Post by robertboon on Feb 15, 2024 10:14:46 GMT
Came across an obscure US Government report that had a surprising amount of information about the activities of BBC Enterprises. It is snappily titled:
The External Information and Cultural Relations Programs of the United Kingdom
The report was published by the Research Service of the United States Information Agency and is undated but the preface does state:
Much of the research for this study was performed in 1971 although some of the statistical information and certain lists of projects were brought up to date late in 1972 and early 1973.
The report, particularly in the section on broadcasting has numerous references to BBC Enterprises; including
BBC Television and Radio Enterprises is a separate group within BBC. Its director reports both to the controllers of television and radio, and has a side channel of direct access to the director general. He has a staff of 130. BBC Enterprises has sections for sales, business, print-supply, publicity and exploitation (which carries out such activities as the exhibits referred to later). [page 79]
The BBC Radio and Television Enterprises organization is fully commercial; it pays BBC for rent, power, rental of machinery and experts (five per cent of the director general's salary comes from Enterprises, since it is estimated that he devotes that much of his time to it), and covers its own salaries and expenses. Out of a three million pound ($7, 800, 000) turnover, the last fiscal year Enterprises netted BBC £500, 000 ($1, 300, 000) before taxes. Enterprises is aiming for £750, 000 ($1, 750, 000) this year. [page 81]
Although the BBC Television does not produce especially for export, the observer is led to believe that producers are not entirely unmindful of potential foreign audiences when at least certain types of programs are created.
Sales are handled by BBC Radio and Television Enterprises, whose activities in the fiscal year 1970-71 produced a gross income of nearly three million pounds ($7, 800, 000).
During 1971, sales grew at a rate of 15 per cent, due, at least in part, to a campaign to convince American networks that high quality programs could be popular in the United States. Sales are still growing. The Six Wives of Henry VIII was a product of this, and the documentary series Civilization was shown twice on the National Education Television Network (NET), a special one-hour compilation also being screened on NBC. Elizabeth R is being shown on NET, part of a 39-unit color drama series. A factor in these developments was an agreement making Time-Life Films the major outlet for BBC sales in the United States. (Before, a BBC representative had worked with an independent distributor).
BBC Enterprises currently is selling to broadcasters in 88 countries at the rate of about 20, 000 broadcast hours per year. It has 5,000 program hours in stock, and these are being added to at the rate of 25 hours a week. The latest reported full fiscal year (1970-71) saw 11, 000 screen hours sold to 80 countries. Thirty countries had bought Civilization and The Six Wives of Henry VIII; the Forsyte Saga had been screened in 48 countries.
In that year Commonwealth sales totaled nearly £500, 000 ($1, 300, 000) in 23 countries. Sales to Australia were marginally down, but in Canada there was an 80 per cent increase. New Zealand sales dropped slightly, but Commonwealth countries in Africa, the Far East and the Mediterranean all showed increases. Hong Kong's 70 per cent and Singapore's 140 per cent were notable.
Volume of programs sold to Western Europe fell but still was sizeable; difficulties in preparing foreign language versions on color videotape were inhibiting, particularly in Germany, but they were solved at mid-year (1971). Sales in Eastern Europe increased slightly. In Japan,buyers were especially interested in drama, sports and documentaries.
Films in 16mm produced for BBC-TV school, adult education and documentary use were in demand by industrial organizations, institutes and educational institutions in the U. K. as well as in 60 other countries. [pages 82-83]
During the 1971 fiscal year, BBC Enterprises made and dispatched 13, 500 16 mm prints and more than 500 videotapes. average of 1, 200 per month. An additional 7, 800 film and tape movements took place on the "bicycle" system, under which one user forwards films to the next. This means in effect that every day some 30 BBC films or tapes - exclusive of English teaching materials - are moving from one country to another.
The "bicycling" arrangement is used by 26 countries within the Commonwealth, (excepting the more industralized nations like Canada and Australia) to reduce costs.
Arrangements for such participation, and for sales, are handled by BBC Enterprises offices in Sydney and Toronto, or by six salesmen working out of London.
Potential users receive a regular flow of promotional material describing programs available for sale, complete with reviewers' comments and frequently including remarks of the producer or author.
One BBC Enterprises official summarizes his work this way: "If a country has TV, we're selling there." He excepts France from that statement. [page 84]
The External Information and Cultural Relations Programs of the United Kingdom
The report was published by the Research Service of the United States Information Agency and is undated but the preface does state:
Much of the research for this study was performed in 1971 although some of the statistical information and certain lists of projects were brought up to date late in 1972 and early 1973.
The report, particularly in the section on broadcasting has numerous references to BBC Enterprises; including
BBC Television and Radio Enterprises is a separate group within BBC. Its director reports both to the controllers of television and radio, and has a side channel of direct access to the director general. He has a staff of 130. BBC Enterprises has sections for sales, business, print-supply, publicity and exploitation (which carries out such activities as the exhibits referred to later). [page 79]
The BBC Radio and Television Enterprises organization is fully commercial; it pays BBC for rent, power, rental of machinery and experts (five per cent of the director general's salary comes from Enterprises, since it is estimated that he devotes that much of his time to it), and covers its own salaries and expenses. Out of a three million pound ($7, 800, 000) turnover, the last fiscal year Enterprises netted BBC £500, 000 ($1, 300, 000) before taxes. Enterprises is aiming for £750, 000 ($1, 750, 000) this year. [page 81]
Although the BBC Television does not produce especially for export, the observer is led to believe that producers are not entirely unmindful of potential foreign audiences when at least certain types of programs are created.
Sales are handled by BBC Radio and Television Enterprises, whose activities in the fiscal year 1970-71 produced a gross income of nearly three million pounds ($7, 800, 000).
During 1971, sales grew at a rate of 15 per cent, due, at least in part, to a campaign to convince American networks that high quality programs could be popular in the United States. Sales are still growing. The Six Wives of Henry VIII was a product of this, and the documentary series Civilization was shown twice on the National Education Television Network (NET), a special one-hour compilation also being screened on NBC. Elizabeth R is being shown on NET, part of a 39-unit color drama series. A factor in these developments was an agreement making Time-Life Films the major outlet for BBC sales in the United States. (Before, a BBC representative had worked with an independent distributor).
BBC Enterprises currently is selling to broadcasters in 88 countries at the rate of about 20, 000 broadcast hours per year. It has 5,000 program hours in stock, and these are being added to at the rate of 25 hours a week. The latest reported full fiscal year (1970-71) saw 11, 000 screen hours sold to 80 countries. Thirty countries had bought Civilization and The Six Wives of Henry VIII; the Forsyte Saga had been screened in 48 countries.
In that year Commonwealth sales totaled nearly £500, 000 ($1, 300, 000) in 23 countries. Sales to Australia were marginally down, but in Canada there was an 80 per cent increase. New Zealand sales dropped slightly, but Commonwealth countries in Africa, the Far East and the Mediterranean all showed increases. Hong Kong's 70 per cent and Singapore's 140 per cent were notable.
Volume of programs sold to Western Europe fell but still was sizeable; difficulties in preparing foreign language versions on color videotape were inhibiting, particularly in Germany, but they were solved at mid-year (1971). Sales in Eastern Europe increased slightly. In Japan,buyers were especially interested in drama, sports and documentaries.
Films in 16mm produced for BBC-TV school, adult education and documentary use were in demand by industrial organizations, institutes and educational institutions in the U. K. as well as in 60 other countries. [pages 82-83]
During the 1971 fiscal year, BBC Enterprises made and dispatched 13, 500 16 mm prints and more than 500 videotapes. average of 1, 200 per month. An additional 7, 800 film and tape movements took place on the "bicycle" system, under which one user forwards films to the next. This means in effect that every day some 30 BBC films or tapes - exclusive of English teaching materials - are moving from one country to another.
The "bicycling" arrangement is used by 26 countries within the Commonwealth, (excepting the more industralized nations like Canada and Australia) to reduce costs.
Arrangements for such participation, and for sales, are handled by BBC Enterprises offices in Sydney and Toronto, or by six salesmen working out of London.
Potential users receive a regular flow of promotional material describing programs available for sale, complete with reviewers' comments and frequently including remarks of the producer or author.
One BBC Enterprises official summarizes his work this way: "If a country has TV, we're selling there." He excepts France from that statement. [page 84]