[lookoutwales]

BBC Radio has launched a quick commissioning round for independent production companies to take over producing a number of music shows on Radio 2, 1Xtra and 6 Music.

radiotoday.co.uk 

Multiple BBC radio programme commissions available following Somethin’ Els…
According to Deadline.com, talks are ongoing over concerns about diminishing com…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk

Deadline reported last week that Somethin Else' (owned by Sony) was withdrawing from at least some of its contracts because of concerns over diminishing commercial returns.

deadline.com 

Sony’s Somethin’ Else In Talks With BBC To Pull Out Of Radio Contrac…
Somethin' Else's days as a major supplier of BBC radio content are num…
  Source: deadline.com

Probably the biggest available commission on the list is Trevor Nelson's late show on Radio 2, which as Matt Deegan notes on his weekly media podcast, costs around £800 per show (for 200 shows a year)

It doesn't quite represent a complete withdrawal on Sony's part - Somethin' Else also produces (among other things) Liza Tarbuck's Saturday night show on Radio 2 and Gardeners Question Time for Radio 4.

[Brekkie]

Presumably Trevor's salary is on top of that £800 a show. That sounds a bargain TBH.

[NickyBoy]

Presumably Trevor's salary is on top of that £800 a show.  That sounds a bargain TBH.

Yes the tender document says the presenters fee will be paid by the BBC. The £800 is to cover the costs of Executive Producer, Producer, Assistant Producer and Production Manager by the looks of things.

Radio_2_Comms_Brief_Trevor_Nelson.pdf (bbc.co.uk)

[Stooky Bill]

I heard the item on the Media Podcast the other day and it was very interesting.

The thing with these shows is that there's very little in it for the indie. They aren't programmes that have have nay repeat or resale value and the indie doesn't own the format for a lot of them. So they're not as lucrative as a TV commission.

Secondly the budgets are very small and haven't risen, but the indies costs have so they're not economic. The music programmes have to be produced at the BBCs studios, so Something Else/Sony couldn't use their own and save money that way

It is an odd business model, I'm not surprised they're getting out of it

[WillPS]

I heard the item on the Media Podcast the other day and it was very interesting.

The thing with these shows is that there's very little in it for the indie. They aren't programmes that have have nay repeat or resale value and the indie doesn't own the format for a lot of them. So they're not as lucrative as a TV commission.

Secondly the budgets are very small and haven't risen, but the indies costs have so they're not economic. The music programmes have to be produced at the BBCs studios, so Something Else/Sony couldn't use their own and save money that way

It is an odd business model, I'm not surprised they're getting out of it

What's in it for the BBC in that case over employing/contracting the production staff themselves? Is there some 'indie' quota they're struggling to meet or is it a budget control thing?

[Keith]

What's in it for the BBC in that case over employing/contracting the production staff themselves? Is there some 'indie' quota they're struggling to meet or is it a budget control thing?

If I recall correctly, historically there was a 25% quota for independent TV (and radio?) production, and 50% guaranteed for in-house commissions. I believe these quotas were scrapped around 2015, and around the time BBC Studios became a private company.