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Last week, my colleagues and I in the 主播大秀's Audio & Music Interactive department (A&MI) hosted an event for ninety representatives of the UK's digital media industry.

The event gave indies (independent suppliers) the opportunity to meet the 主播大秀 staff that commission work for A&MI, and vice versa. We plan to run these events at least once a year from now on.

It was a really important and useful gathering, both for us and the industry. 主播大秀 Audio & Music Interactive invested 脗拢3.8 million in the digital media industry last year.

We've a good track record of working in partnership with indies to deliver great content and services. Last year we commissioned 391 projects from 91 different digital media suppliers, 41 of which were new suppliers to the department. Projects ranged from building Radio 1's Big Weekend mobile check-in experiment (Future Platforms) to refreshing 6 Music's homepage (Kent Lyons).

This year's Glastonbury site, built by Picture, saw a massive 122% increase in peak weekly traffic, and our new Desert Island Discs site, built by Magnetic North, received critical and audience praise. Meanwhile, the newly-available archive episodes of Desert Island Discs, reformatted by Loftus, attracted 3.3 million downloads in the first two months.

Audio & Music Interactive is one of five 主播大秀 departments that make up 主播大秀 Online. Overall, 主播大秀 Online invested a total 脗拢19.5 million in the independent sector last year, exceeding the 25% external spend quota laid out in its Service Licence.

This year, 主播大秀 Online's existing portfolio of content and services is being reshaped into a more coherent offer, as we respond to an overall 25% cut in the online budget. Some indies at the event expressed understandable concern over the impact that a reduction in 主播大秀 spending would have on the sector.

I was pleased to announce that, despite these reductions, A&MI plans to invest 脗拢3.7 million in the UK's digital media industry this year - part of 主播大秀 Online's forecast external spend of around 脗拢18 million.

So, we'll be looking again to the digital media industry to deliver projects that help unlock the 主播大秀 Radio archives; deliver content for mobiles; and further develop 主播大秀 Music online.

It's clear to us that investing in UK digital media is good for the industry, good for the 主播大秀, and good for our audiences.

Barbara Greenway is Head of Business Operations and Multiplatform at 主播大秀 Audio & Music Interactive

• To find out about 主播大秀 Online commissioning, send speculative proposals, or to attend one of our meetings, visit the 主播大秀 Commissioning web site.
• Andy Conroy, General Manager of 主播大秀 Online .