RADICAL APPROACH TO PROGRAMME RIGHTS
25-Oct-2005
In what is a UK broadcasting first, S4C intends to re-assign rights in all its programmes made before the introduction of the current Terms of Trade to the independent sector.
S4C is currently in negotiation with TAC (Welsh Independent Producers) as to the implications of this large-scale rights reversion, which means that potentially over 20 years of archive material will be at the disposal of the independent sector.
In addition, S4C has also decided to transfer responsibility for archiving programmes and related material to the sector in order to further enhance the commercial opportunities for the creative industries in Wales.
“S4C’s Programme Strategy, development contracts, rights reversion policy and archiving initiative represent a significant shift in the creative and economic development responsibilities, from broadcaster to the independent sector,” explains S4C’s Chief Executive Iona Jones.
“S4C is committed to working in partnership with the independent sector to ensure that any barriers to exploitation are removed and I am confident that the most enterprising companies will successfully exploit the content they create in any number of languages and on all emerging platforms.
“This progressive approach that S4C is taking across the board will ensure that the public investment in S4C delivers creative excellence for audiences and commercial benefits for the creative industries.”
A letter is being sent to Independent Production Companies that says:
"Following the recent announcement at the RTS Conference by S4C’s Chief Executive Iona Jones, I am writing to inform you of the changes in the S4C Archiving and Selection Policy.
S4C are in discussion with TAC regarding the Policy. While these discussions continue we would like to inform you that we will continue in the interim to consider accepting both the completed Pac_c forms and the accompanying tapes on all targeted productions. If you have completed forms or partially completed forms, then we are more than happy to receive them and we will be revising the situation when the future status of the Policy is clearer.
In the meantime, rushes materials in the storage centres (S4C Library, Cardiff and Clip Cymru Cyf, Caernarfon) are still available for producers to use in their productions.
We will be in touch soon with more information about the Policy’s future developments."