commissioning brief 2020-21 - bbcdownloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/wales/radio-wales... ·...

Commissioning Brief2020-21bbc.co.uk/wales

Commissioning Brief 2020-21

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1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3

2. Overall summary .................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Key dates and guide prices ............................................................................ 4 2.2 A brief guide to Proteus ................................................................................. 5

3. BBC Radio Wales in a nutshell ............................................................................. 6

4. Genres for commission ......................................................................................... 7

4.1 Highlights from 2019-20 ............................................................................... 7 4.2 Themes for 2020-21 ....................................................................................... 8 4.3 Comedy ............................................................................................................. 9

4.4 Science, Technology & ideas ......................................................................... 9

4.5 Arts .................................................................................................................... 9

4.6 Features .......................................................................................................... 10

4.7 Hour-long Programmes ............................................................................... 10

4.8 Sunday Morning With ................................................................................... 10

4.9 Rolling commissioning ................................................................................. 10 5. Working with BBC Radio Wales ........................................................................ 11

5.1 Delivering additional content for daytime .............................................. 11

5.2 It’s all about the pictures ............................................................................. 11

5.3 No paperwork, no programme .................................................................... 11

5.4 Delivery guidelines ....................................................................................... 11

5.5 Technical guidelines ..................................................................................... 11

6. Tariffs ..................................................................................................................... 12

7. BBC Radio Wales and the audience .................................................................. 13


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1. Introduction

It’s an exciting time for the radio industry. Despite challenges and competition, almost 90% of the UK population are tuning in every week. National presenter moves are regularly making the front pages of newspapers and the deregulation of commercial radio will fundamentally change local markets. At BBC Radio Wales we spent the end of 2018 taking time to listen to our audience. Our market research across Wales led to a new look for our brand (we’ve gone orange) and a new sound to the station with the introduction of BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Claire Summers. The launch of the new breakfast programme has been supported by one of the biggest marketing campaigns in the station’s history. In addition, we’ve welcomed Carol Vorderman to the weekend line-up with a brand new Saturday programme.

Those developments are just the tip of the iceberg. In 2018, we celebrated 40 years on air. The anniversary was an opportunity to head out on the road with our birthday bus and say thank you to audiences across Wales. The pinnacle of the celebrations was a gala night of music and comedy at the Swansea Grand Theatre.

We also delivered on our promise to extend Radio Wales’ FM coverage to an additional 400,000 people across Wales, taking its reach from 79% of households in Wales to 91%, with listeners in the north-east and Mid-Wales benefitting the most from the expansion. There was also digital growth as the number of Radio Wales podcast downloads reached 1.7 million in 2018, with a further 2.6 million requests for our programmes online.

2018 saw the launch of BBC Sounds, the BBC’s streaming, catch-up, and radio service which brings together live radio, music playlists and podcasts. Many Radio Wales podcasts are proving popular, including Elis James’ Feast of Football and the Monday night comedy programmes. In addition, the BBC Wales commissioned podcast Shreds: Murder in the dock, telling the story of the Lynette White murder in Cardiff Bay, has been one of the biggest BBC Sounds originals this year.

Looking ahead, we’ll be the official home of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan later this year, with live commentary on every Wales game. Beyond that, we’ll be placing a big focus on reaching out to communities across Wales. We’ll be exploring how we strengthen our relationship with audiences beyond the radio and build on partnerships, such as the one we’ve developed with the Machynlleth Comedy Festival. The start of 2020 will see us move to our new world class studios in the heart of Cardiff. Central Square will be an chance to harness creative opportunities from new technology and new ways of working.

Once again, BBC Radio Wales couldn’t deliver all this without the input of independent production companies. Sunday Morning with…., comedy, arts, science and features continue to attract significant interest from listeners. Thank you for your continued support of BBC Radio Wales and we look forward to your ideas for 2020 and beyond.

Good luck!

Colin Paterson Editor, BBC Radio Wales


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2. Overall summary

2.1 Key Dates and Guide PricesHere are the key dates in this year’s commissioning timetable:

TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER – MIDDAY: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONSw/c Monday 30th September: notification of shortlist ideasw/c Monday 7th October: interviews with shortlisted suppliersw/c Monday 28th October: 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 andthen a longer synopsis in which you can outline the idea, treatment and tone of theprogramme. 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 [email protected] 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 - £4000Hour long feature: £3000 - £4500Scripted comedy: £6000 - £7000Unscripted comedy: £3000 - £5000

OFFERS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED VIA PROTEUS BY MIDDAY ON TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER

mailto:[email protected]


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2.2 A Brief Guide to ProteusProteus 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 ([email protected]) and Ceri Goddard ([email protected]) with the following information:

• Name of company • Address • Contact Number • Contact Name • e-mail Address

They will register you with access, and you’ll then receive an email with log in information and a helpcard for guidance.

Existing users: Log on to Proteus nowIf you already have an existing account you will be able to select BBC Radio Wales from the Network dropdown.

Proteus supportAll 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 attend a ‘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 attend a course no more than three months before your programme(s) are due for transmission.




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3. BBC Radio Wales in a nutshell… We are the national radio station for Wales. Our mission is to create radio at the heart of life in Wales. We’re predominantly targeting contemporary 50 somethings. We want to reinvent radio for the over 45s, avoiding the clichés and being clear about their passions and concerns.

We are at the heart of the national conversation, but we want to entertain just as much as we educate and inform.

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.


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4. Genres for commission4.1 Highlights from 2019-20We’ve had an exciting start to the year. The launch of BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Claire Summers has brought a new sound to weekday mornings on BBC Radio Wales. We’ve also welcomed Carol Vorderman to Saturday mornings with a brand new show.

In Comedy we commissioned new sitcoms for 2019/20 including Bravo Two Charlies by Matt Leys and Martin Trenaman and Relocation by Robin Morgan, starring Steve Speirs. Later in the year we’ll be launching an all-female sketch show, Welcome Strangers and the series A Musical Life Of… which takes an original and entertaining approach to the life stories of famous Welsh men and women.

Our relationship with the Machynlleth Comedy Festival goes from strength to strength. Once again the Radio Wales Mach Arena was the main venue and the Festival line-up featured our topical comedy The Leak, a stand-up showcase hosted by Kiri Pritchard McLean and a stand-up show from Matt Rees exploring his own – and Wales’ – relationship with alcohol.

In Arts, alongside The Radio Wales Arts Show and The Review Show we’re running documentary features on subjects as diverse as children’s animation, Ricky Valance and Bauhaus design. We once again had a strong presence in the BBC Tent at the Hay Festival with the Radio Wales Arts Show and Tonight at Hay, a series of nightly discussions from the Hay Festival hosted by Guto Harri.

Commissions for our Science, Technology and Ideas strand included Being Artificial – an exploration of AI, The Moon and Us which reflected some key Welsh connections with the Apollo missions and Professor Data, a profile of Prof. Jonathan Shepherd, the surgeon who devised the Cardiff Model for reducing violence on city streets.

Our Features slot has allowed us to take an in-depth look at moments in recent history with the series I Was There; A Nation Torn marked the 50th anniversary of the Investiture of the Prince of Wales and Wales Forgotten Race Riots looked back a century to a time of violence on Cardiff’s streets; Sunday Best is a light-hearted social history of the Welsh Sunday and The Hidden Loss a moving and sensitive exploration of how families come to terms with neonatal death.


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4.2 Themes for 2020-21 There are, of course, a number of significant events and anniversaries in the diary for 2020/21, from the Tokyo Olympics to the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. If you have original, compelling ways of reflecting these - or any other - ‘fixed points’ on BBC Radio Wales, we’d like to hear from you.

However, we’re also very keen to identify and reflect broader contemporary concerns and conversations. We want to give our listeners deeper insights into the issues which affect individuals, families and communities across Wales. Potential themes might include:

• Political and National Identity: However Brexit finally plays out, it’s clear that the events and arguments of the last three years have made us re-examine our ideas of national identity, nationalism and our relationship with some the UK’s institutions - from Westminster to the Royal Family.

• Practical Environmentalism: Campaigners like Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg have put climate change and environmental concerns firmly on the political agenda. And nowhere is the political also more personal than in our response to the climate emergency. How far would you go to save the planet? No more plastic? No more beef? No more air travel? How can BBC Radio Wales reflect the personal, practical and ethical challenges of climate change?

• The Sandwich Generation: The average age of BBC Radio Wales listeners is 59, which puts them firmly in the ‘sandwich generation’ – juggling the demands of looking after elderly parents with the need to support twenty-and thirty-something children who can’t afford to get onto the housing ladder. What are the financial and emotional costs if you’re part of the sandwich generation?

• Personality Politics: Do we get the politicians we deserve? In an era when politics is increasingly dominated by larger-than-life personalities, what does the popularity of Donald, Boris and Nigel tell us about ourselves? And where are the ‘big beasts’ of Welsh politics?

• Women’s Sport: Women’s sport has seen an explosion of interest, as was highlighted by the viewing figures for the recent England v USA semi-final at the Women’s World Cup. Are there fresh ways we can reflect the growth of women’s sport in Wales?

• Tom Jones at 80: Sir Tom will be 80 next year and Radio Wales will be celebrating with him. What content – specifically built programmes – could you add to the mix to help mark eight decades of a Welsh icon?

These are just a few areas we’re considering and we’d welcome ideas which play into them. But if you’ve identified other aspects of contemporary life in Wales – whether it’s health, education, sexuality, politics, our relationship with technology or our relationships with each other - we’d like to hear your ideas and treatments.

We’re looking for bold, ambitious ideas which make us sit up and take notice – ideas which surprise, intrigue and excite us!


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4.3 ComedyWe’re very proud of our comedy on BBC Radio Wales. We’ve built strong comedy strands including the topical news quiz The Leak and Foiled, our sitcom set in a Tonypandy hair salon. We’re committed to nurturing new comedy talent. And in the last twelve months we’ve launched new sitcoms, including Bravo Two Charlies set in the world of North Wales traffic cops and Relocation starring Steve Spiers. We’ve commissioned an all-fe-male sketch show, Welcome Strangers, and highlighted stand-up comedy with Matt Rees – Happy Hour, Leroy Britto’s Fake Views and a showcase from the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.

We’re looking to commission comedy in a range of formats and we’re particularly keen to explore ways of showcasing new Welsh comedy talent. The tone of the station’s comedy is contemporary, irreverent, robust and distinctively Welsh.

We already have returning sitcoms planned for next year so we are unlikely to be commissioning full series in this round. However, we are still keen to commission single pilots for development as potential future series.

4.4 Science, Technology and IdeasThe 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.

Commissions for 2019/20 included Jess Davies – Digital Detox, in which Jess, a model and social media influencer spends a fortnight without her smartphone as she explores society’s online addiction; The Moon and Us, a celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the Welsh people who were part of that extraordinary achievement; and Becoming Artificial, Jason Smith’s guide to the impact of AI. We also re-commissioned The Idea with Catrin Nye.

4.5 ArtsThe Radio Wales Arts Show with Nicola Heywood Thomas runs in this slot for 26 weeks a year, along with the monthly Review Show presented by Gary Raymond. There are opportunities for a small number of single features in this slot.

Commissions for 2019/20 have included a profile of Ricky Valance and the ‘teen tragedy’ genre of pop songs; Escaping the Tigers which tells the story of children trafficked from Nepal to perform in Indian circuses and a celebration of children’s animation in Wales in From Ivor to Sam.

We are looking for stand-alone feature ideas for which give an insight into the creative processes behind visual arts, music, writing and performance – programmes which make the arts accessible and relevant to our listeners.


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4.6 FeaturesThe Thursday 6.30pm slot is the home of great documentary storytelling and insights into contemporary Welsh life. It covers a wealth of subjects: ordinary lives 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.

Commissions for 2019/20 included Wales Forgotten Race Riots, Mo Jannah’s exploration of the causes and repercussions of the Butetown riots in 1919; a series in which Chris Stuart reunites people who can say I Was There at a key moment in recent Welsh history; in A Tale of Two Nations Bethan Rhys Roberts compared the paths of devolution in Wales and Scotland ; and Sunday Best marks 25 years since the Sunday Trading Act with a social history of Welsh Sundays. We also re-commissioned long-running series including Jacko’s Sporting Almanac and Jamie Owen’s Wales.

We’re looking for programmes which engage our listeners, surprise them, move them and make them think. Above all, these programmes are about good storytelling.

4.7 Hour-long programmesWe have a very small number of hour-long slots and usually place these on Bank Holidays and in the Christmas and Easter periods.

Over the past couple of years these have included The NHS and Me, a series of personal stories from patients and medical staff reflecting the impact of the NHS on our lives; a special programme for the festive season, John Owen Jones: Home for Christmas and, more recently, A Nation Torn: Wales’ Summer of ’69, which documented the tense and turbulent period leading up to the Investiture of the Prince of Wales in Caernarfon.

4.8 Sunday Morning With……….Sunday Morning With… is now well established in Radio Wales’ weekend schedule with a series of high-profile presenters including Scott Quinnell, Eve Myles, Behnaz Akhgar, and brother-and-sister team Colin Jackson and Suzanne Packer.

This programme 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 – music and conversation 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’re keen to hear from you.

4.9 Rolling commissioningWe are not at this point intending to commission any programmes beyond March 2021. 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: [email protected]


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5. Working with BBC Radio Wales5.1 Delivering additional content for daytimeThe 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 picturesGood 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected] and for social media it’s [email protected]

5.3 No paperwork, no programmeWhile 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





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5.4 Delivery Guidelines:http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/cymruwales/commissioning/eldelivery/radioEverything you need to know is here.

5.5 Technical Guidelines:http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/wales/radiotech_2013.pdfThis 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.

6. TariffsOur 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 - £4000Hour long feature: £3000 - £4500Scripted comedy: £6000 - £7000Unscripted comedy: £3000 - £5000

http://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/cymruwales/commissioning/radiowales/delivery

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/wales/radiotech_2013.pdf


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50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

15 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65+

AM / FM Any Digital DAB Digital TV Internet

How people listen live

Source: RAJAR Q1 2019

Audience age profile – BBC Radio Wales audience (%)

68.2%

31.8% 24.7%

5.2% 1.8%

7. BBC Radio Wales and the audience

360,000 people tune in every week.

9.5%2.6%

10.7% 10%

19.3%

47.9%

People listen for an average of 8.1 hours a week

53%47%

8.1HOURS

commissioning brief 2020-21 - bbcdownloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/wales/radio-wales... ·...

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