For Broadcast February 27, 2008

The new Pact/KPMG Indie Census is an impressive document full of pie charts and bar graphs that show the independent TV sector is now worth £2.14bn in revenues.

But among the big numbers, the report shines a light on how the smaller indies are performing, and the news is good.

Innovation in new programmes, surely the lifeblood of the industry, seems to be emanating from the smaller players working with multichannel broadcasters.

Indies with turnovers of less than £10m received 48% of multichannel commissions last year and the even smaller indies (£1m to £5m turnover) have nearly doubled their commissions from these broadcasters to 24%.

Sure, there is innovation at the top end as well, but the report says that recommissions of returning series make up more than two thirds (68%) of ITV and C4's commissioning total. By contrast, 50% of multichannel commissions are for new programmes.

The multichannel broadcasters are glad to have a pool of people to work with on their slimmer budgets and the smaller indies are happy to be getting commissions (the bigger broadcasters are increasingly loath to take a risk on a smaller indie or one that is not part of a larger group).

This lower echelon of the TV business may not yield the top margins or profits but is a vital proving ground for new talent and a place to get the credentials to move up the indie ladder into the big leagues some day.