By Hannah Bowler2021-04-15T11:03:00+01:00
Five broadcasters on board at launch, after three-year campaign
A pan-industry training levy on unscripted programming has been agreed following a three-year campaign, with the potential to generate £3m per year to plug skills shortages.
ScreenSkills has united the BBC, Channel 4, Sky, A+E Networks UK and Discovery UK, along with Pact, to invest in the fund for off screen training. All non-scripted commissions greenlit by these broadcasters will be subject to the levy from this summer, and the skills body is also in advanced discussions to bring ITV and Netflix on board.
Led by ScreenSkills chair Richard Johnston and chief exec Seetha Kumar, The Unscripted TV Skills Fund charges a levy of 0.25% of the budget of all unscripted productions (see box for full details).
UK broadcasters back unscripted fund
A group of UK broadcasters, including the BBC and Channel 4, have unveiled a fund aimed at covering crew shortages and skill gaps and diversifying production crew and talent in unscripted TV.
Seetha Kumar
The Beeb and C4 are founding investors in the Unscripted TV Skills Fund along with A+E Networks UK, Sky and Discovery UK.
The fund has been announced in partnership with non-profit organisation ScreenSkills and UK indie producers association Pact. Launched on June 1, it will see training investment in unscripted TV rise from £370,000 (US$510,000) to £3m a year.
The scheme unites and replaces the ScreenSkills TV Skills Fund, which accepted broadcaster donations, and the Indie Training Fund, which took independent contributions.
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