BBC World Service; Network and programme Imaging Package 2018 The BBC World Service is opening a commissioning round for a new network and programme imaging package for introduction in 2018. THE STATION The BBC World Service is the world’s leading English language radio broadcaster, producing a variety of news, factual, cultural and sports programming, reaching 75m globally every week via direct distribution, digital and broadcast partners. It has a world class reputation: offering a ‘rich mix’ of news, business, documentaries, arts, music and sport. Audio content is becoming more accessible than ever; and the BBC World Service needs a fresh, contemporary sound to reflect its broad range of output and to drive new audiences to our content. Our enviable global audience of 75 million (including an important UK audience) all share a sense of curiosity about the world and a desire to connect with that world; our audience is everywhere. Our surveys show the biggest single audiences are in Africa and the United States, but listeners find us on short-wave, FM, online and mobile in just about every country. Our audience is both discerning and demanding. They are also making a choice to listen to us. More than 50% of our audience comes via partner stations. In most markets there will be increasingly vibrant local media and access to other global media, so we have to be both appealing and relevant. The average age of our audience is 33. However, our audience is younger in Africa and older in the US and UK. We have a growing online and social media presence (5.4 million fans on Facebook, where female engagement is 53% female and 46% male) and BBC World Service podcasts do very well - in July, nearly 23 million people downloaded our content. Whilst the BBC World Service’s schedule can be flexible to adapt to breaking news – terrorist attacks, Turkey Coup attempt, or the death of significant individuals - we ensure there’s a broad range of topics and styles on the Network and, increasingly, we want to take people on a journey that offers much more in terms of a portrait of the world and how we live. 1 Version 1.0 – September 2017 BBC World Service core values are: • Accuracy, independence and impartiality in delivering news and analysis • World class storytelling • Respect for all communities and viewpoints to create trust • Global in attitude, reach and contributors Current Positioning: Currently there is a lack of clarity about our on-air sound. We’ve had branding music in place but, over time, this has slowly been removed or replaced. Some programmes have introduced their own branding often using library music. As more than 50% of our audience consumes us via partner stations, the BBC World Service is both a network and content provider and programmes can sit on an FM, mostly music, station in Africa and on a speech station in the US on Public Radio. Our latest research shows that BBC World Service’s audiences seek to understand the world and make sense of international trends within their own personal context. The audience’s relationship with the news media is evolving and moving away from a relationship based on deferential trust and facts towards one that is based on narrative, participation, passion and opinion. Audiences are looking for relevance and a recognisably human connection with their news provider, which we are calling the ‘shared experience’ model of building trust. This is being done through the BBC World Service 2020 expansion of programming. We would like to tell stories that are more human and bold and create a space where stories, opinions, ideas and approaches can be shared and explored. Given the global nature of our audience, and that listeners may or may not have English as a first language, clarity is another important network quality. BBC World Service clock In order for our many Partner stations around the world to opt in and out, The BBC World Service follows a strict clock. There’s a full breakdown of the clock at the end of this document – you need to listen to the BBC World Service to get a feel for how it works. Elements of the clock are: 1’ opening/point forward (billboard) 5’ News 23” programme or part one (if an hour long programme) 1’ promotion 30” opening/point forward (billboard) 26’30” programme or part two (if an hour long programme) 30” promotion 24” pre-top of the hour sequence (prelude) 2 Version 1.0 – September 2017 Brief: The BBC World Service would like to commission a contemporary, distinctive, fresh and high quality network-wide imaging package that reflects the ‘rich mix’ of news, business, documentaries, arts, music and sport which form the schedule. This package will all be original with no elements from the existing package. As more of our content will be consumed as podcasts, either on-demand or serendipitously, the relationship with the BBC World Service will become more personal. We want an ambitious and attention-grabbing sound that can reflect the direction of the BBC World Service in 2018 and beyond, whether you are listening on Digital Radio in the UK, an FM partner in Kenya or on WNYC in the United States. We want a sound that reflects the diversity, the warmth and intelligent personality of our output. This isn’t about grand sweeping fanfares and long sigs, we want music to talk over, around and up to, however the station is consumed, whether online, download, FM or on shortwave. The music should be distinctive given the growth of partner distribution and our lack of ability to control the branding and messaging on partner stations. Much of our branding is lost when we syndicate our content and this is an opportunity to introduce the BBC World Service brand into the overall sound. Additionally, the station branding will need to link, organically, all of the programmes through a theme or motif to create an identity for the station. The music does not have to be the same across all programmes or genres of programming, but all suggestions are welcome. We are looking for an instrumental (and real instruments) package only, not a sung logo. The package will consist of: Prelude – the run up to the top of the hour/pips Business Matters Newsday Business Daily World Update OS Weekend (Weekend Breakfast programme) Focus on Africa World Book Club 10 x idents Tech Tent Weekend Sportsworld 10 x 59” menu music 3 Version 1.0 – September 2017 Sonic logo Whist for many radio stations – R2, 5Live, LBC and Classic FM – a strong sonic logo is essential and works; we are not necessary looking for one. We are open to ideas but not wedded to the concept. We have the GTS (pips) and, around the world, they are a sonic logo. Prelude The prelude is the most important part of this package - pre-top of the hour sequence. In remote parts of the world, people often make a conscious effort to listen to the news and the prelude runs under the GTS (Pips) so this needs to stand out be warm and welcoming. Imaging required is as follows: 1 x 28” main prelude theme 1 x 28” neutral version – breaking news Newsday Newsday is the BBC World Service breakfast programme - Each weekday, the programme brings you comprehensive live news, business and sport from around the world – it’s conversational and less formal in tone. There are two editions (0200 – 0500 and 0500 – 0830 GMT). Both will use the same theme. Imaging required for Newsday is as follows: 1 x 59” billboard theme 2 x opening music and Resolving stings/tags 2 x prefade/end of programme music. 1 x 29” billboard theme Various stings Business Matters Business Matters is a Tuesday to Saturday (0000 – 0100 GMT) programme offering global business news, with live guests and it brings together contributors from Asia and the USA. Imaging required for Business Matters is as follows: 1 x 59” billboard theme 2 x opening music and Resolving stings/tags 2 x prefade/end of programme music. 1 x 29” billboard theme Various stings 4 Version 1.0 – September 2017 Business Daily Business daily is a weekday take on the drama of money and work – it runs from 0830 – 0850 GMT Monday to Friday and gets behind the big business news headlines, it brings you the daily drama of money and work from across the BBC. Imaging required for Business Daily is as follows: 1 x 29” billboard theme 1 x opening music and Resolving stings/tags 1 x prefade/end of programme music. Various stings World Update Running from 0900 – 1000 GMT Monday to Friday, World Update is an hour long news programme aimed at the East Coast of the USA offering a digest of news and features News and issues making the headlines Imaging required for World Update is as follows: 1 x 59” billboard theme 2 x opening music and Resolving stings/tags 1 x prefade/end of programme music. 1 x 29” billboard theme Various stings Focus on Africa Focus on Africa is a ‘drive-time’ programme covering the biggest African and international stories. There are thee editions per day (Monday to Friday) and one per day on Saturday and Sunday with reports and analysis of the day's political, economic and sports news from across Africa. Imaging required for Focus on Africa is as follows: 1 x 59” billboard theme 2 x opening music and Resolving stings/tags 1 x prefade/end of programme music. 1 x 29” billboard theme Various stings 5 Version 1.0 – September 2017 OS OS runs from 1500 – 1700 GMT, Monday to Friday, offering a vibrant account of the day's events with explanation and reaction from those involved – all live from the floor of the New Broadcasting House newsroom.