TV freelancers

I’ve always loved going on rollercoasters: the sharp curves, sudden changes of direction and speed – a few minutes of pleasure to take you out of the norm. But too much of anything is never good, is it? And it feels like our industry has been on this particular ride for too long.

I can’t really compare these last few years since Covid to a fairground ride. It’s certainly not as enjoyable. But, in the North West, us TV folk like a challenge. We rise to it. The ups and downs are something we have always ridden.

The crisis for TV freelances looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. This was one of the conclusions of a sobering lecture given by Bectu Head Philippa Childs to the RTS late last month.

The union leader pulled no punches regarding “the perfect storm” that has engulfed parts of the UK TV sector, especially for those who work on unscripted programmes.

It is estimated that more than 15,000 new jobs will be needed over the next few years to service this rapid growth.

Carrie Wootten chaired an expert panel at Buckinghamshire New University, drawn from education (Buckingham’s Dr Russel Stone and Jenny Craig from Bucks College Group), industry (ITV Academy’s Sonny Hanley and Jackie Campbell from Warner Bros.) and the BFI (Sara Whybrew). At the event, “Mind the skills gap”, the panel agreed that effective and relevant training pathways were needed to develop talent in all disciplines.

Good riddance 2023, you were a lousy year for television freelancers. Will 2024 be better? The optimists are pinning their hopes on an upturn now that the Hollywood strikes have been settled. The realists are not so sure.