Commissioning Details. Commissioning Year 2017/2018. First Round

Transcription

1 Commissioning Details Commissioning Year 2017/2018 First Round ~ Commissioning Briefs Available ~ Ad Hoc Documentaries & Music Features Presenter Led Genre Series Ideas Welcome Round Opens 20/07/16 Round Closes noon Results Published 24/11/16 1

2 CONTENTS Section 1: Network Introduction and Overview Page 3 Section 2: Overview of Radio 2 Performance and Audience Page 5 Section 3: Ad Hoc Briefs and slots available for commission Page 7 Documentaries & Music Features Page 7 Presenter Led Genre Series Page 10 Ideas Welcome Page 12 Section 4: Working with Radio 2 Page 16 Section 5: Press & Publicity Page 20 Section 6: Interactive Page 21 Section 7: Commissioning Contacts Page 22 2

3 Section 1: Network Introduction & Overview Welcome to Radio 2 s Main Ad-hoc Commissioning Round for 2017/2018. It s been another successful year for the network, still the biggest, and most listened to, radio station in the UK. In the latest RAJAR figures, Radio 2 s weekly reach was the 2nd highest ever at just over 15 and a half million, and very positively the average amount of listening per listener moved back above 12 hours a week. All of this resulted in a record share for Radio 2 - an amazing 18.6%! Performance was particularly strong among the older 55+ audience - hitting a record reach and share with that age group. The average age of a Radio 2 listener is now 52 years, as is the average age of a listener to our Breakfast Show. Ken Bruce & Jeremy Vine both posted record reach & share, there was record share for Breakfast and Drive, and record reach for Dermot O Leary. We also saw good multiplatform performance statistics from our two DAB Pop Up services broadcast in the Spring. Radio 2 Country returned at the beginning of March, and a month later there was the second service Radio 2 50s which dove-tailed with the launch of a new landmark BBC TV series The Peoples History of Pop. This became a platform for Radio 2 s extensive 50s archive, alongside 1950s versions of some of our specialist output, a 1950s themed Friday Night Is Music Night, and the return of our Sounds Of The 50s series with Leo Green. Both DAB services delivered strong numbers of unique browsers, and significant audio visual content requests. Also in April we broadcast the Final of the Radio 2 Young Brass Award live from the Royal Northern College of Music, the Folk Awards live from the Albert Hall, and the return of Mark Kermode who fronted a 70s movie blockbuster-themed Friday Night Is Music Night, and presented a new movie music series, Celluloid Jukebox, looking at pop music s relationship with the silver screen. In May we were in Sweden for Eurovision, Cheltenham for a raft of programmes & performances from the Jazz Festival, and at the end of the month we broadcast live from London s Globe Theatre, where in the presence of The Duchess Of Cornwall, Chris Evans fronted the Final of our record breaking children s short story writing competition, 500 Words. Also in May we launched a Season of special programming to raise awareness of Mental Health issues. There were first hand stories of listeners broadcast in all our daily programmes, a week of features in The Jeremy Vine Show, and a special documentary, Dennis Skinner Vs Dementia, where the Labour MP explained how he used the power of song to help fend off the disease amongst the elderly in his constituency. In June we were off to New York as Elaine Page reported back from the Tony Awards, then back to the UK for BBC Music Day, and closing the month with headline sets from Adele and Coldplay alongside special shows and performances fronted by Chris Evans, Jo Whiley, Dermot O Leary and Trevor Nelson, all live from Glastonbury s Worthy Farm. Looking ahead to the next six months, you have worked with us on some really exciting programming on the 30th July Radio 2 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup Final. As part of BBC Music s My Generation Season, we ll tell the story of this legendary match, live from Wembley Arena, in realtime, minute by minute, joined by a cast of actors, and with a musical soundtrack provided by the likes of Squeeze, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Reef, Lemar, James, Chris Farlowe & The Troggs. 3

4 August is Festival time Mark Radcliffe s Folk Show will report back from the Cambridge & Whitby Folk celebrations, and Steve Wright s Afternoon Show will be in Edinburgh for the Arts and Comedy Festival. In September we re off to Hyde Park for our annual weekend of music making the sold-out Sunday bill features country from Leann Rimes, jazz from Gregory Porter, folk from Cara Dillon, and a headline set from Sir Elton John. Also in September on what would have been Buddy Holly s 80th birthday we ll be discovering how before his death, he planned musical collaborations with the likes of Ray Charles and Mahalia Jackson in defiance of the racist culture of the 1950s. At the end of September we remember broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan. There ll be live coverage of his Memorial Service from Westminster Abbey, alongside a two part documentary tribute to one of Radio 2 s most loved presenters. Comedy is back on Radio 2 in the Autumn with five new sitcom showcases alongside a full series featuring comic creation Barbara Nice telling the story of a couple with very different ideas on how to spend their retirement years. Black History Month will be celebrated in October across the BBC Radio 2 will broadcast two new music series - there ll be features across our daytime schedule - and we ll also tell the story of West Indian soldiers in the First World War. In October well mark the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan Mining Disaster, and discover why the musical tradition of a choir, set up in the wake of the tragedy, and so intrinsically connected with mining, has survived long after the closure of the collieries. And early in 2017 the team behind the Radio 2 adaptation of War Horse, will create another musical drama from the pen of Michael Morpurgo, Alone On a Wide Wide Sea. With continued pressures on budgets, as always we need to stick to our ambition of fewer, bigger, better fewer commissions, but with more ambitious programming that has a bigger and better cut-through, impacting right across our schedule, and across different digital platforms. And looking ahead to the period of this commissioning round we have already commissioned programming Radio 2 s 50th birthday, but feel free to suggest other themes and Seasons, as well as one-off documentaries or series that you think would work well on Radio 2. As you will be aware the BBC Trust have charged Radio 2 with increasing its engagement with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic audiences and this is an area of programming that we would like to look at again in this Commissioning Round. As always I would encourage you to talk to Robert Gallacher about your proposals before you formally submit them. These Pre-Offers Meets will give you a steer on focus and content, and how your ideas might work within the context of the schedule. And please contact Julian Grundy with any questions you may have regarding the processes, commissioning or the schedule. And please feel free to feedback any ways in which we could improve the way we work with you. Thank you for your continued support. Bob Shennan Bob Shennan Controller, BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music & BBC Asian Network BBC Director of Music 4

5 Q2 09 Q3 09 Q4 09 Q1 10 Q2 10 Q3 10 Q4 10 Q1 11 Q2 11 Q3 11 Q4 11 Q1 12 Q2 12 Q3 12 Q4 12 Q1 13 Q2 13 Q3 13 Q4 13 Q1 14 Q2 14 Q3 14 Q4 14 Q1 15 Q2 15 Q3 15 Q4 15 Q % 15.9% 16.5% 15.9% 15.6% 17.2% 16.2% 16.0% 14.9% 15.9% 16.3% 16.8% 16.1% 15.6% 17.6% 17.7% 17.2% 16.9% 17.6% 17.9% 17.7% 17.0% 17.8% 18.1% 17.6% 17.6% 17.7% 18.6% Section 2: Radio 2 Performance & Audience In the most recent quarter (Q1 2006), weekly reach to Radio 2 was a significant 15.51m. The station has now had a reach of 15m or above for over 2 years. Over 1 in 4 (29%) of the UK adult population currently listen to Radio 2 each week. The station has a very high share of listening at 18.6%. R2 continues to account for 1 in 3 of all hrs listened to BBC Radio. The average amount of listening per listener improved in the latest quarter and is now back above 12 hrs a week at 12:03. Radio 2 remains above Radio 4 (11:28) and remains the highest for a UK wide station. RAJAR Q BBC Radio 2-3 Month Weight Contents Radio 2 reach (m) and share (%) performance trend Adults 15+ Share (%) Reach (m) Q reach 18.6% share We look at the digital footprint for Radio 2 each quarter. The live listen to the station is still clearly the dominate way in which the audience connect with the brand, however, the number of browsers coming into the Radio 2 online site each week is increasing, with weekly peaks above the 1 million mark. Radio 2 Digital footprint, Q (Avg. week) Listen Podcasts On-demand audio programme requests Short form audio clip requests 95 Off schedule audio programme requests 5 DRM Downloads k Facebook engaged users 125 Share 125k Facebook Referrals from a total reach of 2.0m 80k Twitter engaged users Live audio programme requests 2, Mobile UBs 363 Computer UBs 185 Tablet UBs Total UBs Device Weekly Reach (Q1 2016) 15, YouTube views 92k Facebook Views 9k Twitter referrals from 4.5m impressions Short form video clip requests Off schedule video programme requests Video programme requests Red Button Includes Weekly Average of: Week 5 - Sounds of the 80s Week 6 - Sounds of the 80s Week 11 - Sounds of the 80s Week 12 - Sounds of the 80s and Radio 2 in Concert with aha (Weeks 12 and 13). Watch All figures in 000s and based on UK. RAJAR data relates to previous quarter (3mth weight). Radio Requests are under investigation from 9th February 2015 onwards - these figures are currently undercounted and should be treated with caution. Podcasts currently unavailable from June The network Source: now RAJAR / istats has AV / ComScore some Digital Analytix key (istats) performance / Radio & Music Multiplatform / BBC Social (KPIs) Media Dashboard metrics. / TRP Research These metrics include live listening reach but also average weekly UK Browsers to the Radio 2 site, 872K in Q1 16; the average weekly number of on demand short form clip requests (audio & video), 143k weekly requests. 5

6 The average number of weekly referrals from social media, 134k and finally the average weekly number of views on RB (if we have content on the platform) and/or the average number of weekly iplayer video programme requests, 328k viewers and 13K requests respectively in Q1 16. Requests to Radio 2 s short form online content and referrals from Social Media are now growing each quarter. Quarterly KPIs for Radio 2 1 Weekly Live Radio Reach Listeners Weekly UK UBs Unique Browsers Weekly on demand Short form clip requests Audio/video clips on bbc.co.uk Weekly SM Referrals FB linked clicks/ Twitter URL clicks Weekly reach on Red Button (viewers) iplayer video prog. requests (on & off schedule) 15.5m (+0.3% pt on Q) 872k (+19% on Q) 143k (+147% on Q) 134k (+113% on Q) RB: 328k (-26% on Q) iplayer: 13k (-66% on Q) LISTEN LOOK SHARE LOOK Slide 3 Audience Profile The gender profile of the audience to Radio 2 is slightly more male at 52% male vs 48% female. Radio 2 continues to pull in an audience that is spread across the 35+ age groups. However, the age profile is starting to move older. In Q1 16, Radio 2 had a record reach and share of listening among the 55+ listener with 6.93m listeners and a high 22.7% share. The average age of listener has been very consistent over a number of years and has remained above 50 years which is the target set for Radio 2. In the most recent quarter (Q1 16) the average age to Radio 2 edged up to 52 years. The Social grade profile has remained steady with 62% of the audience in the ABC1 grades. ABs now make up nearly 30% of the Radio 2 audience. Radio 2 is behind other BBC networks in terms of reaching Black & Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) audiences. Reach among BAME audiences grew in Q1 16 to 650k, making up just 4.2% of all Radio 2 listeners. It is a priority for Radio 2 to grow reach among BAME audiences. RAJAR Q BBC Radio 2-3 Month Weight Radio 2 audience at a glance Age profile and reach Reach (m) Contents 3 6.4% 10.0% 15.9% 23.0% 19.8% 24.9% Profile (%) Adults 15+ Adults Adults Reach by gender (m) Hours (m) Reach (m) Men Women 51.7% 48.3% h Total hours 12h 03m Average hours per listener Platform share (%) and reach (m) 100.0% Total Weekly Reach % Any Digital % AM/FM % DAB % Digital TV % Internet 1.21 Share (%) Reach (m) Share (%) and reach (m) for Breakfast 20.0% Share 9.73 Reach Digital listening to Radio 2 continues to grow 40% of all listening is now via a digital device. 7.9m/51% of R2 listeners now listen to Radio 2 at some point across the week via a digital device. Kim McNally-Luke: Senior Research Manager, BBC Music & Radio 2, 6 Music, Asian Network, Radio 3 6

7 Section 3: BBC Radio 2 Commissioning Briefs: DOCUMENTARIES & MUSIC FEATURES Tx Slot Round Brief No. Dur n Available Slots Price Mon-Wed TBA 22:03 (Once Network budgets have been reviewed and approved prices will be advised) Commissioning Category Universal This brief is where Radio 2 continues to establish its credentials as a feature-maker of real merit and depth. We are looking to commission distinctive documentaries that reflect both the UK and the world. Celebrating the rich heritage of popular culture music, entertainment and the arts that the UK has created, exported and embraced. Currently, the slot is carrying an eclectic broad sweep of programming. From a two-part Here we Come The Monkees at 50 to Cerys Matthews Appalachian Journey - celebrating Old Time music, then and now, honing in on the story of migrants leaving the old world for fortune in the new, taking the old songs and sowing the seeds that would become Country music to Chanson D Armour a tribute to French songs that became popular around the world - after they were re-recorded with English lyrics to the life story of Joan Collins - chronicling her life in her words in A Life In Lipstick You can see that from this snapshot of programmes, the scope is exceptionally broad. The strand demands strong journalism, creative, imaginative production, engaging, credible and passionate presenters and where possible, new interviews with key contributors. All of these elements make for compelling listening, whether introducing the audience to a subject, personality or theme for the first time or augmenting an existing knowledge or interest. As ever, we are looking to add distinctiveness to our daytime output by placing interviews from our documentary output into shows pre-7pm in order to provide a greater platform for your documentaries and provide an opportunity to put our evening content into context across the whole of Radio 2. Recent highlights have included 7

8 pet shop boys, documentary* In March 1986, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe released their debut Pet Shops Boys album, Please. Over the next 30 years, the duo would go on to sell more than 50 million records including 40 Top 20 singles and four UK number ones. This four-part documentary, introduced by Graham Norton, charted the career of the most successful British music duo in history. In the opening episode, in a new and exclusive interview, Neil and Chris discuss the origins of the band and their early influential albums released on the Parlophone record label. They talk about their debut, Please; 1987 s Actually; Introspective, which was released the following year; 1990 s Behaviour; 1993 s Very; and Bilingual, which came out in Plus, they chose their favourite album tracks from each release. Future episodes explored how the twosome have contrasted their success in mainstream music with acclaimed works for ballet, opera and musical theatre. What s more, as the duo prepared to release their new album, Super, the programmes asked how they ve continued to walk a tightrope between pop and art, and silliness and profundity. Brits In Hollywood* As the film world prepared for the start of awards season earlier this year, Michael Grade talked to the cream of British talent about how they survived the cut-throat world of Hollywood to become successful in movies. In this three-part series, Michael heard tales of Oscar nights, strange auditions, brutal meetings and largerthan-life characters as told by some of the finest names in film. Episode one featured an all-women line-up of contributors including Oscar-winner Dame Helen Mirren, British acting legend Dame Diana Rigg, and film and TV actress Jenny Agutter. Other contributors across the series included Selma star David Oyelowo, screenwriter Julian Fellowes, and film producers David Heyman and Lord Puttnam. Continued 8

9 DOCUMENTARIES & MUSIC FEATURES continued James Dean: The Last 10 Weeks* Everyone grapples for a fresh angle on the life and death of Hollywood actor James Dean, and here we had it in documents locked away for more than half a century. Essays and hundreds of pictures by critically acclaimed photographer Sanford Roth came to light giving us a new insight into the life of an icon. Hollywood actor Robert Wagner told the story of Roth's short but intense friendship with Dean over that hot summer of Roth (his words brought to life here by actor Michael Xavier) painted a unique picture of a young man who, to many, has remained an enigma for decades. Roth - who had photographed all the greats of the era, from Hollywood stars to Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky and Cocteau, befriended the young Dean while taking the stills pictures for his third and ultimately final film Giant. To paint a full picture of the young Dean that summer 60 years ago, the programme also heard from his young cousin Marcus Winslow Jnr, from his best friend Lew Bracker, from fellow racing enthusiast Bruce Kessler and from his Giant co-stars Jane Withers and Carrol Baker. There were contributions from Francesca Robinson Sanchez who was left Sanford Roth's Dean Collection and from British film producer David Puttnam who was inspired by Dean. 9

10 Section 3: BBC Radio 2 Commissioning Briefs: PRESENTER-LED GENRE SERIES Tx Slot Round Brief No. Duration Available Slots Price Guide TBA weeks Up to 2k per programme Commissioning Category Universal This is an hour-long slot that is looking to carry musical genres or presenter-led critiques of genres or elements of music making and their related expert musical exponents, that are not catered for directly, across the rest of the Radio 2 schedule. Genres across the strand could include reggae, rock n roll, latin, new wave, world, rock, gospel or classical. Please do suggest other genres that you feel have a place on the network and would appeal to our audience. The presenter is key. They must be a credible, trusted guide through the series. Illuminating their subject and contextualising in an informed, passionate manner. Barry Humphries: Barry s Forgotten Masterpieces* In this new 3-part series, Barry Humphries presented a selection of his musical memories and aimed to transport listeners to a bygone era with vintage recordings by artists, who made their names during the age of the wireless. As a little boy growing up in far-off Melbourne during the 1930s and 40s, Barry was captivated by the sounds and music emanating from his parents' wireless set. During childhood illnesses, Barry's mother placed the radio set in his bedroom and little Barry was so entranced by the music that he tried to make whooping cough, measles and mumps last as long as possible. Barry's early musical memories include Fred Astaire, Flanagan and Allen, The Comedian Harmonists, Joseph Schmidt, Harry Roy and Judy Garland among others. Continued 10

11 PRESENTER-LED GENRE SERIES continued Hooray for Bollywood with Shilpa Shetty* Last year the BBC announced a major new season of programmes across television and radio dedicated to one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world - India. The season was a celebration of the richness of the landscape and people of the country as well as its culture, art, business and politics. On BBC Radio 2, Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty presented a four-part guide to the music and glamour of the Indian film industry in Hooray For Bollywood, With Shilpa Shetty. Over the hour-long shows Shilpa played her favourite tracks and told stories from behind-the-scenes with some of Bollywood's biggest stars. Mark Kermode s Celluloid Jukebox* Mark Kermode conducts a very personal tour of the last 60 years of pop music in cinema It could be said that modern pop music began in the mid 1950s with Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley and The Comets. This iconic song was used for the opening credits of the teen high school drama Blackboard Jungle in 1955 and then a year later the movie Rock Around The Clock came out featuring Bill and The Comets in a highly fictionalized account of the birth of rock n roll is the 60th anniversary of the release of Rock Around The Clock and the perfect time for Mark Kermode to bring us a unique and highly personal tour of his very own Celluloid Jukebox. In each programme we will hear music from the six decades that cinema and pop music have been partners. The musical selection will be eclectic and free flowing sometimes connected by theme or genre, sometimes by year or artist and sometimes through Mark s particular and highly personal associations. He will tell anecdotes and give context to the choices and we will hear audio extracts from he films alongside other contemporary archive. Each programme will feature extracts of dialogue from some of the films featured as well as other audio archive. 11

12 Section 3: BBC Radio 2 Commissioning Briefs: IDEAS WELCOME Tx Slot Round Brief Dur n Available Price Guide Commissioning No. Slots Category TBA TBA TBA TBA Universal This is a brief designed to allow for ideas that carry an ambition that works beyond the traditional commissioning brief format. Where ideas do not naturally fit into commissioning briefs, or where ideas are outside of the traditional schedule, please propose them under this banner. This category is designed to give more opportunity for innovative ideas, special events and seasons to flourish. The seasons have worked extremely well, adding impact and range throughout the schedule, encompassing slots across comedy, documentaries, weekday and weekend output. Examples of ideas that have been offered and commissioned are; Sinatra Season* Programming included; Sinatra on Screen Hollywood legend Angie Dickinson presented a star-studded retrospective of Frank Sinatra the actor. Across two one hour programmes, Angie, who played Sinatra's wife Bea in the iconic 1960's heist picture Ocean's 11, was joined by Shirley MacLaine and Kim Novak to reflect on Sinatra's prolific film career. Over five decades Frank Sinatra acted in war thrillers, noir dramas, detective capers, comedies and musicals. In a cinematic career just as colourful as his musical one, he played sailors, nightclub singers, assassins, detectives, soldiers and heroin addicts. Angie asked what made Sinatra such a great actor on screen and what was the relationship between his screen and singing persona? At the 1954 Academy Awards, he won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Private Angelo Maggio in From Here To Eternity. Angie revealed how Sinatra's Oscar win saw him rocket to the top of Hollywood and saved him from obscurity. Continued 12

13 IDEAS WELCOME continued Kim Novak reflected on appearing with him in 1955's The Man With The Golden Arm, the film Sinatra called his greatest achievement, and Shirley MacLaine recalled her time with Sinatra and Dean Martin on the set of Some Came Running in Programme Two opened at the peak of Sinatra's silver screen success with Angie's stories from the Las Vegas while shooting Ocean's 11. We also revisited some of Sinatra's greatest roles in Hollywood musicals, including Pal Joey with Kim Novak. Debbie Reynolds shared her memories of starring opposite Sinatra in 1955's The Tender Trap and Shirley MacLaine revisited her time on the set of Can-Can in The journalist Gay Talese, who wrote the acclaimed Esquire feature 'Frank Sinatra Has A Cold' observed Sinatra shooting 'Assault on a Queen', one of his critical flops of the mid-60s. While many of Sinatra's later screen performances were deemed lazy, we'll hear of some of the exceptions, including his role in The Manchurian Candidate and his underrated detectives and police officer films. Other programme highlights from the season included Frank and the Golden Era of Radio Paul Gambaccini explored Frank's career as a radio star during the golden age of radio in the US. Produced in association with NBC Radio, who provided access to their archive of classic radio shows featuring Sinatra as actor, comedian and presenter as well as his more familiar role of singer. Sinatra in the UK Leo Green told the little known story of Sinatra's 1953 tour of the UK. Smarting from his failed marriage to Ava Gardner and his tax problems and worried about how his comeback movie 'From Here To Eternity' would be received, Sinatra spent 2 months in England and Scotland often playing to small audiences. People who saw the shows remember half empty houses but some brilliant live performances. The programme featured archive 1953 recordings from BBC Radio's 'Show Band Show' and an unofficial tape from the Blackpool Opera House. Sinatra: The Comeback Presented by Guy Barker. After a dramatic and near-fatal fall from popularity in the early 1950's taking him from the Hollywood Bowl to the Opera House, Blackpool, Frank Sinatra won the Academy Award for 'Best Supporting Actor' in the movie "From Here To Eternity" and his recording career blossomed all over again when he was signed by Capitol Records in March "The Greatest Comeback Since Lazarus" was underway! The late 1950's and 1960's were the high-rolling 'Ring-A-Ding-Ding' years for Frank Sinatra: His friendship with JFK; The Rat Pack; The cool 'Jet Set' lifestyle. In 1960, Sinatra left Capitol and started his own label, Reprise Records. Now he truly was 'The Chairman of The Board'! Continued 13

14 IDEAS WELCOME continued The Battle of Britain at 75* On Friday 18 th September 2015, Radio 2 commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a day of live broadcasts from Biggin Hill, including a Friday Night Is Music Night special, broadcast live on Red Button and cinemas around the UK. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show was live from Biggin Hill Airport, the most iconic of Britain s fighter stations. The Jeremy Vine Show also broadcast live from Biggin Hill where Jeremy discussed the modern day Royal Air Force and the role they play more than seven decades on from the Battle of Britain. Jeremy was joined by current RAF personnel for a discussion about how today's RAF is securing the skies in The day culminated in a Friday Night Is Music Night special - The Battle of Britain At 75 told the epic story of the greatest aerial conflict of the Second World War. Dermot O Leary, Jeremy Vine and BBC News Sophie Raworth were joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra. Rare archive footage from the conflict, modern day RAF personnel, guest singers and a cast of actors brought those stories to life as we remembered the men and women who took part 75 years ago. 1950s Pop-Up DAB * BBC Radio 2 50s was a four-day digital radio pop up service showcasing the best music and nostalgia from the 1950 s. The service complimented My Generation, a new BBC TV season on the history of popular music, where music fans will share their most precious, personal and rarest music memorability from the 1950 s. Highlights included My Buddy And I In a one hour special, Chris Evans and his son Noah shared their love for the music of an artist that bridges generations, the brilliant Buddy Holly. The father and son team are bringing the time they spend travelling in the car together - accompanied by classic cassette tapes of the 50s star - to the Radio 2 listeners. Continued 14

15 IDEAS WELCOME continued Mental Health Week* Radio 2 highlighted mental health from Monday 9 th to Tuesday 17 th May Through a series of reports Jeremy Vine explored conditions including anorexia, bipolar disorder, depression and self-harm and looked at whether politicians do enough to support mental health services within the NHS. Alastair Campbell and his partner of 37 years, Fiona Millar, spoke to Jeremy about how depression has affected their relationship whilst Dennis Skinner MP presented a special documentary programme discussing fending off dementia. The network also carried and scheduled through daytime programming - a commissioned series of intimate short form packages featuring people who are or have suffered from a range of conditions. The packages were then archived on the Jeremy Vine web page. 15

16 Section 4: Working with Radio 2 This section contains information on; The Commissioning process Delivery requirements o Programme o Interactive o Technical Overview The broadcasting world is changing fast and our audiences want to find our programmes wherever they appear. To help them, we need to make sure programmes are delivered on time, to length and with the necessary associated information. As well as the wider changes, Radio 2 is playing out parts of the schedule automatically, removing live continuity announcements. This means the Radio 2 schedule needs to run exactly to time. To enable this, the scheduling team will be responsible for building the schedule in exact, hour long chunks. The changes required to help them do this are set out below Another benefit of hitting programme junctions accurately is no more problems with iplayer clipping the ends of programmes. Delivery requirements Pre-recorded programmes Programmes to be delivered 4 weeks prior to transmission Programmes to be delivered to exact durations confirmed by Julian Grundy Programme descriptions to be provided 5 weeks prior to transmission Built trails to be exactly 40 seconds long Live programmes Programmes to be delivered to exact durations confirmed by Julian Grundy Programme descriptions to be provided 5 weeks prior to transmission Built trails to be exactly 40 seconds long The Output Core Output of Radio 2 The majority of programmes - the core output - are long-running strands which are produced either by Radio 2 producers or a small group of Independent companies. When the strands produced by Independents come up for renewal they are put out for tender using the process described below. Non - Core output of Radio 2 Commissioning rounds take place twice a year to complement the core output. It is within these rounds that ideas are sought for a wide range of documentaries, specialist music, comedy, event and other programming. Readings are commissioned alongside special events or seasons. If you are an Independent Production Company, and want to enter offers to Radio 2 commissioning rounds, please sign up to the BBC Audio & Music Independent Production Company database using this link to the Pro-Forma. 16

17 The Commissioning Process: How will I know when to propose my idea? The Audio and Music Database will be used to alert Indies who have expressed an interest to all commissioning rounds using the BBC Radio Commissioning Website as well as . In House producers will be notified that commissioning rounds are open via . Submitting your proposal? We would encourage you to talk to the network Robert Gallacher about your proposals before you formally submit them. And, please contact Julian Grundy with any other questions you may have. Proposals are submitted using Proteus Commissioning information can be found here (Pitching To Radio). Proposals should include a short synopsis followed by a more detailed explanation of the idea and treatment being proposed together with a proposed price per episode. (More details on the site). Additional Information for Independent producers: To be considered for a commission, all Independent companies should ensure that their proposals demonstrate evidence of relevant experience for all staff involved in music-radio production within the briefs being tendered for. It is advisable to look at the How We Do Business page of the BBC Radio Commissioning website before submitting a proposal. Full information useful to prospective programme-makers (including information on underlying Rights, contractual and legal aspects of commissioning, Health & Safety requirements and the BBC's complaints procedure) are set out there. A summary of the terms agreed with the radio independent production sector is set out in the Terms of Trade. The programme production agreement that the BBC would expect to conclude with an independent producer is made up of the General Terms and the Special Terms. A guide to how you should deal with complaints from the public and how to direct your complaints to the BBC is available via the BBC Complaints Procedures for Independent Producers. What happens then? After the closing date there will be a shortlisting period where producers may be asked to discuss their idea further. Proposals will either be conditionally commissioned at a suggested price or rejected. This information will be recorded in Proteus. All conditionally commissioned proposals will state a provisional tx date. Please work towards the provisional tx date unless otherwise advised. All documentary / series presenters must be approved by the network prior to you contracting them, even if they have been discussed at a pitching meeting. Budget In-house budgets are agreed with Darren Bodek - BBC Finance Partner and the Radio 2 Commissioning Team - Robert Gallacher and Julian Grundy - and should be below or in line with the guide price listed in the Commissioning Brief. The budget Radio 2 is willing to pay for independent proposals is detailed at the time of conditional commission. If that offer is deemed unacceptable then a detailed budget will be required and negotiated with the Radio 2 Commissioning Team. Continued 17

18 Formal Commission In House; your programmes are only formally commissioned when a presenter and budget have been agreed. Independent productions; your programmes are only formally commissioned when a presenter and budget have been agreed and a commissioning contract is signed and returned. Until this point, all commissions are still regarded as conditional rather than 'formal commissions'. Any work you undertake prior to this is at your own risk. Please liaise with the Radio 2 Commissioning Team to ensure these are agreed ASAP. Compliance You must consult Robert Gallacher or Julian Grundy over any Compliance issues you may have regarding language, rights or material BEFORE you make the programme. Compliance forms must also accurately reflect your programme content and conversations you have had with us. All programmes must comply with the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions. If you have a programme compliance issue and are not sure if it falls in the realms of editorial policy, programme legal advice, business affairs or elsewhere please contact Robert or Julian. In line with the BBC Editorial Standards, compliance measures have been agreed and introduced for commissions across the BBC, including provisions relating to training and those occasions when on-air talent own or manage the company. Full details and guidance can be found on BBC - Commissioning - Compliance. All production staff working on commissions (producer & executive producer) must have completed the BBC 'Safeguarding Trust' course. If this is not the case please contact the network to organise the necessary training. Moving forward, there will be a list of mandatory courses that ALL production staff BBC or independent must complete in order to fulfil the commission / programme making requirements and criteria. Delivery requirements Programme Delivery details will be available on all commissioning documentation and via the A&M commissioning website and, if you are an Independent Production Company, they will be included in your programme production agreement Pre-recorded programmes must be delivered to us 4 weeks prior to tx. For independent productions this is a contractual obligation. The network will designate some pre-recorded programmes as Topical and the delivery date of those programmes will be set at a time different from 4 weeks ahead of TX Programmes which are normally live and have on occasions to be pre-recorded will agree their delivery date at the time the Scheduling team is informed of the change. Delivery 4 weeks out will allow us to better publicise your programmes, and enable us to meet the detailed compliance requirements. This will also assist Station Sound campaign planning. All programmes must be delivered to the exact durations as advised (see commissioning briefs). These durations are not negotiable. Once delivered the programme duration will be checked by the scheduling team at the earliest opportunity - If the duration is incorrect, the producer of that programme will be informed by e- mail the duration is not acceptable and asked to deliver a version of the correct length by the following day. Failure to deliver to the terms and conditions of your programme commission with respect to timetabled dates and durations could affect our ability to broadcast your programme. Should you be aware that you may have difficulty with any aspect of delivery you must inform the network Julian Grundy - immediately. 18

19 Delivery requirements Programme Descriptions Programme descriptions must be provided 5 weeks prior to tx. Both In house and Independent producers must enter these in Proteus. This will provide our press and digital teams with the best possible opportunity to publicise your programmes, in an increasingly crowded market-place. (See Press and Publicity section) Delivery requirements - Technical Format Programmes must be delivered as a linear WAV, linear BWAV or FLAC file. BBC Radio technical specification for wav files can be found here: For technical enquiries and expert advice Julian Markham, Technical Manager, Western House o Technical Delivery process Process for BWAV delivery Independent Production Companies You will need an FTP account to access the BBC's servers and you will need suitable FTP software. You may also require (free) FLAC encoding software. For details contact Julian Markham From your digital editor bounce down the programme to a single 16 bit, 48 khz, stereo wav file. The naming of this wav file is important. It should include the Network, Title and TX. It should not include any punctuation or spaces - use underscore to make the name readable. E.G. R2_A_Programme_ wav If required you may data compress the file to the FLAC format. Send the file to your company s folder on the BBC s FTP server. Contact the Radio 2 Presentation team via (Julian Grundy, Anna McMahon & Dan Collins) or on , or to advise delivery. THIS IS CRUCIAL. They listen to the In and Out of the programme and check that the duration is correct. They also spot check the audio for obvious technical faults. If there are no problems, and the programme has received the required Proteus compliance sign-off, they will schedule it. The Presentation Office is staffed, Monday to Friday Failure to complete this step within 1 working day of delivering your programme can result in your programme being lost. 19

20 Section 5: Press & Publicity The Radio 2 Press and Publicity team generate publicity to inform new and existing audiences about what Radio 2 has to offer via print press, radio, television and online activity. To give them the best chance of promoting your programme. When you deliver your programme description 5 weeks before transmission make them stand out. Great descriptions of the subject, location of interviews, pertinent quotes from contributors, and explanation of why the presenter is fronting the show all pique the interest of journalists and make the description searchable on the internet. Eve Pollard s recent documentary on The Queen was a huge PR success for the network, with daily newspaper coverage as well as online coverage. Ask your presenter whether they are willing to promote the programme on radio, TV, online or in print. This could be an authored piece e.g. Gary Kemp on the Story of Glam Rock in The Guardian or the producer on making the programme i.e. Peter Curran on the Spinal Tap mockumentary, or it could be an authored piece for the BBC Radio blog: Behind the scenes pictures or stories are useful if there is a major talent involved, or if the subject of the documentary is visually interesting i.e. Route 66 picture diary for the Radio Times. You might also be able to get a quote from the presenter about their tie to the programme s subject matter for publicity material. The earlier you deliver a pre-recorded programme the better. Preview MP3s are uploaded to the BBC Radio Previews site approximately 3 weeks prior to transmission. But if the network receives the programme earlier, we can target media earlier for features.. 20

21 Section 6: Interactive The Radio 2 Interactive audience across the multiplatform space is growing rapidly and for the first time there is a robust and dynamic mobile experience. Audiences are consuming programmes through the website, via podcast and mobile in unprecedented numbers Visualisation of our content will also become increasingly important especially as audiences migrate from Radio 1. Unique users to the website are growing. The Radio 2 website is now part of the new Radio and Music Product which focuses around the promotion of audio and video as well as the live experience which will allow us to continue to grow. The interactive team is now smaller and more reliant on programme teams updating pages and content. Additionally we are making a strong push within social media, and we are looking for all programmes to engage in this, updating the Radio 2 Facebook pages and running their own twitter accounts. It is also important that everybody working for Radio 2 is aware of syndication opportunities for their content, where their material can live outside of the BBC online and in third party spaces. We will be looking for all programme makers to engage in this process, ensuring that their content has a life within digital spaces and grows organically online. In summary, all programme teams should be able to Reversion their programme into a podcast and publish it Be able to provide relevant metadata around their programming as requested Be aware and communicate visualisation possibilities around their content. Update their own social spaces as necessary An awareness of music blogs and digital services and how they can be exploited Ability and knowledge to segment content and make available online both inside and outside of the BBC environment. Knowledge of the online audience and their requirements. To plan content across the multiplatform space in addition to the linear environ. Ability to publish online, update blogs and content listings. Take, edit and publish good quality photographs of guests/artists on their programme Provide accurate music metadata (tracklistings for documentaries & short series) and if possible music genealogy in VCS for pre-recorded programmes We do recognise however that none of the above is a requirement under the current Terms of Trade for independent suppliers. 21

22 Section 7: Contacts The following list of contacts will be able to assist you at all points of the commissioning process Commissioning & Scheduling Lewis Carnie Head of Programmes Robert Gallacher Editor, Commissioning Julian Grundy Anna McMahon Dan Collins Manager, Commissioning & Scheduling Forward planning, Commissioning & Scheduling Programme Descriptions, Commissioning & Scheduling Music, Interactive and Press & Publicity Jeff Smith Head of Music Brett Spencer Editor, Digital Sharon Hanley Head of Communications Finance Gabi Fattal Darren Bodek Business Manager, BBC Radio Business Affairs Finance Partner, BBC Core Finance