BBC to meet the DDA to hear doc concerns

1 April 2011
Jake Kanter
© Broadcast 2011

BBC to hear doc concerns

The BBC is to listen to the concerns of documentary distributors, who have complained that the corporation is not acquiring enough independent factual films.

Carol Sennett, executive producer, acquisitions, knowledge, BBC Vision will set out its purchasing strategy and take questions during a session organised by the Documentary Distributors Association (DDA) at MipTV.

“I welcome the opportunity for a roundtable discussion with DDA looking at how the licensing of exceptional documentaries from the international market can contribute further to our output,” said Sennett.

DDA chairman Simon Shaps added: “She (Sennett) has an acute sense of the issues affecting documentary producers and distributors and is working constructively with the DDA. “In many ways, this is a golden age for documentary production, and the agenda has to be how these films can be acquired and scheduled for BBC viewers.”

The DDA has previously argued that the BBC could save as much as £12m a year by acquiring more documentaries. Just 2.2% of Knowledge’s content budget is spent on doc acquisitions.

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