UK programme spend falls as TV viewing rises
Spending on first-run, UK made programmes continues to fall, according to regulator Ofcoms latest Public Service Broadcasting Annual Report. Across the UKÂs PSB channels spending on new UK programmes fell by 6% between 2008 and 2009. Since 2005 there has been an overall decline of 16%, Ofcom said. â¨Overall BBC spending on first-run TV programming fell by 9% on BBC1, 15% on BBC2 and by 17% on BBC digital channels between 2005 and 2009  which constitutes an overall a drop of 13% from £1.42bn (Â1.7bn) to £1.24bn.â¨
Taken as a whole spending on new, first-run programming fell in real terms by 20% from £1.38bn in 2005 to £1.10bn 2009 for ITV1, Channel 4 and Five, yet as a proportion of their overall revenues spent on new programming this spending increased from 43% to 52% during the same period.â¨The report also found people are now watching more channels and TV than ever, but the result is that viewing of the five main PSB channels has fallen from 58% in 2005 to 55% in 2009 in multichannel homes.Â