Welcome tothe BBC Radio 4 & 4 Extra Readings Tender Briefing

19 November 2012

Denis Nowlan

Network Manager

READINGS TENDERS 2013 TIMETABLE

19 April Guidelines published27 June Submissions deadlineLate July Results

Short Readings

Book of the WeekBook at Bedtime

4 Extra Short Readings (indies)

5 July Guidelines published12 Sep Submissions deadlineLate Oct Results

ANNUAL AVAILABLE BUSINESS Book of the Week - 260 programmes

- 52 commissionsShort Readings - 102 programmes

- 50 commissionsBook at Bedtime - 260 programmes

- 26 commissions4 Extra Short Readings - 25 programmes

- 5 commissions

TENDER PERIODS

Radio 4 Extra short readings Nov 2013 - March 2014

Radio 4 strands2 years

April 2014 - March 2016

Entering a proposal• Detailed requirements will be set out in the tender

documents.• These will be published on the BBC commissioning website

on the dates shown above.• You will be asked to submit examples of relevant work via a

file-sharing service.• Examples should have been produced within 4 years prior

to the start of the tender.• They need not have been broadcast on Radio 4 or 4 Extra.

Emma Trevelyan

Senior Commercial Legal and Business Affairs Manager

Presenters/ Interviewees/ Narrators/ Voiceovers

Narrator (acting performance): 2 transmissions on BBC’s analogue networks, Primary New Media Rights, with further repeats (including on BBC Digital Radio Services) and uses to be clearable in accordance with BBC’s collective agreements with Equity.

The Producer is required to add the following wording in its contracts with any Actors it engages for the Programme:“The BBC may also use the recording(s) of the Artist's performance hereunder in accordance with the terms of any agreement between the BBC and Equity which may for the time being be in force and applicable.”

Narrator (simple narration): As per General Term 6.2

Writers Source Material: 2 transmissions on BBC’s analogue networks, Primary New Media Rights, repeats on BBC Digital Radio Services for 5 years from first analogue broadcast with further repeats and uses to be clearable in accordance with BBC’s collective agreements with the Publishers Association

Commissioned Material: 2 transmissions on BBC’s analogue networks, Primary New Media Rights, unlimited repeats on BBC Digital Radio Services for 5 years from first analogue broadcast with further repeats and uses to be clearable in accordance with BBC’s [radio terms and conditions for commissioning abridgements/ short stories [in use at the date of this Programme Production Agreement].

Michael Davis

Head Of Finance

Chris Hutchings

Research Manager

Chris Hutchings: Research Manager, Radio 4, 4 Extra and A&MiNovember 2012

Readings on Radio 4

A story in three parts…

• Chapter 1.

• Media habits.

• Chapter 2.

• Radio 4’s performance.

• Chapter 3.

• Readings on Radio 4.

Chapter 1. Media habits.

With growing device ownership, the way we engage with media is evolving.

Chapter 2. Radio 4’s performance.

Key Radio 4 numbers…

10.8mWeekly reach

12.5%Share

11:48Av. hours

Source: RAJAR Q3 2012 / BBC Pulse Panel YTD 2012

Chapter 3. Readings on Radio 4.

Radio 4’s typical audience flow.

Source: RAJAR Q3 2012

0600

-061

5

0645

-070

0

0730

-074

5

0815

-083

0

0900

-091

5

0945

-100

0

1030

-104

5

1115

-113

0

1200

-121

5

1245

-130

0

1330

-134

5

1415

-143

0

1500

-151

5

1545

-160

0

1630

-164

5

1715

-173

0

1800

-181

5

1845

-190

0

1930

-194

5

2015

-203

0

2100

-211

5

2145

-220

0

2230

-224

5

2315

-233

0

2400

-241

5

2445

-250

0

2530

-254

5

1,271

471653

256

334

Typical weekday Sunday Book of the weekBook at bedtime

000s

Short Stories (fri)Short Stories (sun)

Who’s tuning in?

Source: RAJAR Q3 2012 (12 month weight)

Short Stories (Su 1945)

Short Stories (F 1545)

Book at Bedtime (M-F 2245)

Book of the Week (M-F 2430)

Book of the Week (M-F0945)

Radio 4

0% 50% 100%

Male Female

Short Stories (Su 1945)

Book at Bedtime (M-F 2245)

Book of the Week (M-F 0945)

0% 50% 100%

15-34yrs 35-44yrs 45-54yrs

55-64yrs 65-74yrs 75yrs+

How do the numbers tuning in compare to past years?

Source: RAJAR Q3 2005 – Q3 2012

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

2,933

643

1,449

471.1

333.6

Book of the Week (M-F 0945) Book of the Week (M-F 2430)

Book at Bedtime (M-F 2245) Short Stories (F 1545)

Short Stories (Su 1945) Afternoon Readings (Tu-Th 1530)

000s

And in terms of their share of hours…

Source: RAJAR Q3 2005 – Q3 2012

Q3 2005

Q4 2005

Q1 2006

Q2 2006

Q3 2006

Q4 2006

Q1 2007

Q2 2007

Q3 2007

Q4 2007

Q1 2008

Q2 2008

Q3 2008

Q4 2008

Q1 2009

Q2 2009

Q3 2009

Q4 2009

Q1 2010

Q2 2010

Q3 2010

Q4 2010

Q1 2011

Q2 2011

Q3 2011

Q4 2011

Q1 2012

Q2 2012

Q3 2012

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

9.9

15.6

18.6

7

10.4

Book of the Week (M-F 0945) Book of the Week (M-F 2430)

Book at Bedtime (M-F 2245) Short Stories (F 1545)

Short Stories (Su 1945) Afternoon Readings (Tu-Th 1530)

%

What do the audience think about our readings?

Source: BBC Pulse Panel

In their own words…

“A fascinating book perfectly read.”

“A good choice once again, would be interesting to find out how the programme makers find their books.”

“Beautifully read.”

“Amazing writing. Amazing performance.”

“It seemed to be quite repetitive.”

“Her voice is off-putting, rather dribbly.”

“Dull and predictable.”

“It has gone on FAR too long. It is into it's THIRD week.”

“Not many significant plot developments.”

“Very interesting good enough to close my eyes and imagine I was there.”

“Sort of thing Radio 4 does so well.”

“Delightful story. beautifully read.”

“More-more-more.”

“Yet another excellent entertaining interesting and enjoyable episode of a good story.”

“Very well read and thought provoking.”

“An excellent choice of reader. He conveyed the atmosphere ideally.”

Source: BBC Pulse Panel

The End.

Caroline Raphael

Commissioning Editor, Comedy, Radio 4 and Commissioning Editor, Radio 4 Extra

Précis of Book at Bedtime Presentation November 2012

This is a long standing strand on BBC Radio 4 and the home of abridged fiction readings.1n 12/13 we broadcast 29 titles made by 5 BBC departments and 4 Independents. The books fell into 4 categories.THE CLASSICS: we broadcast 5 of those in this financial year.They are not difficult to suggest and most good radio producers with experience of working with actors could provide those. THE OBSCURE CLASSIC: we broadcast 2 of those.You need to be a real reader to find this sort of thing. But all in the public domain if you know where to look for them. SLOW BURNERS: we broadcast 2 of these. These are the books that we don’t do on publication. We may well have just not noticed them on publication; they won’t get a lot of reviews or a big marketing push. But you start to see people reading them, talking about them, lending to their friends etc. At this stage we may decide to do them. PASSION PROJECTS: we did 1 of these this year.All readings producers have a favourite book or two that they would love to produce. There is no particular reason to do it...they just love it. And from time to time we do them! So far that’s 10 titles. About a third of the slot. And the third that almost all producers could supply well as all the titles were in the public domain already.The two key areas that we are most interested in for the tender are the following.NEW WRITERS OR EMERGING WRITERS ON PUBOICATION and WORK BY WELL KNOWN WRITERS ON PUBLICATION.These books are rarely in the catalogues when we first start reading them or commissioning them. They may not even be in final proof. The producers get these texts because of their relationships with literary agents, with publishers, with the marketing directors of the publishing houses, with the Press Office at the publisher…sometimes because they have a working relationship with the writer themselves. We do these books on publication because it is great for the listeners and because it makes the network feel connected to the cultural world beyond Radio 4. Each of the suppliers have produced at least two books that fall into this category and every supplier produced a book by someone not well known or a first time novelist at the point of broadcast. What we broadcast is the tip of the iceberg. You have to love reading fiction to work in this area. Probably over 300 book titles are read and discussed each year. It is surprising how few books are read by more than one company or department.The tender will test how well you can supply the range of books as detailed above, the type of literature you are keen to supply, your skill in working with abridgers and your experience in working with actors. You will also have to prove to us that you know what is being published, what is being written, what is under commission well into the future. A period will be specified that won’t be covered by any of the catalogues published at the date of the tender. We will expect you to have seen or discussed some or all of the tiles you suggest. If your contacts are good enough by the tender date this will not be a problem for you. Précis of BBC Radio 4 Extra presentation. Independents only.We will be tendering for 5 titles (25 episodes) for transmission between autumn 2013 and end of March 2014. These will be productions of published short stories.

Jane Ellison

Commissioning Editor, General Factual, Radio 4

Book of the Week

Book of the Week• Casting

• Love of non fiction

• Finding the right books

• Topicality

Book of the Week• Extracting not abridging

• Defamation and indemnities

• Negotiating skills

• Range and variety

Caroline Raphael

Commissioning Editor, Comedy, Radio 4 and Commissioning Editor, Radio 4 Extra

SHORT READINGSThey are broadcast at 1545 on a Friday, 1945 on a Sunday.There is a late night repeat slot once a week. This is very different from the other slots. It’s about creating new work from a range of writers. We are creating the work not broadcasting a version of it. Absolutely part of BBC’s cultural patronage.

5 BBC Departments2 Independents

We will commission 102 readings a year.

Diversity is important because of the commissioned output and need to support writers across the UK. We have strong BBC departments across England and the Nations – not just in London.

PublishedI group the work into three categories. Published is new work or classic work already in the public domain.You won’t be asked about this in the tender. The next two you will.

Unsolicited, New & Emerging Writers

You will be asked to demonstrate you can deliver work by brand new writers or writers that are beginning to emerge – perhaps in new writing publications, via creative writing course, local writing groups etc. We appreciate how difficult it is for a small department or company to have an permanent open door for unsolicited readings. They will be overwhelmed. But there are other ways of encouraging unsolicited work.

COMMISSIONSThis is at the heart of what we do. Commission established writers to write a new short story or run of short stories for Radio 4. You will need to demonstrate you have experience of commissioning new work from writers.

You will also need to demonstrate your ability to cast and direct actors.

You will be asked about what you can bring to the slot; how you will approach it creatively.

But first and foremost – do you have the relevant experience in commissioning and editing new fiction which is what bulk of slot is about.

COMMISSIONS + UNSOLICITED/NEW & EMERGING WRITERS = over 65% OF OUTPUT. This figure will fluctuate from year to year but this is roughly what we are looking for. It will fluctuate depending on what published work is available for consideration and from who.