RADIO COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK. Commissioning Brief

Transcription

1 RADIO COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK Commissioning Brief Commissioning Brief No: 31234, Round /19 Sunday Feature from May 2018-May 2019 (approximately)

2 CONTENTS SECTION A: EDITORIAL OPPORTUNITY 3 1. KEY FACTS 3 2. THE STATION AND THE PROGRAMME 5 SECTION B: THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS TIMETABLE THE FOUR STAGES THE EVALUATION TEAM 14 SECTION C: FULL PROPOSALS WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE 16 SECTION D: COMMISSION AWARD NOTIFICATION KEY CONTRACT TERMS DUE DILIGENCE MODIFICATIONS ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION OF COMMISSIONING BRIEFS COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OFFERING A PROPOSAL PUBLICITY USE OF BBC LOGO INDUCEMENT TRANSITION COMPLIANCE AND BBC EDITORIAL GUIDELINES 18 SECTION E: KEY CONTRACT TERMS PRE-CONDITIONS FINANCE CONTRACT RIGHTS AND REVENUE TERMINATION 19 APPENDIX 1: ABOUT THE BBC 20 APPENDIX 2: BBC RADIO VISION & OBJECTIVES 21 2 of 21

3 SECTION A: EDITORIAL OPPORTUNITY Commissioning Brief No KEY FACTS Commissioning contact Matthew Dodd Duration (including opening and closing announcements) 44 Number of programmes available Approx. 38 Transmission period Approx. May 2018-May 2019 Guide Price per episode 8,000-10,000 Commissioning Year Commissioning Slot Sunday Commissioning Round Round 2, of 21

4 Please note: This commissioning process differs from the last time we commissioned the Sunday Feature The questions may differ from those used in other Radio 3 briefs. There is no eligibility questionnaire requirement. Short proposals (of up to 250 words) must be submitted via Proteus by 12 noon on Thursday 5 October Shortlisted suppliers will be asked to submit a full proposal of the equivalent of up to 2 x A4 sides of Arial size 11 font per episode. (We will not read beyond two sides.) When completing your full proposal, you should bear in mind: o Editorial Requirements in Section A.2 o What We Need From You in Section C.1 Full proposals must be submitted via Proteus by 12 noon on Tuesday 19 December No late submissions will be accepted. We advise you to submit full proposals in good time to avoid the risk of difficulties caused by unforeseen network problems. Producers will be offered the opportunity to discuss the programme brief with the commissioning editor prior to submitting a full proposal. 4 of 21

5 2. THE STATION AND THE PROGRAMME About BBC Radio 3 Since it launched in 1946, the Third Programme/BBC Radio 3 has been a bold pioneer in the cultural world. It is one of the world s foremost presenters, creators, commissioners and curators across classical, folk, world, jazz and contemporary music as well as drama, philosophy and ideas. The station has always nurtured extraordinary artistic talents, provided a platform for important scientific and political debates/announcements, and broadcast ground-breaking experimental drama always while delivering its core aim of connecting audiences with pioneering music and culture. The station is also the most significant commissioner of new and contemporary music in the UK, with 35 new works commissioned annually and broadcasts over 600 concerts a year, including live broadcasts from the greatest classical music festival in the world (BBC Proms). Radio 3 s In Concert programme alone reaches the equivalent of 250 packed concert halls a week, and the BBC Orchestras and Choirs give around 400 concerts a year in over 60 UK locations. You can read the latest Radio 3 RAJAR report here. About the editorial opportunity The Sunday Feature is Radio 3 s documentary of the week. Each programme should be a stand-out 45 minutes in the schedule of the station - a moment when the audience stop and pause to be engrossed in a rich piece of storytelling. We are looking for programmes that do one or more of below: Reflect Radio 3 s evolving music and cultural agenda with gold-standard, indepth documentaries Make human experience a key way of exploring music and culture. Offer a documentary high point for anniversaries and special seasons that are being marked across the station or across the BBC. Create a unique and memorable programme that is sought after by ondemand listeners. The Sunday Feature has a rich pedigree of remarkable programmes made over the years. But it is changing all the time. Successful proposals and successful commissions will be those that respond to the changing nature of the slot and lead the way forward for documentaries on Radio 3. Initial pointers The Sunday Feature topics: classical music, visual arts, literature, theatre, opera, dance, architecture, archaeology, film, TV, digital arts, philosophy, history, the 5 of 21

6 science behind culture, the religion behind culture, jazz, world music, folk. To be avoided: conventional political history. Storytelling not lectures, discussions or analytical overviews. The best programmes have been those that are built around the nuts and bolts of a strong story: drama, intriguing characters, jeopardy, tension, emotional range and make full use of the 45 minutes to take listeners on a multi-layered journey. We are looking for rich documentary treatments that get Radio 3 out of the studio and the concert hall and create a whole sound world for each programme: location recordings, personal testimony eye-witness accounts; sophisticated use of music, archive, beautiful sound mixes, and more. Originality, surprise and relevance will be rewarded with listener appreciation. This is not the place for the timeless history of composer X or the textbook guide to art movement Y. In today s crammed digital media environment, a Sunday Feature needs to find original and offbeat treatments to tackle the familiar and the unfamiliar for an audience with the pre-occupations of 2018 and The audience is broadly interested in the arts but producers and presenters shouldn t presume any knowledge or be complacent about the audience s engagement. Each edition needs to be interesting by virtue of the actual programme, and not rely on the audience staying listening because of the topic. Moreover, the podcast of the programme is vital and every programme needs to leave this younger audience wanting more. Presenters should be relaxed not didactic, personal not detached. They are charismatic, dynamic, engaging, witty and playful, informal but very informed and always on the side of the audience. This is not the place for specialists who rarely step into a broadcasting studio, nor for restrained and reverential narration (see below for more on the style of the feature). Presenters and contributors should be diverse in background, age and voice. The best programmes avoid a plethora of interviews in the offices of experts. Every subject needs to be a rich seam for the programme to mine. It needs historical resonance and intellectual layers, and to provide critical assessment. This is not the place for promoting this year s trends or subjects that run out of steam after 28 minutes. This isn t a place for programmes which have the feel of curios or specialist listening even if to many people that s how it might appear on paper. Each edition, no matter what its subject, should position itself as a central cultural pre-occupation. The presenter of a Sunday Feature should be the programme s main promoter and cheer-leader. Every programme should make loud and clear why its subject is worthy of Radio 3 s sole documentary slot. Innovation. We re looking for new and enticing ways of making documentaries for this slot, with treatments and style that pushes the format forward, while never leaving the audience behind. 6 of 21

7 The Range of Topics Cultural biography. Programmes that put the case for re-appraising the life and work of significant individuals or groups of people from the recent and distant past. Global culture explored with insight and introducing us to lesser-known but influential people, places and movements around the world. Offbeat and unexpected features about an idea, a theme, or a work of art, with good reason to be re-appraised. The history of ideas and culture around the UK. Profiles of significant contemporary cultural figures where the feature format offers an alternative to extended studio interviews found in Free Thinking, the Verb or Music Matters. Music Features. We are looking for music programmes in this slot not biographical stories but imaginative and unexpected treatments. Strong series ideas, which will act as stand out moments on Radio 3. These will probably be 2-4 programmes and will usually mean one presenter across the whole series although different presenters bringing personal perspectives to a single theme might also be considered. We re looking for more ideas that have an ambitious reach of subject. Cultural journalism the Sunday Feature is a means to explore issues of the moment in a longer form these need strong, original stories at their heart. However, please remember that Free Thinking, The Verb and Music Matters usually cover major arts events, and so proposals directly related to the arts diary of the coming year need to offer a distinctive treatment. 7 of 21

8 Related Programming and anniversaries We d welcome ideas which link the features to a related series of The Essay, or a related Drama on 3 proposal, or is a part of a wider idea for other parts of the Radio 3 schedule We are also happy to receive offers which link to key events in the arts and cultural diary for the commissioning period anniversaries, exhibitions, openings of major new international institutions or similar. This year we would particularly be interested in proposals which explore: The anniversary of the NHS The centenary of the death of Claude Debussy The 1918 Armistice Leonard Bernstein s centenary in 2018 Digital Innovation The digital importance of the Sunday Feature is growing. When pitching and producing programmes for a programme for Radio 3, we need you to think about its online presence. The minimum requirement for any commissioned programme is an arresting and pithy description that works well on the programme website; clear metadata; strong photographs from location recording and possible clip requirements. These core components are essential for any new documentary However, we are looking for some key feature commissions which could work harder on BBC digital platforms. We re looking for head-turning, effective ideas; we re interested in trying new things, in challenging the way we broadcast the Sunday Feature to reach out to new audiences. At the point of commission our digital editor will look at the slate and assess the potential for any additional digital content. The supplier of the programme will have the first option to offer to supply this if it is required and if you have the capacity and ability. All Sunday Features are available as the Radio 3 Documentary podcast. If there are any rights issues with your programme being podcast internationally, please let us know before commissioning. 8 of 21

9 Recent highlights all of them on the Radio 3 website: Hitting the High Notes: Sally Marlow s intriguing journey into jazz and heroin use in the 1950s. Revelatory, first person testimony, contested history and a different way of exploring music. Geeking Glenn Gould: James Rhodes in search of his Canadian hero pianist. Emotive, inimitable and always surprising. The Other Third: Alan Dein on the Third Programme s programmes on ordinary people. Unexpected, brilliant use of archive, witty and clever treatment. Apocalypse Now: Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough on the global history of the end of the world. Intriguing and unwieldy topic turned into a strong story. Watcha doin Marshall Mcluhan? Brilliant and insightful history of the pioneer of media studies. Authoritative but never takes itself or its topic too seriously. The Experimenters: Kwame Kwei-Armah tells the story of the modernist avant-garde of Black Mountain College. Abstract art made human with innovative use of Kwame s student seminars in the programme. Kandinsky: A Story of Revolution. Top quality documentary about Russian painter with all the right contributors. Langston Hughes at the BBC. Brilliantly researched story of how the leading African American poet worked for BBC Radio. Vladimir Ashkenazy on Ansel Adams. A great story of the friendship between artists. Sunday Feature Style Guide The programme is yours to make once it s been commissioned and we want all the benefits of your creativity and insight. However experience has taught us that there are certain minimum components we need you to incorporate. It s up to you to find a way to decide how to deliver those components and clearly these aren t iron laws but they should only be broken in order to achieve the same impact as the aims outlined: 1. Titles They should be short and alluring, and where possible be self-explanatory. Excessively enigmatic or lyrical titles don t work. Avoid colons since we already have one in the title after the prefix: The Sunday Feature 9 of 21

10 2. The start of your programme The first few minutes of a Sunday Feature are vital. We need audiences to commit to staying with it because of what they hear not because you think they ll find the subject interesting. We are looking for high impact openings to every programme. Within the first two minutes of your programme you must explain what the programme is about and explain why it is a story that matters. It s up to you how you do this but we want the headlines of your story to convince the audience of its interest and importance. We re usually looking for texture, music, and, if relevant, location in the opening sequences. Steer away from studio-based long links from the presenter at the start of the programme. Avoid plunging into detail of your story without first laying out those headlines And please avoid actor readings in the opening section of the programmes. Your R3 audience will just have heard 75 minutes of actors readings in Words and Music they don t need more. 3. Don t presume knowledge Do not presume knowledge amongst the audience about your Sunday Feature s subject or theme no matter how obvious it seems to you. There are very few global cultural figures who need no introduction on the Sunday Feature. Use the start of the programme to map out the territory for anyone new to this person, place or topic This is a programme for a general arts audience its subjects are often specialist and even informed listeners have blind spots of apparently obvious people and places. Sunday Features do need to be driven at a powerful intellectual speed but they always have to begin from a standing start. Before we dedicate 45 minutes of R3 air time to a subject, you need to make sure that your audience have been given the foundations. Avoid making your programme sound like a story which has already started elsewhere. 10 of 21

11 4. Language Avoid time references: in tonight s programme, this week we re celebrating. The Sunday Feature has a long listening life online that is increasingly important those time references soon become redundant. Avoid excessive references to minor characters in your story. History programmes particular are often flooded with names and detailed subordinate section. Audiences rarely remember them and they dissipate the narrative of a programme. Ask yourself and your presenter, do the listeners need to know this person s name to understand the main story? Avoid presenters and guests using presumptuous phrases such as of course, as we all know, so forth We all presume that etc. In location recordings, please make sure your presenter avoids the phrase I m standing in the Unfortunately, it has become a cliché in this slot. 5. Other points References to artists need explanation. A short pithy label is usually all that is needed. Don t say Fielding, but Henry Fielding, 18th century novelist. Expert presenters may find it natural to deliver a long conclusion at the end of their programme. Please discuss with them ways of avoiding reliance on this unless there is a genuine reveal or discovery at stake. We d rather hear key arguments at the start of the Feature, not saved till the end. When making poetry programmes, please use poets and interviewees to read the poems otherwise your programme will sound too similar to Words and Music which is broadcast before it. Programme should be judged as any other feature not just as an arts programme. 11 of 21

12 SECTION B: THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS 1. TIMETABLE The commissioning process consists of four stages, as set out in the timetable below: Stage Timings (all midday) Launch Thursday 7 September 2017 Activities Publication of commissioning brief documentation. 1. Short Proposal and shortlisting Thursday 5 October 2017 Thursday 19 October 2017 Short proposals submitted via Proteus. Commissioners shortlist suppliers and notify them of outcomes. Full proposals requested from those proceeding to next stage. 2. Full Proposal Mon 23 Oct Tues 12 Dec 2017 Tuesday 19 December 2017 Opportunity to discuss the brief with the commissioning editor prior to submitting full proposals. Full proposals submitted via Proteus. 3. Commissioning decisions made and contracts signed Friday 9 February 2018 Commissioning decisions made and suppliers notified of outcomes. Commissioning specifications agreed and contracts issued. 4. Feedback Friday 23 February 2018 Brief feedback on rejected full proposals provided in Proteus. Suppliers may request further feedback. We will assess your proposal according to this timetable. Late submissions cannot be accepted. If you have any questions about this commissioning brief that need answering before you submit your proposal, please send them to david.ireland@bbc.co.uk by Friday 29 September of 21

13 2. THE FOUR STAGES STAGE 1: Short proposal and initial shortlisting 1 Via Proteus, submit your short proposal. There is no eligibility questionnaire requirement. Your short proposal should summarise your idea for this programme in no more than 250 words. Please note, only the first 250 words of your short proposal will be read. 2 The commissioning editor, together with others from the evaluation team as necessary, will evaluate short proposals against the editorial requirements in Section A.2 of this brief. 3 You will be notified of the outcome of Stage 1. Shortlisted companies will be asked to submit a full proposal. No feedback will be provided for unsuccessful short proposals that are rejected. STAGE 2: Full proposal 1 Producers will be offered the opportunity to discuss the programme brief with the commissioning editor prior to submitting a full proposal 2 Shortlisted companies will submit a full proposal, via Proteus, responding to this commissioning brief, which includes all the elements outlined in Section C.1. Your full proposal should not exceed TWO sides of A4 in Arial size 11 font per episode. Please note, only the first two pages will be read. 3 The evaluation team will assess full proposals against the editorial requirements in Section A.2 of this brief STAGE 3: Commissioning decisions made and contracts awarded The decisions of the evaluation team are published in Proteus. specifications are agreed and contracts are issued. Any editorial See section D Contract Award. STAGE 4: Feedback Brief feedback on rejected full proposals will be provided in Proteus. Requests for further feedback should be made to david.ireland@bbc.co.uk 13 of 21

14 3. THE EVALUATION TEAM The following people may be involved in evaluating your proposal at various stages: Alan Davey, Controller, Radio 3 Matthew Dodd, Head of Speech Programmes, Radio 3 David Ireland, Commissions and Scheduling Manager, Radio 3 Subject matter experts may also be consulted. 14 of 21

15 SECTION C: FULL PROPOSALS 1. WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU Your Full Proposal must be entered into the main Synopsis section in Proteus by 12 noon on Tuesday 19 December 2017; late submissions cannot be accepted. It should not in total exceed two sides of A4 when printed using Arial font, size 11. If you have any questions regarding the submission of your full proposal, please send them to by Friday 8 December WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVE The BBC s nominated representatives for this commissioning brief are the Evaluation Team. No individual other than the BBC s nominated representatives (or their delegates as advised by the BBC) is authorised to discuss the contents or the substance of this commissioning brief with you. We ll let you know of any change or addition to the BBC s nominated representatives. RESPONSES TO YOUR QUESTIONS In the interest of fair competition, where we feel it s appropriate, anonymised questions and responses will be circulated to all producers. COPYRIGHT The BBC is a signatory to, and will abide by the principles of the APC Code. CONFIDENTIALITY Subject to the Freedom of Information Act, the BBC will keep confidential all commercially sensitive information included in responses to this commissioning brief and will only use this information for the purposes of evaluating the full proposal, provided that you have identified the confidential nature of any such information in your response documents. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT As a public authority, the BBC is required to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ( FOIA ), which came into force on 1 st January The FOIA is intended to deliver greater accountability for decisions and spending across the whole of the public sector. It requires public authorities to strike a balance between achieving transparency and protecting confidential or commercially sensitive information. 15 of 21

16 You should be aware that, under an FOIA request, the BBC may be required to disclose information contained within the full proposal or future contractual information. Following a request, the BBC may take the views of organisations submitting proposals into account when deciding what information will be disclosed. For more information on the Freedom of Information Act see bbc.co.uk/foi. COSTS As outlined in Section D.6 below, you submit responses to this commissioning brief and take part in this process at your own cost. A FIXED PRICE DEAL The contract will be offered as a fixed price deal; with you being responsible for any overspend and entitled to keep any underspend. 3. IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE This commissioning brief is not a contract. However, the information contained in this commissioning brief, together with your responses, will form the basis of the final contract between you and the BBC. The BBC reserves the right to exclude any producer who is found to either: a) have provided information which is untrue, or b) be in breach of any of the terms of the non-disclosure agreement. The BBC may modify the commissioning brief (including the timetable in Section B.1) at any time prior to the submission deadline. Any such amendment will be notified in writing to all prospective producers. To allow time for such amendment to be taken into account, the BBC may, at its discretion, extend the deadline for receipt of submissions. By submitting your proposal, you confirm acceptance of the key contract terms (see Section E). 16 of 21

17 SECTION D: COMMISSION AWARD 1. NOTIFICATION If you are awarded the commission, the commissioner will notify you in writing. 2. KEY CONTRACT TERMS Any contract resulting from the commissioning brief will be between the BBC and the successful producer and will include the BBC s key contract terms (see Section E). 3. DUE DILIGENCE The commissioner reserves the right to perform appropriate due diligence (including but not limited to financial and health and safety assessments) at any stage of the commissioning process before the award of a final contract to a producer. 4. MODIFICATIONS In awarding the commission, we may request additions or modifications to the editorial proposition to incorporate any BBC originated ideas, which may not have been included in your submission, provided that any such requests can be accommodated within the agreed contract price. 5. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION OF COMMISSIONING BRIEFS The BBC reserves the right at any time prior to the award of a commission, and without incurring any liability to the affected producers, to accept or to reject any proposal, or to annul the commissioning process, rejecting all full proposals. 6. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OFFERING A PROPOSAL All costs incurred directly or indirectly in responding to, preparing and submitting the full proposals or those costs which arise out of any presentations requested by the commissioner will be borne wholly by the producer. 7. PUBLICITY Producers shall not, without the prior consent of the BBC, make any reference to the BBC in any advertising, promotional or published material, nor speak in public about the BBC or its affairs in connection with this commissioning brief. 17 of 21

18 8. USE OF BBC LOGO Producers must not use or reproduce any BBC logo or otherwise make reference to the BBC without the prior consent of the BBC, other than to the extent required in order to prepare a response to the commissioning brief. 9. INDUCEMENT The offering of inducement of any kind in relation to obtaining this or any other contract with the BBC will automatically disqualify a producer and may constitute a criminal offence. 10. TRANSITION As the BBC is looking for an original programme, and not development of an existing programme, the BBC s view is that TUPE will not be relevant or applicable to these commissions. 11. COMPLIANCE AND BBC EDITORIAL GUIDELINES You will be required to deliver programmes that are in line with the BBC s Editorial Guidelines and be able to adapt to the BBC s changing editorial and business needs during the period of the commission. 18 of 21

19 SECTION E: KEY CONTRACT TERMS The successful producer will be the producer of the programme ( Producer ). The contract shall contain the following key contract terms: 1. PRE-CONDITIONS 4.1 The producer must comply with all relevant health and safety legislation for the time being in force and must either have been vetted by the BBC s Health and Safety department within the previous 36 months, or arrange to be revetted and obtain BBC health and safety approval prior to contract. 4.2 In making the programme the producer shall comply with the BBC Guidelines and comply with all applicable law including: child protection legislation, disability discrimination legislation, data protection legislation, anti-bribery legislation, construction design and management regulations and all regulations and orders made under such legislation. 4.3 The producer and the BBC will need to agree the detailed editorial specification, and for the avoidance of doubt, the producer will be required to secure the BBC s prior written approval of key off-air talent and production staff, including the executive producer. 4.4 Relevant personnel employed or engaged by the producer and working on the programme may be required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with the BBC in connection with access they are granted to any BBC systems in the course of producing and delivering the programme to the BBC. 2. FINANCE 2.1 Financial terms shall reflect Section A of the commissioning brief and the producer s response as accepted and confirmed by the BBC. 3. CONTRACT RIGHTS AND REVENUE 3.1 Production of the programme is offered on the BBC s General Terms contract. 4. TERMINATION 4.1 The commissioner shall be entitled to terminate the contract (without prejudice to any other rights or remedies that the BBC may have) in the event that the commissioner determines (acting reasonably) that one (or more) of the pre-conditions set out above are not being fulfilled. 19 of 21

20 APPENDIX 1: ABOUT THE BBC The BBC provides a diverse range of broadcast services under a Royal Charter. The greater portion of the BBC s income comes from the licence fee. In spending this money, the BBC has an obligation to demonstrably secure best value for money for the licence fee payer in all aspects of its day-to-day activities. The BBC is unique in British broadcasting. Our reputation is built on quality, public service, distinctiveness, objectivity and indigenous programme making. Recent years have seen fundamental changes in the broadcasting industry, with more competition and a wider range of services. The BBC now offers major radio networks, a substantial online presence, a number of TV channels, and over 40 local radio stations, as well as a range of other services. As part of the Charter renewal process in 2016, the BBC committed itself to open up more of its output to competition. By % of network radio broadcasting will be competed under a commissioning framework based on principles of fairness and transparency. A key part of demonstrating value for money in delivering the BBC s services is the continuing need to form effective and strategic supplier relationships and to work with producers to maximise efficiency and innovation and work closely together for mutual benefit. For further information on the BBC s business activities, please visit BBC Radio's commissioning website. 20 of 21

21 APPENDIX 2: BBC RADIO VISION & OBJECTIVES 21 of 21