Independent Radio Programme Production Companies

Independent Radio Production Companies make commercials, jingles and radio programmes which could be documentaries, music, etc. RIG has been in existence since 1990 when the BBC awarded its first commission and according to RIG it produces over £12million worth of programming – mostly for the BBC but some commercial radios also. It is very small in comparison with its TV equivalent. Data from the skillset Census suggests it employs about 400 people (compared with over 200,000 for its TV equivalent) but returns from employers in this field were low and the figures are not very robust.

The Radio Independents group (RIG) has over 90 members big and small and considers that it represents about two-thirds of the total independent radio sector – but there is overlap with the TV indie sector as some of the bigger TV independents have a radio operation too, and so both RIG and PACT (The Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television).