Commissioning Brief 2022 23 - bbc.co.uk/radiowales
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Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................. 03 2. Overall summary 2.1 Key dates and guide prices ............................................................04 2.2 A brief guide to Proteus ..................................................................05 3. BBC Radio Wales in a nutshell .................................................. 06 4. Genres for commission 4.1 Highlights from 2020-21 ...............................................................07 - 08 4.2 Themes for 2021-22 ........................................................................09 4.3 Comedy .................................................................................................10 4.4 Science, Technology & ideas ........................................................ 11 4.5 Arts ........................................................................................................ 12 4.6 Features ............................................................................................... 12 4.7 Hour-long Programmes ................................................................. 13 4.8 Sunday Morning With ..................................................................... 13 4.9 Rolling commissioning ................................................................... 13 5. Working with BBC Radio Wales 5.1 Delivering additional content for daytime .............................. 14 5.2 It’s all about the pictures ............................................................... 14 5.3 No paperwork, no programme..................................................... 15 5.4 Delivery guidelines............................................................................ 15 5.5 Technical guidelines......................................................................... 15 6. Tariffs............................................................................................. 16 02
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 1. Introduction It has been another year of clichés and superlatives, without anyone finding the predicted new normal. Through the continuing challenges, old and new, BBC Radio Wales has provided much needed companionship, information and escapism. The station’s contribution is being recognised by audiences and peers. Digital listening to BBC Radio Wales continues to grow via BBC Sounds, with more record-breaking growth year on year. It’s also been an award-winning year with the comedy The Musical Life Of… winning at the BBC Audio Drama Awards, four nominations at the Celtic Media Festival, a commendation for All Things Considered at The Sandford St Martin Awards and BBC Radio Wales winning Bronze for Station of the Year at the 2021 ARIAS. I’m also proud of the strong relationship with the creative sector in Wales. Independent production companies continue to produce high-quality award-winning content for audiences in Wales. 16 Media’s Christmas special with Gavin and Stacey stars Mathew Horne and Joanna Page grabbed national headlines. BBC Radio Wales is the biggest producer of radio comedy in the UK outside of Radio 4, with hits such as Giddy Goat’s Bravo Two Charlies and The Learners, Rubber Chicken’s The Musical Life of… and 16 Media’s Welcome Strangers. On top of those, there’s been a wealth of features and arts content adding a richness to the schedule. We continue to introduce new voices to the station, including the arrival of Behnaz Akhgar to the new afternoon show, Steps star Ian ‘H’ Watkins to Friday nights and comedian Kiri Pritchard McLean on Sunday afternoons live from Bangor. In addition to our growth in radio listening online, our bespoke podcast commissions have provided some of the biggest hits for BBC Sounds. The Hayley Pearce Podcast is weekly topical discussion led by the BBC 3 star, My Love Letter to Wrestling tells the story of Welsh wrestlers taking WWE by storm and Shreds, telling the story of the injustices following the murder of Lynette White, gathered new audiences as a companion piece to the TV series A Killing in Tiger Bay. We’re now in the process of confirming podcast commissions from our recent BBC Sounds process. In the future, I’d like to see BBC Radio Wales do more to engage proactively with communities across Wales. To use the platform we have to support and empower, not just to ‘cover’ the nation. Our Make a Difference campaign seeks to do just that. In 2021 we’ve delivered technology to schools via the Give a Laptop donation scheme. We’ve also had listeners donating sports gear to ensure participation for all as part of Kit Out The Nation. Our partnership with Keep Wales Tidy has seen our presenters join community litter picks across Wales. We have even bigger plans to make a difference in 2022, and we’ll always welcome new ideas. Next year the BBC celebrates its centenary. In addition to celebrating our past, this will be an opportunity to look forward. It’s a chance to think about the relevance of the BBC today and consider what the next 100 years will look like for Wales. I’m excited about our next chapter and to see the creative submissions over the coming weeks. As ever, I want to thank you for your continued support of BBC Radio Wales including the rich and diverse content you bring to our audiences. Colin Paterson Head of BBC Radio Wales and BBC Cymru Wales Sport 03
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 2. Overall summary 2.1 Key Dates & Guide Prices Here are the key dates in this year’s commissioning timetable: TUESDAY 2nd NOVEMBER - MIDDAY: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS Friday 12th November: Notification of shortlisted ideas w/c Monday 22nd November: Interviews with shortlisted suppliers w/c Monday 6th December: Commissions published Proposals need to be submitted via Proteus, the BBC’s commissioning and scheduling system. If you don’t have a Proteus log-in, please see Section 2.2. Proposals on Proteus are formatted to include a very short ‘headline’ summary and then a longer synopsis in which you can outline the idea, treatment and tone of the programme. Short, succinct pitches are appreciated. Please ensure that you have approached your suggested presenters and have their agreement in principle. If you need any further information about this document, please contact Jeremy Grange, Assistant Editor, BBC Radio Wales jeremy.grange@bbc.co.uk Tel: 07764 335183 Guide Prices: We are aware that not all half-hour programmes require the same amount of production effort and we have introduced a range of guide prices to reflect that. Budgets for shortlisted ideas will be subject to close scrutiny. Here are the guidelines: Half hour feature: £1500 - £4000 Hour long feature: £3000 - £4500 Scripted comedy: £6000 - £7000 Unscripted comedy: £3000 - £5000 OFFERS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED VIA PROTEUS BY MIDDAY ON TUESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER. 04
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 2. Overall summary 2.2 A Brief Guide to Proteus Proteus is a system which is owned and developed by the BBC. It is a ‘one stop shop’ for all programme-related information for BBC Radio. It is used by internal BBC radio departments and independent productions companies to: • Create and submit programme ideas • Complete programme descriptions and compliance • Create running orders (including contributors and music items) Users in the BBC networks access the system to commission radio programme ideas, create programme schedules, support play-out and generate reports. New Users: Independent companies who do not have a Proteus account and who wish to submit programme ideas, must first contact Michelle Phillips (michelle.phillips@bbc.co.uk) and Ryan Angove (ryan.angove@bbc.co.uk) with the following information: • Name of company • Address • Contact Number • Contact Name • Email Address. They will register you with access, and you’ll then receive an email with log in information and a help card for guidance. Existing users: Log on to Proteus now. If you already have an existing account you will be able to select BBC Radio Wales from the Network dropdown. Proteus support: All of Wales radio’s programme paperwork will be managed through the BBC’s Proteus system. If you’re not already Proteus-trained and your proposal is successful during the commissioning round, you will be expected to complete an online ‘Proteus for Independents’ training course. Your Proteus account will then be extended enabling you to access the system in order to complete programme descriptions, compliance and running orders. To ensure knowledge of the system is retained and practically applied, you should complete the course no more than three months before your programme(s) are due for transmission. 05
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 3. BBC Radio Wales in a nutshell... We’re the national radio station for Wales: we’re passionate about creating radio which sits at the heart of Welsh life. Our audience matters to us – and we reflect what matters to them, reshaping radio for the over-45’s in line with their priorities: in news, current affairs, sport, music and comedy. We entertain our listeners while informing and educating them. But we want to go further than that: we’ll surprise our audience, delight them – not just sometimes, but every day. We’re warm, we’re welcoming, and hearing from and interacting with our listeners is an essential part of our daily output - because BBC Radio Wales is somewhere our audience calls home. And we aim to attract them by: • News: outstanding news and current affairs, which really matters to people in Wales. • Sport: giving priority to the moments which bring Wales together. Quality over volume. • Live: speech led content which is distinctive, authentic, entertaining and has substance. Supporting the national conversation. • Comedy: winning hearts, not just minds. A mix of big names and supporting new talent. • Music, culture and events: supporting Welsh culture and entertainment in its broadest sense. A platform to reflect and celebrate Wales. • In-depth: features which provide deep-dive moments for our listeners - discovering something new, exploring personal passions and culture. 06
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.1 Highlights from 2021-22 As we’ve navigated the twists and turns of the pandemic over the last eighteen months and the enormous challenges and restrictions on our lives it’s created, the consistently high standard of BBC Radio Wales’ output has been a testament to the resilience, flexibility and creativity of our production teams, both in-house and indie. We’ve found new ways of working and brought to air programmes which have reflected our audience’s experience, supported and informed them and, just as importantly, given them something to smile about. Many of the events which were cancelled because of Covid in 2020 were finally able to go ahead this year – most notably the Olympics and the Euros. BBC Radio Wales and its listeners followed the Welsh team every step of the way with build-up and live coverage of all the matches. Every Friday through the tournament in Ashley Williams’ Euros Breakfast the former Wales captain took listeners’ calls and spoke to some of the big names in Welsh football. And in The Red Wall of Cymru we followed singer-songwriter Mike Peters as he created the official Euros song for the Welsh team. Our Sunday Morning With… strand continues to go from strength to strength. Delivered entirely by independent production companies, a diverse range of high profile Welsh talent has occupied the programme, including Joanna Page, Jiffy and Nigel Owens, Colin Jackson and Suzanne Packer, Alex Jones, Scott Quinnell and Anna Ryder Richardson. Last year BBC Radio Wales celebrated Sir Tom Jones’ 80th birthday. This year another Welsh musical icon marked a significant milestone. We celebrated Bonnie Tyler’s 70th throughout the day with music and memories, culminating in the feature Bonnie Tyler: Never Eclipsed which brought together some famous names, along with a few superfans, to pay tribute. We’ve continued our relationship with festivals and other events across Wales which, because of Covid, have been cancelled or run virtual editions. At the beginning of May we collaborated with the Machynlleth Comedy Festival to produce a weekend of specially-commissioned comedy shows. Later that month Guto Harri selected his highlights of the Hay Digital Festival in This Week at Hay. And the Radio Wales Arts Show once again worked with Literature Wales and the Books Council of Wales with programmes announcing the winners of Wales Book of the Year and the Tir na n-Og Awards for children’s literature. 07
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.1 Highlights from 2021-22 Continued... It’s been another terrific year for comedy on BBC Radio Wales. The Musical Life Of… written by Dan Kiss and Dave Cribb won Best Scripted Comedy at the BBC Audio Drama Awards. A new series will air later this year. Bravo Two Charlies by Matt Leys and Martin Trenaman has just completed its third series. The sitcom, charting the antics of the North Wales Traffic Police, is recorded on location, as is The Learners by Kiri Pritchard- McLean. We’ve also brought to air another series of our all-female sketch comedy Welcome Strangers, stand-up shows from the Machynlleth and Aberystwyth Comedy Festivals and pilot sitcom Beena and Amrit by Priya Hall. Feature programme highlights included The Murder Files which re-examined the evidence from the 1993 murders of Harry and Megan Tooze: The Casablanca – The Club that Changed Our Lives, an evocative portrait of a black-owned nightclub in Cardiff’s docklands; Coming Out – From Secrets to Social Media in which Emma Goswell talked to LGBT+ people about their coming out experiences; and Nani Hacks – four dynamic grandmothers using a lifetime’s experiences to solve parenting dilemmas. And there are plenty of highlights still to come. For Black History Month we’ll hear from former pupils of Betty Campbell, Wales’ first black headteacher, in the documentary A Letter to Mrs Campbell. And we go back to 1970s Cardiff for comedy drama Heart and Soul by Kyle Lima. We’ll also have a series of special programmes around the theme of climate change for COP 26. Comedian Mike Bubbins sets out on a journey by electric car for Our Electric Roads and considers how Wales will finally consign petrol and diesel engines to the past. Carys Eleri asks how as a nation we can move Beyond Recycling to focus more on reducing and re-using. There’ll also be special editions of Country Focus and Science Café and a climate-focused edition of our topical comedy series The Leak. 08
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.2 Themes for 2022-23 In this round we’ll commission most of our programmes for 2022-23 but not all. To retain flexibility in the commissioning process we intend to run a top-up round in April 2022. There are a number of key events and anniversaries which we’ll reflect as a station in 2022/23. These will include the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, the Commonwealth Games and the BBC’s Centenary. For the BBC’s centenary the emphasis is on looking forward, focussing on the BBC’s next chapter rather than the past. We’re not looking for archive-based ideas. Instead we’re keen to reflect the Corporation’s public purpose and the issues which most affect our audiences. So, how can we bring people together and contribute to social cohesion? How do we champion culture and democracy? Engage people with the challenge of climate change? And unearth new talent? Several of these themes are reflected in our ongoing commissioning strategy: • Diversity and new voices: As we build on our work to deliver greater diversity on air we’re looking to hear a wider range of voices on BBC Radio Wales, particularly new voices that we’ve not heard on the station before. We want to reflect the full diversity of Welsh lives and ensure that we’re truly representative of the Nation in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background and disability. • Climate change and environment: We’ve commissioned a number of programmes for COP26 but it’s when the politicians, scientists and campaigners head home from Glasgow that the hard work really starts. Climate change isn’t going away as an issue so how do we create a legacy from COP 26? We’re looking for creative, original approaches to the issues of climate change, biodiversity and the environment – ideas which feel relevant and accessible to our listeners. • Mental Health: Mental health and wellbeing is another area we’re prioritizing. We’re looking for ideas and stories which explore challenges to mental wellbeing – for individuals and communities - and the tools to overcome those challenges. These are some of our priority areas and we’d welcome ideas which play into them. But, more broadly, we’re looking for ideas which reflect contemporary concerns and conversations. We want to give our listeners deeper insights into the issues which affect individuals, families and communities across Wales. If you have an idea which really reflects contemporary life in Wales – whether it’s health, education, sexuality, politics, our relationship with technology or our relationships with each other - we’d love to hear your pitches and treatments. In addition to diversity and content themes, we’d also like you to consider where programmes can be rooted in a locality. We want to ensure that our ambition to truly represent Wales is strong reflected in our programmes. Are there opportunities to take big themes or broad formats and ground them in a specific location? The Aberystwyth Book Club is one example of a general format rooted in a location, or Gareth Gwynn choosing Brecon as an independence experiment. We’re looking for bold, ambitious ideas which make us sit up and take notice - ideas which surprise, intrigue and excite us! 09
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.3 Comedy Comedy is one of BBC Radio Wales’s strongest suits and we’re on a roll with our sitcoms, sketch comedy and stand-up. Recorded on location, Bravo Two Charlies, our sitcom about the mishaps of the North Wales Traffic Police, brings together great writing, performances and production. It’s now in its third series, as is our all-female sketch comedy Welcome Strangers. Also established in the Radio Wales schedule is The Musical Life Of… which won Best Scripted Comedy at the BBC Audio Drama Awards and shortlisted for the Radio Academy ARIAS. A new series will air later this year and next in line for its unique take on biography are Dame Tanni Grey- Thompson, Merlin, Black Bart and Neville Southall. A new sitcom for this year was The Learners by Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Set in a Welsh learners’ class - and also recorded on location – it starred Tudur Owen, Kath Hughes and Les Dennis. There were also pilots for Beena and Amrit by Priya Hall, which follows 20-something Beena as she moves back to the Valleys to live with her eccentric, free-spirited mother Amrit and comedy drama Heart and Soul by Kyle Lima, set in Cardiff in 1974 and telling the story of Ray and his dreams of stardom on the soul scene. In Spain’s Best Export, stand-up comedian Ignacio Lopez compared the relative merits of the Spanish and Welsh culture, language, food and holidays. We also broadcast virtual stand-up shows for the Machynlleth Comedy Festival and shows with live audiences from the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. This is a very competitive slot. We will continue to commission single pilots for development as potential future sitcom series. More broadly we’re looking to commission comedy in a range of formats and explore ways of showcasing new Welsh comedy talent. The tone of the station’s comedy is contemporary, irreverent, robust and distinctively Welsh. 10
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.4 Science, Technology and Ideas The Tuesday 1830 slot focuses on ideas. It’s a platform for voices from the worlds of science, digital technology and entrepreneurship, medicine, the creative industries and other fields - people whose ideas are shaping the future. We invite proposals for returning series, short series and one-offs which explore ideas in their broadest sense and which introduce new and diverse voices to explore this theme. Our regular science series Science Café runs in this slot for 26 weeks a year. Highlights for 2021/22 have included Twelve Hours in Treorchy, a portrait of the town which won Best High Street in Britain in 2020 and how it’s re-emerging from the economic and social challenges of Covid; Can Mushrooms Save the World?, John Rutledge’s entertaining exploration of the vital role of fungi in ecosystems and medicine; and in Owning It: Keeping Women in Sport Winter Olympian Mica Moore asked why so many young women are dropping out of sport. Still to come this year we have Unit of Hope which focuses on Uned Gobaith in Swansea, the only inpatient unit in Wales to provide mental health care for women experiencing antenatal and postnatal depression and Five Lessons from Lockdown in which Catrin Nye asks people from all walks of Welsh life about their key takeaways from the pandemic. 11
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.5 Arts The Radio Wales Arts Show with Nicola Heywood Thomas runs in this slot for 26 weeks a year, reflecting the best of Welsh theatre, dance, literature, film and the visual arts. In the monthly Review Show, presenter Gary Raymond is joined by guests to cast a critical eye over what’s good – and occasionally what’s not so good – in the arts in Wales. And a new commission for this year, The Aberystwyth Book Club brings together book lovers to discuss the new and classic novels. There are opportunities for a small number of single features in this slot. Commissions for the last twelve months have included Jenna Preece - Our World, in which actor Jenna Preece asked how to make the world more inclusive and accessible for disabled people post-lockdown; Manics in Cuba, Huw Stephens’ look back to the historic moment when the Manic Street Preachers performed in Havana; and Giants in the Sky, poet Mab Jones’ meditation on clouds. And in Harry Secombe: Unsung Comedian Gareth Gwynn celebrated the centenary of Sir Harry’s birth by taking a fresh look at his contribution to comedy. 4.6 Features The Thursday 6.30pm slot is the home of great documentary storytelling and insights into contemporary Welsh life. It covers a wealth of subjects: ordinary and extraordinary lives in Wales; popular culture, from music to sport; journeys through our landscape; and in-depth profiles of key figures in the life of our nation. Highlights from the last year include Teenage Rebel on Ice, the story of Mia Thorne, a 14 year-old from Cilfynydd with cerebral palsy, and her path to victory in a UK national figure skating competition; in The Murder Files former detective Steve Wilkins revisited the 1993 murders of Harry and Megan Tooze to uncover new leads: Coming Out – From Secrets to Social Media gave us candid, thoughtful conversations with LGBT+ people about coming out; Old Flames brought together four retired firefighters from Cardiff to tell stories of the most frightening – and funniest - moments in their careers; and in The Casablanca – The Club that Changed Our Lives, Noah Francis Johnson looked back to the 1970s to explore the popularity of an edgy club in a former church in the heart of Tiger Bay. Commissions still to come this year include the second series of Never Mind the Bus Pass, in which Alison Kedge hops on the bus to talk sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll with the ‘Sixties generation; and in Valleys of the Scooter Boys, actor and mod Jonny Owen meets the ‘faces’ from scooter clubs across the South Wales Valleys. And ahead of COP26 in Our Electric Roads petrolhead Mike Bubbins sets out on a journey across Wales by electric car while Carys Eleri asks how we can move to the next stage Beyond Recycling. For this slot we’re looking for programmes which engage our listeners, surprise them, move them and make them think. Fresh and innovative treatments are also key. Above all, these programmes are about good storytelling. 12
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 4. Genres for Commission 4.7 Hour-long programmes We have a very small number of hour-long feature slots available. We usually place these on Bank Holidays and in the Christmas and Easter periods. Recent commissions have included Bonnie Tyler: Never Eclipsed to mark the Welsh rock diva’s 70th birthday and The Last of the Bracchis, an elegy to the Italian Cafés of the Valleys. 4.8 Sunday Morning With... This year the show has featured presenters Joanna Page, Scott Quinnell, Anna Ryder-Richardson and brother- and-sister team Colin Jackson and Suzanne Packer. The latest addition to the roster is a show jointly hosted by Jonathan Davies and Nigel Owens. The show aims to provide a platform for big name presenters to attract the attention of our audience. The format will remain fairly similar regardless of the presenter – great music, conversation and guests for a Sunday morning. It’s all about the calibre of the talent. If you’ve got a strong working relationship with the right person, and can deliver in this key slot, we’d like to hear from you. 4.9 Rolling commissioning We are not at this point intending to commission any programmes beyond March 2023. However, we know that sometimes golden opportunities arise outside of the commissioning window and we do hold a small pot of money open to allow us to consider these. The contact for these ideas is: radiowalescommissioning@bbc.co.uk 13
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 5. Working with BBC Radio Wales 5.1 Delivering additional content for daytime The content we commission needs to make a real splash and capture the imagination of our audiences. We therefore look to maximise the impact of our features in as many ways as we can. Examples range from day-long specials around a theme, cut-down features in our weekday strands or supporting interviews in the daytime strands. This joined-up thinking helps promote your programme more effectively and generally enhances the quality of our daily strands. Please outline how your material might be used in order to achieve this when submitting your offer, and be proactive in offering this material when you deliver your programme. 5.2 It’s all about the pictures Good visual imagery to accompany programmes is now an essential part of delivery. This means that images and, where appropriate, video must be supplied to represent your programme on social media and BBC Sounds – whether those images are from the production/content itself, or appropriately cleared existing /archive images. The specifications for image content are outlined on the BBC website. Guidance and best practice in this area can be provided by our Radio Wales digital team. Please seek their advice, if needed, before production. Contact dylan.dawes@bbc.co.uk Additional information or content (where appropriate) for the website and social media is also appreciated. This might include video; written material; suggested clips. These images and clips are also useful for press releases and on air trails. The contact for BBC Sounds and website issues is dylan.dawes@bbc.co.uk and for social media it’s hannah.loy@bbc.co.uk 14
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 5. Working with BBC Radio Wales 5.3 No paperwork, no programme While the delivery process works on the whole, we have had the occasional programme delivered without the appropriate paperwork, in the wrong format, not properly numbered, and so on. If programmes and their accompanying paperwork are not delivered to the required specifications we are likely to refuse them. Everything you need to know about our delivery and technical guidelines is available on our website – link below - with examples of best practice. In summary, this is what that we’re expecting from you. These can all be completed on Proteus. • Billing – 4 weeks in advance of tx – This is absolutely essential because all billings are now automatically made public 3 weeks before tx • Compliance Form – when the tx copy is delivered • Continuity Announcement Form – when the tx copy is delivered • P as B (Programme as Broadcast) form – when the tx copy is delivered • Music Reporting form – when the tx copy is delivered 5.4 Delivery Guidelines Everything you need to know is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/cymruwales/commissioning/eldelivery/radio We want our programmes to make as big an impact as possible. It’s therefore really important that you deliver your programme on time: three weeks ahead of tx. Late delivery restricts our opportunities to make on air trails and social media content. If you can’t deliver on time please contact the commissioning editor with a late delivery request. 5.5 Technical Guidelines http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/wales/radiotech_2013.pdf This document can be found on the right hand side of our delivery page under Guidance and Specifications. Please be sure you read it before delivering your finished programme. 15
Commissioning Brief - 2022/23 6. Tariffs Our ambition is to commission the best ideas. We also have to consider cost and value for licence fee payers. Therefore we negotiate price on a case-by-case basis and budgets for shortlisted ideas will be subject to close scrutiny. Here are the guideline prices: Half hour feature: £1500 - £4000 Hour long feature: £3000 - £4500 Scripted comedy: £6000 - £7000 Unscripted comedy: £3000 - £5000 16
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