RADIO COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK Commissioning Brief Commissioning Brief No: 50020 Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review Production of BBC Radio 5 Live’s flagship programme ‘Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review’ starting 16th August 2019. 1 of 16 CONTENTS SECTION A: EDITORIAL OPPORTUNITY........................................................................... 3 SECTION B: THE COMMISSIONING PROCESS ................................................................. 8 1. TIMETABLE .......................................................................................................... 8 2. THE FIVE STAGES ................................................................................................. 9 3. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA ..................................................................................... 11 SECTION C: FULL PROPOSALS ...................................................................................... 12 1. WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU ............................................................................. 12 2. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US ............................................................................. 13 3. IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE .......................................................................... 15 2 of 16 SECTION A: EDITORIAL OPPORTUNITY Commissioning Brief 50028 Friday Entertainment Commission contact RICHARD MADDOCK Duration 2 years with option for additional 1 year. Number of programmes available Production of 5 Live’s flagship programme ‘Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review’. 48 programme per year. Transmission period 16th August 2019 – August 2020 Guide price per episode £3000 per week for the production of weekly live show and production of weekly podcast. This is to include delivery of standard social assets. An additional £250 per week is available to be pitched for, for delivery of show clips. Presenter fees will be covered by the BBC but all other production fees (including outside recording) and guest fees to be covered by the producer. Commissioning Year 2019 Commissioning Round Kermode and Mayo Production Location London All proposals must be submitted via Proteus and go through Production eligibility checks first. Please make your short proposal using no more than 250 words. Important Notes: Short Proposals must be submitted via Proteus before the deadline at noon on Wednesday May 15th 2019 and should be no longer than 500 words. There is no ‘Eligibility’ stage on this proposal. The suppliers that perform best in the Short Proposal stage (by best demonstrating their experience and capability in producing live speech programmes) will then have their Full Proposal assessed. This should be no longer than 5 sides of A4. It should be entered into the ‘full synopsis’ section of the Proteus submission form. Producers are not permitted to contact on-air talent without prior approval of the commissioner. Any producer found to be in breach of this will be excluded from the commissioning process. We strongly advise you to submit your Proposals in good time to avoid the possibility of difficulties caused by unforeseen network or transmission problems. No late submissions will be accepted. 3 of 16 BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is the home of news, conversation and the best live sport. On 5 Live we deliver informed, topical national debate to around 5 and a half million listeners every week. The station aims to set the national agenda on big news stories through the ownership of key issues and we put the audience at the heart of everything we do. Broadcasting from our base outside London, we take our commitment to reflect how the whole of the UK really thinks and feels very seriously. Almost every week we are on location telling more stories from more places than any other broadcaster, capturing the widest range of voices and views. We also travel the world to give our listeners insight into life beyond our borders. A truly interactive station, we aim to pioneer innovative new ways of bringing our content to audiences, particularly those under the age of 45, in both linear and digital ways. Our ground-breaking podcast strategy has seen download figures treble over the last few years with over 8 million downloads in a single month. Sister station 5 Live Sports Extra is the BBC’s home of live sport. The station transmits on digital platforms only and broadcasts live sport commentary on an ad hoc basis. The station is well-known for its coverage of cricket (Test Match Special); Rugby League; Women’s Football and Formula 1, amongst many other sports. Across both stations, our world-class sports coverage and commentary brings nation-uniting moments to life across many different sports. We can cover up to 50 different sports during the year but our priority is football. We broadcast over 100 commentaries from the Premier League each season in addition to commentaries from The Champions League and International games. Network Strategy 5 Live’s aim is to grow its distinctiveness and purpose as a channel that ‘listens to the UK’. We aim to tell more stories, from more places with more voices than anyone else. The station has broad appeal with a strategy to inform and entertain our target 25 to 44 year olds on air and under 35 year olds digitally. We have five key audience values: 1. To be innovative in our output; 2. To be rigorous in our journalistic integrity 3. To be open and involving in our audience debates 4. To show empathy for what really matters to our audience 5. To be energetic in our delivery. Through our distinctive agenda, we aim to be a place where people across the UK come to talk about issues that affect them with more diverse voices on air than any other network. Our short-form innovation and digital growth is a priority in attracting new audiences. 5 Live also brings world-class commentary to the UK across a wide range of sport. 4 of 16 Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review has been broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live for 18 years. It is the BBC’s flagship film programme and has developed a strong and loyal audience since it first broadcast in 2001. Along with the weekly film reviews and a countdown of the week’s top 10 movies, the programme also speaks to the biggest names in the movie business, from Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks, to Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. The programme is also famed for the unique relationship between the two presenters, critic Mark Kermode and presenter Simon Mayo. Their on-air sparring and searing honesty can results in some of the most memorable moments of the week, be it one of Mark’s legendary “Kermodean rants”, or one of Simon’s cutting observations off the back of it. Another key feature of the programme is its relationship with the listeners. The show has a cult following and the audience contact the show with their own reviews and funny stories. The show is broadcast live every Friday afternoon and from June 2019 will be in its new time slot of 3-5pm. A one hour edited version of the show is played out on Sat evenings 8-9pm. The show’s podcast is one of the BBC’s biggest titles with nearly 1 million downloads per month. This is one of 5 Live’s most iconic programmes. It has won many awards over the years and continues to be the leading authority on film in the BBC. Success Measures The success of the Friday linear show and the Saturday edited repeat will be measured by Rajar with a particular focus on under 45s. The podcast will be measured by download figures with particular focus on under 35s. Targets will be discussed with the winning applicant. Your Proposal You should be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of producing live speech radio programmes on a national level. You should demonstrate a thorough understanding of 5 Live’s audience ambitions and be familiar with the programme. You should have good planning and talent management skills and be able to book A- list guests for the programme. While the show does have a clear vision and simple format that we are not looking to change, we would like to see how you would work with the presenters to grow the audience, particularly within the target demographic. How would you attract more younger listeners and how would you keep the show sounding fresh and creative within its current format? You should also demonstrate how you will continue to build the profile of the show through the podcast and during the week when it isn’t on air through social media etc. 5 of 16 Your proposal should address the following topics: Detailed knowledge of live speech radio production: You’ll need to demonstrate a track record in delivering live radio programmes with particular emphasis on speech and entertainment. Your creative plan for the show and your strategy to bring in new audiences to 5 Live: You’ll be expected to demonstrate how you propose to not only maintain the high standard of the show, but how to add to it. How will you increase the audience levels and attract under-45s? What would you do to keep the show sounding fresh and relevant and a real appointment to listen every Friday afternoon? What level of knowledge do you have about the movie business that will enable you to help drive the editorial of the programme? Guest booking: Do you have the production capacity and contacts to maintain the highest level of guest bookings every week, from Hollywood A- listers to the most exciting new names in the business? Digital engagement: The weekly podcast is hugely successful but still has room to grow. How would you help grow it even further? The programme has a strong social media following - how will you use it to build the shows profile and attract new audiences? Planning and Management: You should know how to work with top talent and how to create an environment that encourages creativity. You should have good communication skills and understand the processes needed to produce a programme with lots of listener interaction. Who would you suggest as deps for Mark and Simon when they are away? BBC standards and values – You’ll need to demonstrate an understanding of our expectations at the BBC - including a thorough understanding of the BBC's editorial guidelines and health and safety procedures.