Commissioning Websites
UK Channels’ Commissioning Websites
Scroll down to find links to the UK channels’ commissioning pages. Most have some kind of online or e-commissioning system – see each website for details.
It is vital that you do look at a channel ’s website before you arrange a meeting, particularly if this is the first time you’ve approached them. Doing your homework means:
- You can enter into a creative and collaborative conversation, which is more likely to result in a sale
- You get a good sense of their ambition and the tone of their programming.
- You can find out which programmes have worked well for them.
- You will know who is currently commissioning which genre. Find the relevant commissioning executive and do some background research – what have they commissioned in the past? Have they had any spectacular failures that will colour their judgement?
You should try to get a face-to-face meeting with a commissioning editor before sending off your idea . Why?
- You’ll get an an-the-spot response (although some commissioning editors are not comfortable with giving bad news, so you could find yourself being strung along).
- You can build new relationship or develop an existing one
- You can ask about their current priorities – they change often, so it is likely the website is not completely up to date.
- Once you’ve met with a commissioner, it’s likely – assuming they like your idea – that they will ask you to submit it via the website. Be sure to amend your proposal to take into account any commissioner feedback.
Channel Websites
BBC – public service broadcaster Commissioning overview e-Commissioning website
The BBC’s commissioning site is divided into different genres, within which you can find commissioning briefs for each of the four channels:
Arts, Music, Performance and Religion
Current Affairs and Investigations
ITV – Commercially funded broadcaster. Entertainment-driven.
C4 / E4 / More4 – commercially funded channel with public service commitment. Edgy, controversial fact ent programming aimed at a younger/’middle youth’ audience. Commissioning overview
Specialist Factual Brief – Religion, science with passionate, opinionated presenters
Documentary – from sensitive docs to irreverent series
Daytime - witty and spiky factual entertainment or quiz shows
Features – distinctive, intelligent and Ch4 flavoured
Education – cross-platform content designed to stimulate rather than dictate
Factual Entertainment – list shows, reality and prime-time documentaries
E4 – entertainment-focused series aimed at 16-34 year-olds
More4 – intelligent contemporary documentary films by world class directors
Five – commercially funded terrestrial channel and FIVER – “younger, faster, ruder” programmes aimed at 16-34 year-olds
Current Affairs and Documentaries
UKTV – Series of commercial digital channels operated as a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media – traditionally broadcast BBC repeats but a small amount of original entertainment, lifestyle and factual programming is commissioned. Commissioning contacts
Yesterday (formerly UKTV History) “Where the past is always present.”
Home (formerly UKTV Style) home, gardens and lifestyle programming for 35- to 54 year-olds.
Dave “The home of witty banter”
Eden (formerly UKTV Documentary)
Good Food (Formerly UKTV Food)
Blighty (formerly UKTV People) – ‘best of British’ multiplatform brand aimed at 30- and 40-something couples who want to re-engage with their country.
Really (formerly UKTV Gardens) - a noisy, female-skewing channel aimed at 18- to 35 year-olds. See brief.
Virgin 1 – general entertainment aimed at 25-54 year-olds. Witty and adventurous, with a whiff of testosterone and a British sensibility. Overview
Living – trashy factual entertainment for women under 45
Challenge “Saturday night, every night.”
Bravo – programmes that “entertain, challenge and shock”.
Sky One – entertaining, edgy, risk-taking programming.
Bio – “The channel attracts upscale adults in the 25-54 demographic and skews slightly female.”
C&I (Crime & Investigation Network)- “The channel attracts affluent adults in the 25-54 demographic.”
Don’t see what you need? Just ask.
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