The 20% fall in total spend occurred despite an increase in the percentage of money that the BBC is spending in Scotland for programmes that will be broadcast across the entire network – up from 3.3% to 3.7% of their total UK budget.

Culture Minister Michael Russell said he was “extremely disappointed” by the low level of expenditure on programmes for viewers in Scotland, and also by the low share of network programming made in Scotland.

Adding that he would be seeking urgent clarification from the broadcasters on the figures, the minister said: “This report underlines the findings of the independent Scottish Broadcasting Commission and the need for the dedicated Scottish digital network, which would not only improve choice in public service broadcasting in Scotland but substantially increase the volume of programmes commissioned here.”

Ofcom, however, cautioned that the drop, the largest year-on-year fall in expenditure across the four nations of the UK, may not be as precipitous as it first appears.

The BBC, especially, has changed the way it calculates its spend in Scotland from 2005, moving from cost-per-hour to actual spend, and other accounting changes.

Over the past five years, total expenditure by the BBC and STV on content for viewers in Scotland has fallen by 34% or £29m.

BBC Scotland has made a commitment to make 9% of its network output in Scotland by 2016, and has stated that its percentage of output from Scotland will rise to between 5% and 6% by the end of this year.

It is making programmes such as Rab C Nesbitt, Life of Riley and The Old Guys as well as hosting production of shows such as Newsnight Review, The Weakest Link and Question Time.

Of the total £54m spend on programmes for Scottish viewers last year, nearly £46m was spent by the BBC.

A spokesman for BBC Scotland said a number of accounting changes had led to the apparent large drop in spend. The £2.57m spent on the Gaelic channel BBC Alba has been removed, perhaps curiously, from the Scottish spend, as has £2.3m on its website, which is now counted as a UK operation.

£1.4m previously spent on election coverage was not required last year, and there was also less spent covering Scottish football teams in Europe. A real drop in spend was, the spokesman said, £3.9m, which are efficiency savings largely in local and regional opt-outs.

“We have been making efficiency savings,” the spokesman said, “and we have been concentrating on programmes that are bigger and better, such as Scotland’s History.

“We have seen a reduction in some local opt-outs, but we have also just announced a £8.5m series of improvements to our local and regional news coverage, by 2012.”

Vicki Nash, the director of Ofcom in Scotland, said: “This data is supplied to us by the broadcasters and the BBC have provided us with a variety of reasons for the drop.

“We need to be careful in comparing to past years because of the way these figures are collated. What concerns us is that Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) is provided and protected, and what the mix of it is on the channels.”

Elsewhere in the report, a survey showed that people are growing more attached to their mobile, television and internet devices.

When asked what they were most likely to cut back on in a recession, 44% said holidays and 39% said home improvements but only 14% would cancel their broadband service and 23% would cancel their pay TV contracts.

The report also shows the comparatively low take up of broadband internet services in Glasgow.

THE OFCOM FINDINGS

BBC and STV spent a total of £54m on programmes for viewers in Scotland in 2008 – 20% (£13m) down on 2007.

£10.36 is spent on each person in Scotland by TV companies. The UK average is £4.99.

The Gaelic TV station, BBC Alba, broadcast 695 hours – 370 hours of which was original broadcasting.

Only 7% of households in Scotland have utilised catch up TV services such as the BBC iPlayer or the STV Player.

91% of Scottish households now have digital television.


Glasgow still has the lowest take up of broadband in the country, at 39%, Aberdeen has the highest at 73%.

60% of homes in Scotland now have broadband, up from 53% last year.

42% of Scottish households take “bundles” of internet, mobile and TV services to save money.

Local commercial radio is listened to by the highest audience share, 41%, in Scotland. The UK average is 32%.

86% of Scots have mobile phones. Glasgow has the highest percentage on pay as you go, at 63%.

Only 12% of people in Glasgow use social networking sites. In Edinburgh it is 29%.

When asked what expenditure they would cut back on in a recession, 44% of Scots said a holiday, 39% said DIY and 23% would cancel TV subscriptions.