U.K. Broadcasters Outline Guidance for Restarting TV Production

ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) and Pact have come together to introduce new guidelines for producing television safely in the weeks and months ahead.

The guidelines are intended to enable a return to production for the television industry amid COVID-19’s ongoing impact. The guidance outlines six areas that producers, in conjunction with the commissioning broadcaster, must consider when planning to produce during the global health crisis. They are to specifically consider people at higher risk of harm, heighten precautions for everyone at work, reduce the number of people involved, consider editorial on-camera requirements, consider mental health and wellbeing and institute a feedback loop.

The guidance also lays out the key areas to consider when assessing risk on productions and suggests controls to consider. They focus on travel; location; work activities; work equipment; work patterns; rest areas; first aid and emergency services; masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment; and mental health.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Great British television is keeping us company throughout the crisis, and I’m keen to get cameras rolling as soon as it is safe. Our creative industries are Britain’s global calling card and this is a significant step forward in getting our favorite shows back into production.”

Carolyn McCall, chief executive at ITV, said: “ITV has been at the heart of informing, entertaining and connecting the U.K. through the COVID-19 crisis. Our production teams are now working hard to bring many more much-loved shows back for viewers. This requires really innovative thinking, but above all, the safety and well-being of all those who work on the programs is paramount. Working with partners across the industry, and with the support of DCMS, we have created clear guidelines to give producers a framework within which they can ensure that their production is safe.”

Tony Hall, BBC director-general, said: “Everyone across the TV industry wants to get production back up and running. Recent weeks have shown just how important shows are to the public. But we can only move forward with the right safety measures in place. This guidance is an attempt to get that right. Clearly we will keep it under review. We have, as an industry, already learned a lot about how we can deliver programs and we will all put that into practice”.

Alex Mahon, chief executive at Channel 4, said: “I’m phenomenally proud of the role Channel 4, alongside our production partners, has played over the last two months to help navigate audiences, particularly young and hard-to-reach viewers, through the COVID crisis. Unlocking the television production sector in a safe way will be vital to continuing to ensure we can both continue to serve our audiences and help sustain the livelihoods of those in the industry—and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work in partnership with other broadcasters, DCMS and PACT to create this innovative new framework.”

Gary Davey, CEO of Sky Studios, said: “This guidance provides production companies and broadcasters with a shared set of principles to keep staff, cast and crew safe across a range of productions. We will continue to work closely with our international partners, share best-practice and continuously review and evolve the guidelines as we return to production.”

Ben Frow, director of programmes at ViacomCBS Networks UK, said, “The U.K. is a global leader in content production and these guidelines will help pave the way to getting our sector safely back up and running, as we begin to navigate a ‘new normal’. Through a consistent and collaborative industry approach, we can work together with suppliers to reframe the parameters of program-making during this challenging time, putting people’s wellbeing at the heart of the process.”

Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, added: “STV’s continued delivery of public service news and current affairs throughout the Coronavirus crisis demonstrates our ability to produce programming safely incorporating stringent new safety measures. Nations and regions producers like STV Productions play a vital role in driving both the U.K.’s world-leading production sector and the local creative economy and—working closely with the Scottish Government—this protocol can provide a vital framework for more of our colleagues, across a broader range of products, to return to work with the same level of confidence about their safety and wellbeing.”

Anna Mallett, CEO of ITN, said: “Our teams in ITN have pioneered new ways of working to keep the news on-air and crucially, to keep staff, freelancers and contributors safe during this time. We’ve been able to share our experiences and protocols to help draw up these guidelines for the wider industry. Our documentary team have found ways to ensure safety and creatively maintain production on a number of programs filmed in contributors’ homes and on location.”

John McVay, Pact’s CEO, said: “This guidance from all the major commissioning broadcasters in the U.K. is a very helpful first step to getting the industry back working and taking forward the recovery.”

Adam Minns, executive director of COBA, said: “Like the rest of the sector, COBA members are keen to renew production activity as soon as it can take place safely and responsibly. We hope this guidance will be an important step in getting the TV sector back to what it does best: making world-class content.”

The guidance has been produced through a collaboration of cross-industry experts along with external expertise provided by Dr Paul Litchfield CBE. The broadcasters also worked with First Option, safety consultants to the media and entertainment industry, to devise this approach as well as liaising with union representatives and the Health and Safety Executive.