8 Talent/Agent Owned Independent Production
Potential conflicts of interest can also arise where an independent production company is owned by an on screen presenter or performer or their agent. To avoid such potential conflicts:
- Agents or their production companies should not be commissioned to produce factual programmes about the talent they represent unless there is clear editorial justification.
- In very exceptional circumstances, where the programme and its subject are of such importance and cannot be commissioned unless it is produced with the associated agent or talent-owned independent, the issue should be referred to the Controller, Editorial Policy. If the commission is agreed, the commissioning team should ensure objectivity is achieved by means of thorough executive production on behalf of the BBC. An active BBC role in all stages of the programme's production, from research to the final edit, will be required.
- When commissioning teams receive proposals for factual programmes concerning talent from another genre (for example, a factual commission about a sports personality), they should seek advice on any connections between the independent producer and talent that could provide an editorial conflict of interest.
- Commissioning teams should actively review guests and their associated products featured on agent-owned independent productions, ensuring:
- Guests from associated talent agencies are always editorially justified
- Records are kept of all guests on programmes produced by agents and checked with their client-list to avoid a cumulative promotional effect
- Access to talent should never be accepted if it is directly connected to product promotion by the agent's production company, unless there is clear editorial justification.
Revised 20 January 2004