's programs Australia wide not just in NSW.

Cheers

Dave.

smudge

I was quoting from the Website Dave - I go regional as my mate lives in NSW.

I assumed they might go Oz-wide, but hedged my bets in case of Regional Variations (like we used to get on ITV in the good old days...)

SMUDGE

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Wetherby Pond

Once they realise there's an organised campaign, they'll just start binning the letters within seconds of opening them, which is what usually happens in these situations.

I was chatting to the programmer of the old Scala cinema once, and she told me that she was once the subject of a similar orchestrated write-in - a small number of people obsessively asking her to programme the same list of titles. "I wouldn't mind," she said, "but the films they wanted were totally impossible for me to put on - they'd never had British distribution and in some cases I don't even think there was an English-language 35mm print available anywhere in the world".

So unless your list just happens to include titles the BBC have already licensed and for which they already own Digibeta telecines, I suspect you'll get a very similar reaction.