Annual Report 2020-2021 About this document This report summarises the activities of the Audio Content Fund from April 2020 – March 2021. It breaks down the bids received, and details the successful projects and their intended outcomes. This edition is labelled an Interim Report since, at the time of writing, several of the later projects have not yet entered production or been broadcast. It will be superseded by a Final Report once the final project has been broadcast. Author: Sam Bailey, Managing Director, Audio Content Fund Date: 15 June 2021 Contents 4 Executive Summary 5 Sam Bailey, Managing Director of the ACF 5 Helen Boaden, Chair of the Independent Funding Panel 6 Background to the Audio Content Fund 6 Summary of Payments 7 Summary of Successful Bids 8 Companies with Successful Bids 11 Bidding Guidelines 11 Independent Funding Panel 12 Assessment Process 12 Evaluation Criteria 14 Details of Funded Projects 16 Funded Projects 76 Projects still to be completed 88 References 89 Closing Statement Executive Summary 1. The Audio Content Fund (ACF) exists 8. 74% of the funded projects were from to finance the creation of original, high suppliers based outside of London. quality, crafted, public-service material for Projects were funded for broadcast on broadcast on commercial and community local stations in all four nations of the UK, radio. It is part of a pilot Contestable Fund, with content produced in English, Gaelic, funded by the UK Government. Irish and Ulster Scots. 2. The industry trade bodies AudioUK and 9. All bids are assessed for the diversity of Radiocentre set up the ACF in 2018, and their representation, and 1 in 5 of the it distributed grant funding totalling funded projects were primarily focused £655,898 in financial year 2019-2020. on BAME, LGBT, and disabled narratives For financial year 2020-21, it was set to or perspectives. distribute a further £1,000,000. 10. The ACF has significantly improved 3. Bidding in 2020-21 was due to take place the plurality of crafted, quality, public in three equally-funded bidding rounds service content broadcast on radio in (April, September and January) but in the UK in the year 2020-21. Of the 90 April, £400,000 of funding was brought funded projects, 55 were broadcast on forward to a special round to support commercial radio, none of which would audiences during coronavirus restrictions. have been funded via conventional Later in the year this funding was replaced commercial relationships. 38 of the by DCMS, who went on to provide an projects were broadcast on community additional £300,000 for content to support radio partnerships, adding significant audiences experiencing winter loneliness. impact to stations that are mostly This took the total grant budget for the volunteer-led, charitable or non-profit year to £1.7m. organisations. 4. Across the year, 232 bids were received, 11. During the uncertainty of the coronavirus representing a total value of £4.46m pandemic, the ACF provided audio production companies with additional 5. Bids were assessed by the ACF’s revenue opportunities, which in turn led Independent Funding Panel, comprised to additional or replacement work for an of four people, resulting in a total of 90 often-struggling freelance workforce. The projects being selected for funding. broadcasts themselves provided reliable information, support, companionship, 6. The allocated grants range from £5k to escapism, and entertainment for millions £61k and total £1,704,431. The funded of listeners. projects will collectively generate 420 hours of content, and reach an estimated 12. Year 3 of the ACF has begun, with a gross audience of 14.5m listeners on planned grant budget of £1m to be Analogue and DAB radio stations. distributed in August 2021, November 2021 and March 2022. 7. Building on its work in Year 1, ACF funding has continued to stimulate the 13. 2021-22 will be the third and final year of independent production sector, growing the fund’s original pilot scheme. The first that market and providing new business two years of the ACF have exceeded all opportunities for audio indies. Of the 90 expectations, demonstrating the huge projects, 67 are from new production/ value and impact of contestable funding broadcaster partnerships – indies and in the radio and audio sector. radio stations that have never worked together before. Annual Report 2020-21 4 Sam Bailey, ACF Managing Director Helen Boaden, Funding Panel Chair In February 2020, we laid Radio’s superpower has out bold plans to push always been connection: the Audio Content Fund bringing people forward in its second year, together while brilliantly by building on what we’d entertaining them. In 2020, learnt in a fantastic Year 1, we all needed connection with a range of experimental new like never before, so ACF approaches to distributing grant funding. launched two extra commissioning rounds The next month, as every other organisation for Covid-related programmes. We wanted across the world had to, we tore up our plans ideas which could inform, amuse, console, and thought instead about how we could uplift and bring humour and entertainment to contribute to supporting audiences and millions of listeners facing an unprecedented businesses struggling as the coronavirus situation. We were not disappointed. restrictions changed our world overnight. Independents and radio stations of every size responded magnificently. Our approach was to divert £200,000 of the year’s planned £1m grant budget to a rolling We supported a range of cancelled music funding round, with decisions made weekly, and cultural festivals – KISS Fest, for example, and content made and broadcast within a delivered 99 hours of DJ sets across 36 hours month. The budget eventually doubled, and of continuous broadcasting, on three radio £400,000 was spent on 28 different projects stations. At a time of physical isolation, it across the first 8 weeks of the UK’s initial connected young people around the country lockdown period. Content covered a range of to each other through the music and DJs they themes: radio shows replacing things listeners love. We commissioned bespoke programmes had lost, like live music, arts and comedy; of practical pandemic tips, like Homeschool programming building a sense of community, Helpers, Don’t Worry Be Healthy, and 60 through discussion, family stories and local Second Support. We welcomed ideas which connections; material to support listeners with helped listeners with their mental health, their mental health and fitness; and stories such as Self-Isolating with Lee and Dean - an celebrating frontline heroes from a range of innovative short form comedy series, about backgrounds. two builders keeping in touch while keeping their distance. We were delighted that, later in the year, DCMS were able to replace those diverted funds with And of course, we celebrated the heroism an additional £400,000, meaning we could of our front-line workers in shows such as still fulfil some of the ambition we had back Lockdown Love Letters where real letters of in the heady pre-pandemic days. We were appreciation to key-workers in Northern Ireland also able to distribute a further £300,000 in an were voiced by actors and crafted into beautiful extra funding round to combat loneliness in soundscapes. The pandemic was a catalyst for the Covid Winter of early 2021. Having planned some wonderful public service radio content for that annual grant funding budget of £1m, but we’ve also been delighted with the the year ended with us having distributed creativity of our regular commissioning. We’ve a total of £1.7m, and reached an estimated seen great sports ideas, growing numbers 14.5m listeners – in a year when they needed of short form dramas, wildly imaginative connection more than ever before. children’s content and community radio stations linking together to make a real impact While 2020 will forever be remembered as with their offers. the year of pandemic lockdowns, I know that many will also remember the incredible In marking an extraordinary year, I applaud the content they heard on their radios when they ACF team led by Sam Bailey which has worked were stuck at home. I’m immensely proud flat out, and I thank my fellow panellists that the UK radio and audio sector were able for their dedication. Choosing the right to mobilise so quickly, enthusiastically and commissions is getting harder for us as the effectively to support audiences with such number and quality goes up but that can only extraordinary creativity. be great news for the listeners. 5 Audio Content Fund Background to the Audio Content Fund The Audio Content Fund is a scheme that provides funding to support the creation of original radio and audio production in the UK. The ACF is part of a pilot Contestable Fund, financed by the UK Government, to support the provision and plurality of public service content that is traditionally more difficult to produce on a commercial basis (such as documentaries, comedy, drama, events). In 2018, following their discussions with government on the positive potential for contestable funding for radio content, industry trade bodies AudioUK (for independent audio-led production companies) and Radiocentre (for commercial radio) were tasked by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport with setting up the pilot fund. Audio Content Fund Ltd. was formed in October 2018, and the company entered into a grant agreement with DCMS to distribute £3million over three years, structured as £800,000 in the first year, £1,100,000 in the second, and £1,100,00 in the third, all inclusive of administrative costs. ACF appointed a Managing Director, Sam Bailey, to oversee the operation of the fund from April 2019. Funding decisions are made by an Independent Funding Panel, who report to the company directors via the Managing Director.