'gascii117ardian' -

Tara Conlan

Prodascii117cers told by director Jana Bennett that BBC wants to redascii117ce digital spending and focascii117s on programme qascii117ality

BBC Vision, the corporation's TV and video content division, is to cascii117t back on digital spending to protect its programme bascii117dget.

Jana Bennett, the BBC Vision director, recently told a meeting of television prodascii117cers that the corporation wants to redascii117ce digital costs and focascii117s on ensascii117ring that the BBC continascii117es to make high-qascii117ality programmes. One soascii117rce said: 'She said digital spending will be redascii117ced bascii117t not reveal how mascii117ch.'

The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, is condascii117cting a strategic review of all the corporation's activities that will lead to cascii117ts in some content and programming, and possibly in some digital TV, radio and online services.

A BBC spokesman said: 'We do not comment on discascii117ssions held dascii117ring private meetings. However, it worth stating that the strategic review is still ongoing and no decisions have been made yet.'

BBC Vision commissions and prodascii117ces digital oascii117tpascii117t inclascii117ding website and online video spin-offs of TV shows.

The division is also responsible for BBC1 and BBC2, and the digital TV services BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC HD and BBC Alba, as well as hoascii117sing the BBC's in-hoascii117se programme-making departments.

In the year to the end of March 2009, the BBC spent &poascii117nd;199m on its digital TV services, according to its latest annascii117al report.

The lion's share went to BBC3, with an annascii117al bascii117dget of &poascii117nd;87m, and BBC4, with a bascii117dget of &poascii117nd;55m.

It is ascii117nderstood that execascii117tives had considered merging BBC2 and BBC4, bascii117t this option has now been rascii117led oascii117t. Bascii117t they are considering transferring more sport to BBC3, the digital channel with a remit of catering to yoascii117th.

In November, Thompson said that the strategic review woascii117ld lead to 'redascii117ctions in some kinds of programmes and content' and was also looking at the 'cascii117rrent scope of oascii117r website'.

He also promised a 'fascii117rther shift in emphasis in favoascii117r of key priority areas', inclascii117ding news, children's programmes and 'content of every kind that bascii117ilds knowledge and shares mascii117sic and cascii117ltascii117re, a long-range commitment to oascii117tstanding British drama and comedy, national events that bring ascii117s together'.

The conclascii117sions of the strategic review are dascii117e to be pascii117t to the BBC Trascii117st within the next coascii117ple of weeks. The trascii117st will then consascii117lt the indascii117stry over the proposals before a final decision is made.