Trading in Fictions: What Do We Know About British Television Imports and Exports?

This article surveys information available on the imports and exports of television fiction programmes in Britain. The scope of the problem is defined, then imports are discussed, with the conclusion that the USA is the largest source by far of foreign programming, but that quota restrictions are still important. The evidence on imports may be thin but, it is argued, even less is known about British exports. The official statistics tell us little and do not square with press reports—evidently commercial secrecy plays a role here. The activities of the BBC and ITV companies in the international market are considered. In conclusion, it is argued that a full-scale investigation of this area is overdue, particularly if policy-making for the national and European audiovisual industries is to be well informed.