"Modest" production costs of EastEnders highlighted

Mon Feb 8 2010 16:55

The "relatively modest" production cost of EastEnders may provide TV companies with the incentive to assess their use of costing software in an effort to improve efficiencies and offer value.

The case for TV companies to use production software to ensure their programme is cost-effective could be highlighted as one long-running show gears up to celebrate a special anniversary.

With EastEnders marking 25 years of being on British screens next week with a special live episode, a Guardian article notes that the show's success "is critical to the performance of BBC1".

And with the soap opera bringing in a typical audience of 10.8 million viewers over the course of last month, the publication points out that the £150,000 it currently costs to produce an episode is "relatively modest".

But as the Guardian claims that reality TV shows tend to be cheaper to produce than dramas and soap operas, those working on the latter may want to consider the role that production costing software could play in helping them to improve efficiencies.

Meanwhile, those assessing their production accounting systems may be interested in a recent National Audit Office report which claimed that the BBC could be clearer in showing how budgets for the coverage of live sport and music events are drawn up.