ALAN YENTOB STATEMENT

Writers are the raw material of all broadcasters, and of all great programming. The BBC has always sought out the best new writing talent, and gave acclaimed writers such as Stephen Poliakoff (The Lost Prince) and Paul Abbott (State of Play) their first breaks.

BBC writersroom works hard to make the BBC accessible to new writing talent. It bridges the gap between those emerging voices and the BBC's constant need for fresh, original talent. As a consequence, the BBC gets the influx of talent it needs, while new writers get the opportunity to hone their skills and work professionally.

The BBC writersroom website is a great resource for new writers, and the number of people that use it demonstrates that it meets a real need in what can be an isolated business. Thousands have taken part in workshops, partnered with theatres, or received feedback on their scripts. As a direct result of this work, many new writers have gone on to be commissioned across the range of BBC channels and programmes.