Last updated
Sep 2024
Sport, Archive Formats, Acquisitions & New Talent content are all central to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland’s linear schedules, ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer and online offering. This range of content is enjoyed by audiences and offers producers the opportunity to reflect Scotland in all its diversity.
Over the past few years these genres have delivered successful titles including:
- Feature Documentaries/Acquisitions/Pre-Sale/Co-Investment: Killing Escobar, Long Live My Happy Head, Last Breath, Flint, The Dark Shadow of Murder & The Islands and the Whales
- Archive Documentary Formats: Billy & Us, Tuned In: 100 Years of Scottish Broadcasting, The Scandals that Shocked Scotland, The Disasters That Shocked Scotland, The Trials That Shocked ScotlandScottish Cup Classics & Rewind (80s, 90s & 00s).
- New Talent: Emerging TV Directors (Unscripted) Initiative
- Strands/Others: Food Fest Scotland, Coast to Coast Food Festival (co-pro with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Content),Beechgrove, Landward, This Farming Life (co-pro with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Content), My Kind of Town & Debate Night.
Before submitting pitches or proposals
Please consider and outline what makes your content unique, why it is important to produce this content now, why it is particularly relevant to audiences in Scotland (see note on Audience Research below), which audiences you will be targeting, how you will connect with younger and underserved audiences and when you’d suggest we broadcast/stream. Please include this information in your commissioning pitch or acquisition proposal.
Creative Diversity
Before submitting pitches or proposals please ensure you are familiar with the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s commitments to ensuring Creative Diversity. We will prioritise pitches and proposals which authentically embody Creative Diversity.
´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer
´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer is at the heart of the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s offering to audiences and is integral to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland’s approach to content commissioning. In a world where audiences are streaming much of their content, it is important for us to understand how you will make your content attractive to iPlayer audiences over a long period of time and which assets you will use to support this. How will you tell the story of your content in still images on ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer? More information is available on the Production and Delivery website.
Audience Research
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audience Research site allows independent production companies access to audience information for all the programmes made by their company, together with a growing selection of insightful research articles from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audiences team. Details on how to access can be found on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audiences website.
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Submit via: Email: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland Acquisitions
Current opportunities
NATIONS BOXING - INVITATION TO PITCH
Invitation to Pitch (ITP) to produce live Boxing coverage.
The ITP has been issued jointly by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Northern Ireland.
The aim is to host three live boxing events as part of the pilot, with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales hosting one event each. All three nations will broadcast all three live events, and they will all be available across the UK on ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer.
Timeline:
• 28th August - Invitation to Pitch issued.
• 10th September – signed NDAs to be submitted to raluca.albu@bbc.co.uk (submitting your signed NDA signals your intention to participate)
• 13th September at 18h00 - DEADLINE for submissions (note the templates for submission are included as appendices at the end of the document.
• End of September: Commission
• Oct-Jan: Production/Broadcast/Stream
All queries and clarifications in connection to this ITP should be submitted to raluca.albu@bbc.co.uk. Please read the document carefully, including the evaluation criteria.
Featuring a mix of Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh fighters at all three events - with belts on the line at every weight. Available live on ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV (headline fights), ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport product.
Our aim is to offer authentic and credible live championship boxing to audiences across the nations in a way that creates a sense of genuine competition, pride and excitement. Each nation will cover one event (of three) during the pilot series. Each fight night will be curated to allow all three nations to broadcast/stream all three events. With uniform branding, graphics, music and crossover in presentation teams the pilot will feel like a series of three rather than separate events.
´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Northern Ireland & ´óÏó´«Ã½ Cymru Wales will each commission a production company to provide coverage of a live boxing event. To offer the required breadth of competition, live audience, and scale of event it is likely that production companies will have sought out and partnered with an appropriate promoter who can provide access to an event which offers a full bill of boxing built around one or two title fights. These titles would be for Celtic Belt (one stage above Welsh, Scottish and Irish championships but one below British title belts). The ´óÏó´«Ã½/Production Company will not be responsible for organising, funding, or staging each event, this will rest with the relevant promoter, with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ providing live event coverage.
Each fight night would be a single commission from each nation but one which will be simulcast across Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales.
Download the full Invitation to Pitch here.
CO-COMMISSIONING OPPORTUNITY: ´óÏó´«Ã½ DAYTIME & ´óÏó´«Ã½ SCOTLAND
´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland is working closely with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Daytime team to co-commission content that drives audiences on iPlayer, whilst also serving network audiences across the day on linear and on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland in peak.
´óÏó´«Ã½ Daytime has a broad remit which covers a range of topics, across a large part of the linear network schedule, while the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland channel has a focus on showcasing Scottish talent and contemporary stories. We’re looking for ideas that can service both audiences, this could be in the shape of a precinct, topic or hub format. In all cases expertise and purpose should be at the heart of the proposition as should a clear sense of distinctiveness in relation to existing titles on the ´óÏó´«Ã½, and other services.
Any proposals with celebrities attached should have a driving narrative and the talent should appeal to both ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Daytime audiences.
To help underpin our shared objectives, we have ringfenced a modest funding allocation for secondary development of ideas which both ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Daytime believe warrant further investigation. This funding would not be for pilots, but instead to develop talent, initial casting, format development/testing, etc.
If you have pitches which you believe would work in this territory, please submit via ´óÏó´«Ã½ PiCoS marked for either Muslim Alim (´óÏó´«Ã½ Daytime) or Tony Nellany (´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland), with ‘Co-comm’ in the title. Don't worry about submitting to both of us as we’ll share the ideas.
Please submit your pitches asap.
LIVE SPORT & HIGHLIGHTS ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland offers a broad range of live sports, highlights and results coverage that consistently attract large audiences figures across TV, iPlayer, radio, bbc.co.uk/scotlandsport and social media, but we are keen to extend our coverage. Beyond our traditional sport offering, we continue to seek new ways to engage audiences throughout Scotland in sports. These could be sports that have not always received broad media attention, but which are particularly likely to create a strong following amongst younger and underserved audiences. We welcome pitches from production companies that can deliver dynamic and engaging sports content using new capture technology, efficient delivery methods and in ways that build lasting relationships with sporting bodies, competitors and audiences. We are particularly keen to see cost-effective pitches that will create opportunities for audiences to return time and time again. Adding to our live content by showcasing players, competitors and athletes from across the gender spectrum is also very important to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland. It is worth noting that highlights content continues to play an important role in our output, but live action is our core focus in relation to this brief. When considering live coverage for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland channel, please bear in mind our core on-air hours are 19.00-00.00hrs each day, with a limited number of daytime hours throughout the year. |
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FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES & ACQUISITIONS Feature Documentaries Commission, Pre-sale, Co-Investment & Finished Project Opportunities Since the launch of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland channel we have taken a broad approach to commission, pre-sale, finished and co-investment opportunities, and as such we are clear on the types of feature documentaries that deliver impact and value, both on linear TV and ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer, for audiences in Scotland. Our focus is on content that will help to attract younger and underserved audiences. We are looking for content that keeps audiences guessing and has them on the edge of their seat, or that re-shapes their view of a person, story or event that may feel somewhat familiar. In all cases content should be fresh, bold and ambitious with a shooting and cutting styles that are carefully tailored to the story. Strong, surprising and/or unique characters that allow us a window into an unseen world continue to engage audiences. Please submit proposals via email, along with your completed ´óÏó´«Ã½ Additional Programme Information Form, to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland Acquisitions Important information to consider before submitting pre-sale, co-investment or finished project for acquisition proposals: 1. Before we are able to consider your proposal we also need to receive, by email, a completed ´óÏó´«Ã½ Additional Programme Information Form. 2. Does your content comply with ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Editorial Values & Standards (this applies to all content, regardless of source)? 3. If your content were to be acquired, will you be able to meet all compliance requirements, including completing a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Compliance Form? More details here. 4. Are you able to meet ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland’s Delivery Requirements, including all deliverables such as reporting documents and PR assets? 5. Are you able to provide proof of Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance that meets the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s minimum cover requirements (details can be found on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Additional Programme Information Form)? FEATURE FILMS ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland broadcasts and streams feature films on TV and ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer throughout the year. We are focussed on offering a range of films that connect with all audiences across Scotland. We will consider international and wider-UK titles alongside those which showcase talent from Scotland (on and off screen), and which bring uniquely Scottish stories and perspectives to life. Distributors: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland selects its own feature film content but we also work closely with colleagues in network ´óÏó´«Ã½ Content Acquisitions to ensure a joined up approach. All films must meet the requirements laid out above. |
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ARCHIVE DOCUMENTARY SERIES Archive documentary series such as Rewind (80s, 90s & 00s), The Disasters/Scandals/Trials That Shocked Scotland and Scottish Cup Classics have all engaged on audiences on both TV & iPlayer but we would also like to look at approaches to re-invent this genre. Are there ways to explain, investigate and/or challenge thoughts and ideas about modern Scotland and the wider world by looking at today through the lens of the past? How do we bring the Scotland’s rich archive to life in a ways that rather than feeling just nostalgic also enlighten and interest younger audiences alongside traditional audiences? |
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Things to consider before submitting your acquisition proposal
- Does your content comply with ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Editorial Values & Standards (this applies to all content, regardless of source)?
- If your content were to be acquired, will you be able to supply all information required, including a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Compliance Form. More details on the Production and Delivery website.
- Are you able to meet , including all deliverables such as reporting documents and PR assets?
- Before we are able to consider your proposal we also need to receive, by email, a completed .
- Are you able to provide proof of Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance that meets the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s minimum cover requirements (details can be found on the
Tony Nellany
In his role as Channel Manager, Tony is focussed on continued development, delivery, management and success of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland television channel. He has been involved in the development of the channel since its inception and is passionate about delivering content that engages audiences in Scotland and beyond. Tony also has responsibility for acquiring scripted and non-scripted content and commissions archive formats and reversions, along with a mix of other programming.
Tony spent many years working in television production across news and current affairs, documentaries and features, including on a number of award-winning projects. He is also an experienced Executive Producer with credits across a variety of genre.
Before joining Multiplatform Commissioning, Tony worked with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland Executive Team in designing strategies to ensure the broadcaster continues to reach and serve its audiences well into the future.
Commissioners and their briefs
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Radio and Events
Heather Kane-Darling -
Factual
David Harron -
Sport, Archive Formats, Acquisitions & New Talent
Tony Nellany -
Scripted and Entertainment
Gavin Smith -
Popular Factual and Formats
Steve Allen