Until you’ve been through the radio commissioning process from start to finish it can be difficult to understand exactly what’s involved.  Having now emerged from the latest round clutching a small handful of precious commissions, I promised I would write up what I’ve learned from the experience.

So here, for those who’ve asked (and anyone else who might be interested) is a sort of 10 Step Guide to the Commissioning Process from having an idea, right through to being commissioned.

I’m specifically talking about Radio 4 because it’s the process I’ve been through, however I imagine it’s much the same for other BBC radio stations. 

Radio 4 produce an enormous amount of scripted drama and comedy and so there are lots of opportunities available. They also have a remit to work with a certain percentage of new writers (which I think counts as any writer with 0-2 broadcast credits), and writers who are new to radio (this could be Jimmy McGovern if he’s never written for radio before).  If you’re a new writer with no broadcast credits, by default you’ve also never written for radio before, and therefore you tick both boxes.  This is why radio is hailed as such a good place for new writers to get their foot in the door. 

Step 1:  The idea

Don’t try and think of an idea-for-radio.  Just think of a story you want to tell.  A radio producer recently said to me the reason she likes TV writers is precisely because they don’t come to her with what they think are “radio ideas”.  Just think of a good story. Preferably think of a fistful. The more ideas you end up with in the final part of the commissioning process, the more likely it is you will get something through.

Step 2: Look at the available slots and decide where your story best fits 

Is it a Woman’s Hour series, an Afternoon Play, a Friday Play, a Saturday Play, a series that fits in one of those slots (e.g. 5×45m in the Afternoon Play slot), a sitcom, etc.  You can find loads of information about each slot and what kind of stories Radio 4 is looking to put in each of them by going here.

Step 3:  Write up a brief outline 

No more than a page, and if you can do it in half a page that’s even better.  Radio producers are extremely extremely busy dealing with many many submissions and tend to have many many projects on the go at any one time.  The fewer words you use to tell your story the better.  In the outline you need to make sure you have a complete beginning, middle and end, and some sense of who the characters are.

Step 4: Find a producer who will read it 

This can be an independent producer or an in-house BBC producer.  Independent production companies are only authorised to tender bids for specific slots so before you approach them you need to know what those slots are.  Luckily all that information is provided for you in this handy PDF which is also available on the Radio 4 website. 

Once you’ve worked out which production companies are involved in which type of programming look up their website, check out what they’ve made before and whether your project might be up their street and find out what their submissions policy is.  They might only deal with represented writers, but there are several who will take unsolicited scripts from writers without agents, you just have to look for them. 

You can also look in the Writers & Artists Yearbook, which is now searchable online, all you have to do is register for free on their website.

Alternatively you can approach the appropriate radio department directly and submit your ideas straight to them.  Anyone can do this, you don’t need an agent, but you should bear in mind that they are completely swamped with submissions.  All the appropriate contact details for producers in the various departments of Radio 4 can be found in this PDF here or by visiting the Writing for Radio 4 page of their website – which you should absolutely read anyway if you’re planning on sending them an idea.

Step 5:  Once you’ve found a suitable producer, send them an email 

Keep it short and to the point.  You’ve got an idea for a radio sitcom about a blind dog who keeps bees, would they be willing to read a short outline?  Probably best not to send them that one, but you get the idea.  You will likely be asked for a calling card script so make sure you’ve got one that really shows what you can do, and preferably one that shows top-notch dialogue skills.  If you haven’t written a radio script before you might be asked for sample pages to prove you can write for the medium, but it probably depends on how well your first calling card goes down as to whether they think it’s necessary to see more proof of your ability.

Step 6: Understanding the scale of the commissioning process

Across the board, Radio 4 estimate they normally receive over 3,000 proposals at the “pre-offers” stage (see below). This is for all programming, not just drama and comedy, but that’s still an enormous operation.

This is how a much cleverer and more talented writer explained the commissioning process to me:  Every commissioning round is like a market.  All the producers lay out their fruits and vegetables and the commissioners come and choose what they want to eat for the next six months.  Because it’s very difficult to know what you’re going to want to eat in six months’ time, this makes the decision very hard for the commissioner.  So you should make your fruits and vegetables look more appealing and longer-lasting than the market next door’s. 

Recently, the commissioning process has undergone some changes that mean, for some slots, instead of six monthly rounds the gap has been increased to two years. It’s called batch commissioning and there are good points and bad points being made about it.  To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I’ve got to grips with it myself yet, but the way I understand it as it relates to independent producers, is as follows:  

Because the commissioning process is a period of negotiation that can last several months, by the the time you’ve gotten the details pinned down, it’s time to start preparing for the next round.  This puts an enormous strain on both producers and commissioning departments.  The new system commissions batches of programming from different producers to cover a period of the next two years, without necessarily deciding the content in advance.  For example, an independent production company might be given a batch of 5 Afternoon Plays and they can decide what they want to do with them as they go along.

This gives everyone more breathing room in between rounds and more time to focus on developing their programmes.  But indies who don’t win any commissions have to wait two years before they can try again.  This is obviously not good for them or the writers they’re working with.

This is, I’ll grant you, a very simplified version of the situation and there are still decision making processes taking place within those two years, but it might be something to be aware of and worth looking into in more detail.

Step 7: “Pre-Offers” – 100 word pitches

That was all a bit of a sidetrack because what you really need to know is your part in it. And that is this: 

If the producer you’ve submitted your idea to likes it and is willing to take it to market, it will be submitted onto a large database called RAP.  For the first stage when there are literally thousands of ideas being submitted, you have a maximum of 100 words to sell your story and the producer has 200 words to sell the project as a whole and you as a writer.

This is very very difficult. But if you think of it as a logline then it’s less alarming.  You need to give a sense of the story and a sense of the characters.  Here’s the example they give in the commissioning guidelines for Hamlet:

Brilliant 17th century Danish Prince seeks to revenge the mysterious death of his father and in so doing loses his mind, destroys his family and overturns the state of Denmark. Renaissance tragedy. Period verse drama. (35 words)

You also need a good title.  Given how little room you’ve got to get your idea across you can use your title as an extra way to explain your story.  Think of how many film titles sum up what the film is about and indicate the genre all at once: Gladiator, Alien, Pirates of the Caribbean, the list goes on.  If you can do that, you’ve given yourself a good head start.  Always bear in mind that your ideas are being chosen from a database of thousands of other entries and that you need to stand out. 

You might think that 100 words is an unfair limitation, but consider the audience trying to decide whether to tune in for your programme – they only get one sentence in the Radio Times. 

If you really can’t do it, it’s probably because you don’t know your story well enough.  Do some more work on it, flesh it out for your own benefit, and then try again.

Step 8: “Final Offers” – Two page outlines

If your project is chosen on the basis of your 100 words, the next step will be to write it up in no more than two pages. This is where you can go into more detail, really tell the story and give a sense of the characters.  Explain how it will be structured, i.e. if it’s a series, break it down into episodes and say what happens in each one. 

For steps 7 and 8 you will be working with your producer who wants to succeed as much as you do so although this is quite hard to get right, you will have help and feedback before it gets put in.

Step 9: Wait

The long, agonising wait to hear whether your project is being commissioned.  Start working on something else otherwise you’ll go mad.

Step 10: The Decision

Hooray!  Your project (or if you’re very lucky, projects) have been commissioned!  There may be some negotiation about the slot, the transmission date, the budget, the cast and so on, but the decision has been made and you’re on your way.  

Now all you have to do is write the scripts.

Good luck!

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