The long-term health of the Fringe will require substantially improved television coverage and increased public funding, the organisation's director has said.

Jon Morgan said that broadcasting was one means of helping the Fringe to become an international community. Increased public funding, he said, would also help to deliver a more stable and efficient year-round service, particularly to performers and venue managers.

After a year as director of the Fringe Organisation, Mr Morgan had been surprised by the limited amount of interest that broadcasters had in the festival, which last year sold 1.7million tickets. He said that, by contrast, Glastonbury music festival had received extensive live coverage from the BBC.

“It is surprising that Glastonbury, which takes place over a weekend, gets more coverage than the Fringe and the International Festival, which takes place over three weeks and attracts a much bigger audience. Glastonbury is great, but I don't understand why we don't get that level of coverage,” Mr Morgan said.

“These festivals are a national asset - they're good for the arts, they're good for tourism throughout the UK, and it would be good if there was more TV which reflected that,” he said.

Turning to finance, Mr Morgan acknowledged that the Fringe's relative lack of public funding - it receives £55,000 from Edinburgh City Council, but nothing from the Scottish Arts Council - is held up as a symbol of the organisation's independent spirit.

He said that more money was needed, simply to improve the services with the organisation offered. “It is our duty to keep the Fringe as healthy as possible,” he said.

The recent ticketing difficulties, caused by a new computerised box office system, had shown how tight resources were at the festivals, which turn over £2.2million a year, in sponsorship, merchandising and ticket sales. “We have to ask what is our capacity to build and deliver a world-class festival, the biggest in the world, on a permanent team of 13. This is not about becoming more bureaucratic, this is about providing more and better services,” Mr Morgan said. He declined to specify what level of funding was required.

A spokesperson for the BBC said that the broadcaster was committed to covering the Fringe. “Among our coverage will be three specials from Edinburgh by the BBC Scotland Culture Show team, which will feature reports on the Fringe.”

A young girl was taken to hospital after a skylight broke during a Fringe show and glass landed on her face. The girl, believed to be aged five, was in the audience for a performance of The Little Mermaid at the C+3 Venue.

A member of the audience said that the performers on stage were shocked after hearing a loud crash and a girl screaming. The girl was treated for injuries and has since been discharged from hospital.

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