Last updated
June 2024
I am commissioning content across all of 大象传媒 Radio Scotland and Events, Arts and Music for television and digital.
As the majority of 大象传媒 Radio Scotland programming consists of long running strands, there are not huge opportunities. However there are some clear specifics we are looking for in the attached brief.
For 大象传媒 One Scotland, we are already pretty fully committed in our on-going events slate, but we are always on the lookout for any new sizeable and significant events that are not in the current schedule.
For the 大象传媒 Scotland channel I am very interested in how we can approach events in a new and innovative way that reflects the personality of the channel. Small or large, what is a must for our audience to experience, and what can we do in partnership with our other Radio and Digital services and with 大象传媒 Alba.
Current opportunities
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Documentary SeriesFor 2024/25, we are looking for occasional one-offs or short documentary series which you feel needs a special position in the 大象传媒 Radio Scotland schedule. There is limited opportunity for these, so it really has to warrant a place and deliver a 鈥渕ust listen鈥� experience. Recent such commissions have included a programme on Scottish athletes at the Paralympics and a powerful two part documentary on multiple male suicide at a shinty club. |
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Comedy Podcast Pilot OpportunityFrom Miss Me? to Shagged Married Annoyed and The Rest is Entertainment there is no shortage of light-hearted, comedy podcasts for the audience to choose from. So, let鈥檚 try and compete with that crowded market and do one for Scotland! After smashing it on 大象传媒 Sounds with murders and investigative journalism we feel the 大象传媒 Scotland slate is missing something to raise the chuckles and would love to hear your ideas for a new comedic podcast. While we want a Scottish lens on this project (i.e. Scottish talent or talent based in Scotland) we certainly don鈥檛 want something focussed on our favourite whisky distilleries and why the Loch Ness monster is a master at hide and seek. We want something outward focussed. Universal to Scottish audiences and beyond. Sure鈥� a little locality wouldn鈥檛 go a miss in some of the content, but conceptually we want a travelling proposition for listeners all across sounds. And what do we want as a concept? We鈥檙e keen to keep it open ended. Relationships is good territory? So is state of the UK nation? So is popular culture and entertainment? We reckon it鈥檚 not so much the concept but the chemistry! We want you to bring us a pairing, or trio, (quads might break the bank but you never know!) who are stand out patter merchants. That doesn鈥檛 mean they have to be comedians by trade, we just need to feel an authenticity, warmth and sharpness to their chat that is engaging from the off. More importantly the duo or trio needs to 鈥榗lick鈥� together. With that in mind you might want to mine friendships, relationships or bloodlines to find the individuals who know each other inside out. We鈥檇 even consider a Celtic cousin connection which could mean a co-commission with other 大象传媒 radio services. We also want people with something to say. A bit of hinterland about them. Plugged in to the zeitgeist for all ages and not afraid to comment on the big talking points. Maybe they鈥檝e a specialism that can help shape the offer. Or maybe they just come at things from a particular slant. We鈥檙e open to established talent but also recognise this could be a place to grow a new comedy relationship. Tonally it鈥檚 warm, feel good and light hearted, for all audiences and readily accessible. With that in mind the darker corners of comedians minds are probably not the main area on which to focus. Bit of structure would be nice but it feels like the most successful podcasts in this space are loose and free flowing with minimal formatting and 鈥榙evices鈥�. Keep it simple and let the talent do the talking. It may have a 鈥榯heme鈥� or a 鈥榝ocus鈥� or it could be more freewheeling but we鈥檙e not after panel formats or gameplay which we have covered elsewhere. Themes and territory would need to be quite broad reaching so don鈥檛 plump for anything too niche. So it鈥檚 very open ended. Please submit your one pager by the deadline below. We expect the offers to have the talent at least notionally engaged and 鈥榰p for it鈥� if not formally attached. Our plan is to do a rough pilot of a few of the ideas to see what combos are working best and choose one to take forward for Sounds. While that means some collateral pilot damage鈥� hopefully it鈥檚 still a useful demo to take elsewhere in the market if you鈥檙e not selected. Have a kick around Sounds and shows like Murder They Wrote and Elis James and John Robins and Off the Telly and we look forward to hearing your comedy podcast ideas. Please submit to Heather Kane Darling but feel free to talk to Gavin or Heather should you want to discuss it further. Submission deadline: Friday 15th November 2024 |
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Podcast Priorities2024/25 Commissioning Round We have opportunities for a limited number of high impact podcasts ideas which can cut through and can grow an audience. Remember the importance of strong portrayal. Our podcasts should be authentically rooted in Scotland while having universal appeal 鈥� The Missing Madonna, Dead Man Running are great examples of storytelling that achieves these dual aims. We鈥檇 love to hear ideas that are genre-shifting or brings some fun, something unexpected, a twist on a story or subject that鈥檚 not been done before and that target under-served audiences. Successful talent combinations can be crucial to podcast success, so we are also looking for high profile, big name talent that can provide their own unique take in the lifestyle, entertainment and comedy areas. We are also keen to look at podcasts which extend the brand of successful TV formats that can bring an audience across to 大象传媒 Sounds. We鈥檙e also looking for ideas which can be returning series.
Aligning with Sounds Brands To maximise discoverability, we looking to commission into key Sounds brands. We鈥檙e working with audio teams in Northern Ireland, Wales and Local in England and have launched an umbrella brand that will host around four high impact narrative podcasts per year. This new podcast feed Crime Next Door will feature powerful, authentic storytelling from across the UK, rooted in our communities. Two umbrella brands on Sounds, where we can feed in Scottish content Crime Next Door - Devastating crimes, pained communities Dark crime documentaries 鈥� individual stories painstakingly told by Scottish communities shocked by murder, assault, horror and gore Tone and treatment 鈥� Unvarnished, documentary style investigations 鈥� Intimate, authentic storytelling featuring a collection of voices from a community 鈥� Passionate, invested presenter typically with strong connections to the city or town where the crimes have taken place 鈥� Immersive podcast episodes 15-30 minutes long
Assume Nothing Irresistible factual thrillers 鈥� nothing is ever as it seems Tone and treatment 鈥� Events and stories once understood as true are re-examined with fresh eyes. PI-esque,re-investigating, trawling records and archives and persuading people to speak up 鈥� Topical or historical 鈥� telling audiences something about the place in which they live. Their own history (contemporary or much older) by stealth 鈥� Often dramatised elements 鈥� Guiding through events with hooky, thriller-esque narratives, laden with reveals and jeopardy, but based firmly in fact. Each episode finishes with the listener craving the next instalment 鈥� Episodes vary in length from 9 鈥� 29 minutes dependent on topic and pace
The above briefs we are running as rolling commissioning, so we鈥檙e happy to receive pitches at any time. Proposals need to be submitted via PiCos, the 大象传媒鈥檚 commissioning system. If you don鈥檛 have a log-in, contact radioscotlandschedules@bbc.co.uk for more information on creating an account.
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Arts and Music programming We are always on the lookout for proposals which can deliver arts and music in an accessible and dynamic way to our audience and celebrate the cultural life of Scotland. From set piece moments, through to documentary, and live sessions, we want to reflect and represent all aspects of the vibrant arts and music culture we have in Scotland. Ideas that can span tv, radio and digital and can be delivered in partnership are particularly of interest. |
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Heather Kane-Darling
Heather is editorially responsible for 大象传媒 Radio Scotland and commissions and schedules all content for the station. Heather also commissions the wider music and events portfolio across 大象传媒 Scotland.
Heather joined the 大象传媒 in 2017 and cemented her leadership and editorial skills across a range of output: live programming - including a daily phone-in, arts & entertainment, religion, audio features, specialist programmes and podcasts including Bible John: Creation of a Serial Killer; The Cruelty 鈥� A Child Unclaimed; The Missing Madonna and $6 Billion Dollar Gold Scam.
She spent 7 years as Executive Editor of 大象传媒 Scotland鈥檚 Speech & Topical team helping to inspire, create and drive multi-platform productions across networks including 大象传媒 Radio 4, Radio 3, 大象传媒 5 Live, WS, Radio Scotland and 大象传媒 Sounds.
Heather has worked in radio for 25 years, starting out in journalism, she has an extensive background in news and current affairs, she had editorial control and management of award winning news teams at multi-station sites across the UK as Group Head of News for the Guardian Media Group鈥檚 radio business.
During this time overseeing news regional and national coverage of terrorist attacks, the war on terror, local and national elections, major sporting events, crime, high profile trials, royal events as well as arts and entertainment.
Moving into programming she then led a team of Programme Controllers for Communicorp UK鈥檚 8 radio stations implementing brand programming strategy to grow listening and engagement of national brands including Heart, Capital, Smooth and XS.
Programme delivery; Billings, trails and publicity; Useful contacts
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