BBC - Commissioning Radio - Radio 4 / Radio 4 Extra

What We Want

Radio 4 / Radio 4 Extra

Radio4 & Radio 4Xtra

The remit of Radio 4 is to be a mixed speech service, offering in-depth news and current affairs and a wide range of other speech output including drama, readings, comedy, factual and magazine programmes.

The station should appeal to listeners seeking intelligent programmes in many genres which inform, educate and entertain.

BBC 7 launched in December 2002. It was renamed BBC Radio 7 in October 2008. It relaunched in April 2011 as BBC Radio 4 Extra. The digital network is the principal outlet for the BBC's archive of speech entertainment, including comedy, drama and readings.

More information on the remits can be found here for BBC Radio 4 and here for BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Commissioning round updates

Commissioning news

Jane Ellison will return to the Radio 4 commissioning team this month after a year's attachment developing major partnerships for Audio & Music.

She will resume her commissioning editor responsibilities for general factual programmes, while continuing to work on external partnerships for Radio 4 and the rest of A&M for 2 days a week.

Jane will be back in the Radio 4 fold from 20 February, in time for the launch of our major commissioning round for 2013 -14.

RADIO 4 COMMISSIONING TIMETABLE - SPRING 2012

In this round we aim to do most of our commissioning for drama and factual slots for 2013-14 (although issues of topicality will apply to some) and half of our commissioning for comedy and entertainment.

There will be a small round in autumn 2012 to complete commissioning for comedy and entertainment and any remaining factual business.

More details about the round and the commissioning briefs will be announced soon.

Guidelines published	Friday 24th February
Briefing in the Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House - invite details here	Monday 27th February
Pre-offers deadline	Wednesday 28th March - 12 noon
Pre-offers results	Friday 27th April
Final offers deadline	Thursday 31st May - 12 noon
Results released	Last week of July

Radio 4 Extra - Main Commissioning Round 2012/2013- SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

Radio 4 Extra have announced their main commissioning round for programmes for 2012/2013.

The downloads section of this page contains the commissioning details pack with information about the three different commissioning briefs available:

Compilations / Selection Programmes
Short Stories
Crime and Thriller / Science Fiction Readings (abridgements)

All discussions should be made with Mary Kalemkerian, Head of Programmes Radio 4Extra, in advance of the formal submission of proposals on RAP/Proteus.

Please note, you still need to select Radio 7 as the commissioning network in Proteus, not Radio 4 Extra

Deadline for all proposals to be entered into RAP/Proteus - MIDDAY on Thursday 26th January 2012

Gardeners' Question Time - SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

Transmission: August 2012 to July 2015

Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) has been one of Radio 4’s most popular programmes since its first broadcast in 1947. It attracts a weekly audience, including the repeat edition, of c.1.4 million.

This tender is in line with our policy of offering independent suppliers opportunities to tender for long running business. We are looking for a single company to supply this high profile weekly strand. Our objective is to offer a three year contract for the successful tender. Not open to BBC departments.

Timeline for tender

9 November 2011                            Tender document published
8 December, at 1200 noon           Deadline for submissions in Proteus
20 December                                  Results of shortlisting communicated
4th week of January 2012                Interviews with shortlisted bidders
31 January                                     Final decision

Submissions should be entered in Proteus.

Please see the tender brief in the downloads section of the page for more information.

Commissioning process

Radio 4 schedules 13,000 programmes across 14 different genres each year and has a special commissioning process.

Radio 4 Extra launched on Saturday 1st April 2011, replacing Radio 7. You can find out more in Mary Kalemkerian's blog.

If you wish to hear details regarding the Radio 4 commissioning rounds, you will need to be part of the Audio & Music Independent Supplier Database and indicate that you wish to hear details about Radio 4 and its strands.

If you are an independent company wishing to join the list, please complete a Pro Forma (see downloads section) and email it to Tim Dye who can set you up on the system. All interested suppliers will receive copies of the guidelines for the main commissioning round, held in the spring, and for special tenders.

These contain guidance on:

• the commissioning process and timetable
• who is eligible to bid for particular slots
• editorial, audience and price requirements
• how to write and submit programme proposals

Information about contractual and legal aspects of commissioning can be found on the Radio Business Requirements page along with the complaints procedure for independent producers.

Programme Ideas

Here at BBC Radio 4 we are essentially a commissioning centre, not a production department and we are unable to accept unsolicited programme ideas which have been sent directly to the network. In order to submit an offer to Radio 4, you will need to work with a production department/supplier. Please see the Ideas from the public page for more information.

Book At Bedtime & Book Of The Week

This business is tendered and won by selected producers. The current list of approved suppliers can be found in the downloads section of the page.

Scripts (Including Short Stories)

For unsolicited scripts and short stories, please see the Writing for the BBC pages.

Roles

• Caroline Raphael is Commissioning Editor for Comedy & Entertainment and is responsible for all comedy output. She also commissions Book at Bedtime, Short Stories and popular arts, music and poetry commissions.

• Mohit Bakaya, Commissioning Editor, Specialist Factual, takes lead responsibility for current affairs, politics, science, religion and business documentaries. He commissions the history, social affairs and investigative documentaries in the evenings on Radio 4. He also commissions the Archive on 4, Wednesday Debate and Four Thought slots.

• Tony Phillips / Jane Ellison, Commissioning Editor, General Factual, commissions features, documentaries and narrative history scheduled in the day time slots (9 am, 11am and Saturday 10.30). They also commission natural history output, Book of the Week and One to One.

• Jeremy Howe is Commissioning Editor for Drama and is responsible for all drama output.

• All commissions are signed off by Controller Radio 4, Gwyneth Williams.

Find more contact details for the Radio 4 team.

Want to find out more about BBC Radio 4?

If you would like to know more about BBC Radio 4 and 4extra programmes, content and schedules, please visit the Radio 4 station websites.

BBC - Commissioning - Radio 4 / Radio 4 Extra