Channel 4 Daytime - Commissioning News

What do Channel 4 Daytime want to fund? A Cornwall Media Focus member reports on a recent P-MP event.

Speaker: Mark Downie, Deputy Controller of Daytime Channel 4

The morning started with a selection of Ch4 daytime extracts.

Mark looks after the following:

Daytime

Average age is 55 years and they want to embrace the older audience.
The ethos is risk taking and adventure – think of the film Calender Girls when they take their clothes off! “We like to think of this as the ‘Ch4 moment’” MD
But programmes should not be exclusive to the older viewer
Daytime rates very well especially entertainment, leisure and lifestyle with an element of transformation – lots of reality programmes
What is underrepresented is travel & food
Avoid property, drama, hobbies & crafts, antiques & auctions, gardens
Looking for big shows which can be played throughout daytime schedule year over year Monday-Friday 25-30 parts. Also looking for shows that could run all year long.
25k per ½ hour & 50k per 1 hour
If they like an idea may pay full budget for ½ hour pilot or £5-10K for rough version to see if format works
multi channels have risen by 33% in daytime viewing which means that Ch4 daytime are struggling to keep the viewers so they are very keen to reinvent themselves with new programmes
Currently the most successful show is the Paul O’Grady Show which was a surprise hit.
Ch4 want to entertain and amuse people in the afternoon

Breakfast

Looking for new shows for the 16-34 year olds which is different from the opposition and whats been done before, Not another Big Breakfast (fingers burnt with RISE) rather ½ hour or 1hr shows to mix / match with others.
Want to include more sport shows maybe within the context of a larger show which may not be sport based

Short Films

Looking for series of short films 5-15 mins in length, 5-10 programmes which can be played throughout the day, not time specific with multiple play.
Human interest stories, insights to extraordinary lives that people wouldn’t otherwise meet
The stories need to be able to sustain an audience throughout – what they are looking for is fillers that can keep the viewer watching the channel till the next programme
Interested in history, arts, natural world, popular science
The title must set up the premise instantly with a revealation/pay off at the end
No obscure or esoteric ideas
15k per programme
1 day shoots
If interested in pitching ideas use the 4 producers website to submit the idea. 4 week response turn around
There are a number of ways if they like an idea:

Pilots:

1) tx pilots (20-30k per ½ hour)
2) taster tape (5-10k just basic format based to see if it works)