World Service accused of abandoning radio drama

Published Wednesday 14 May 2008 at 12:05 by Matthew Hemley

Exclusive: Cuts to BBC World Service’s drama output have cost writers more than 100 hours of commissions and deprived actors of 600 days’ work since 2005, it was claimed this week.

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain made the allegations in a letter seen by The Stage that was sent to the broadcaster’s director Nigel Chapman.

In it, the guild accuses the broadcaster - which used to offer a weekly drama slot in addition to a popular soap called Westway, totalling more than 50 hours of content a year - of now scheduling less than 20 plays annually.

It said it was “alarmed” by drama’s gradual diminution, “particularly over the last three years” and urged Chapman and the Foreign Office, which funds the network, to address the reduction by reinstating a regular slot for drama.

The guild has threatened to take the matter to parliament and BBC director general Mark Thompson if no action is taken.

In the letter, deputy general secretary Anne Hogben wrote: “How can such a tiny amount of drama output have a real impact or build a regular audience? News is available all over the world. Drama is not. The World Service is uniquely placed to provide it. It is funded by the Foreign Office with the stated aim of offering a showcase for British talent across the world. Can it really be described as fulfilling its remit if it is now actively reducing the amount of British creative talent broadcast on its network?”

Speaking to The Stage, Hogben confirmed the letter had been sent to the World Service and said it had been created following complaints from a number of members about the reduction in drama.

She said the genre was cheap to produce, especially when compared to the amounts paid to high-profile presenters, and added: “Culturally this country could benefit so much more if the indigenous drama was produced on World Service like it always was.”

A spokeswoman for BBC World Service would not comment on the letter that was sent, but said the World Service would transmit around 17 plays from April 2008 to March 2009, which she said would comprise “11 in-house originations, one independent production and five from international broadcasters”.

She said last year’s output comprised 25 original plays.

Equity spokesman Martin Brown said the union was also concerned about the decrease in World Service drama, but added that drama had declined across all the BBC’s radio schedules.

He said: “We have raised this directly with BBC director general Mark Thompson. We have not yet been contacted by the Writers’ Guild and don’t have independent monitoring to confirm their figures, but we are equally as concerned about the current paucity of BBC radio drama.”