The BBC Trust has published an independent report commissioned from the National Audit Office on the BBC’;s management of the costs of producing continuing drama.

In 2009-10, the BBC spent £102.5m making six continuing dramas or soaps. The NAO has concluded that, although the absence of formal audience-related performance objectives for individual dramas meant the NAO was unable to say whether the BBC is delivering value for money, the BBC has taken important steps towards achieving this goal.

The six continuing dramas reviewed were Casualty, Doctors, Eastenders and Holby City (broadcast throughout the UK), River City (broadcast in Scotland) and Pobol y Cwm (produced by the BBC for broadcast in Wales on S4C).

The review found that production costs on these long running shows are tightly controlled, and that the average cost of producing an hour of continuing drama has fallen by 20% in real terms over the last eight years, with the programmes delivered on time and largely within budget.

The report recommends the BBC strengthens its approach to achieving value for money in continuing drama by being more systematic in comparing and challenging production costs and processes. The BBC acknowledged the point but resisted the NAO’;s call to set targets at individual programme level.

Anthony Fry, BBC Trustee with lead responsibility for value for money, said: “The report shows the BBC has made real progress in delivering value for licence fee payers. Popular dramas like Eastenders cost viewers less than they did ten years ago, while audience approval is on the up. We accept the majority of the NAO’;s recommendations, with the exception of the suggestion that the BBC should set targets at drama level. We believe there is a risk that this could harm the BBC’;s ability to produce distinctive programming by acting as a disincentive to take creative risks and creating unnecessary bureaucracy.”