±«Óãtv

How we commission

±«Óãtv Radio: Who's Who

±«Óãtv Radio is the home of:

  • 10 UK-wide radio stations
  • ±«Óãtv Sounds
  • ±«Óãtv Performing Groups
  • ±«Óãtv Proms
  • Speech, classical and pop music production across radio, television and online

The commissioning process

Each Network runs one or more commissioning round a year. Other commissioning opportunities may arise outside the rounds. These may use a direct approach in order to meet topical or other urgent or specialist programme/strand requirements. In this instance, commissioners will approach 3 or more suppliers (one of whom is ±«Óãtv Audio) and invite them to submit a proposal against the brief.

If suppliers have an idea they’d like to submit outside the main rounds, they can find the relevant contact details on the Network pages on the Radio Commissioning Site.

Each Network publishes guidelines for the commissioning round, setting out the brief for each genre of programme it wants to commission, as well as any subjects or areas (e.g. an important anniversary) in which it is specifically interested, guide prices, important dates in the process and other useful information.

Independent producers who would like to pitch an idea to a Network must first register using the .

Radio Commissioning Framework

±«Óãtv Radio believes in creativity, quality, and value for money, and serving the changing needs of its audiences. We want to work with strong and innovative content suppliers from both ±«Óãtv Audio and the independent sector.

The ±«Óãtv recognises that:

It is in the interest of the UK radio audience that there is a competitive and thriving production supply sector, both inside and outside the ±«Óãtv

The ±«Óãtv has a role as the nation's principal public service broadcaster to help stimulate and support the development of the production sector across the UK

±«Óãtv Radio must reflect the diversity of the UK, and the perspectives and voices of the UK’s nations and regions.

Each network publishes guidelines for the commissioning round, setting out the brief for each genre of programme it wants to commission, as well as any subjects or areas (e.g. an important anniversary) in which it is specifically interested, guide prices, important dates in the process and other useful information. To understand more about the different processes for each type of commission (eg strand, batch, direct), please see the 

Current commissioning opportunities

The principal commissioning process for Radio is run by each network through one or more commissioning rounds per year, details of which can be found below.

Some programmes/strands are commissioned outside these rounds - for more information, please visit individual network pages.

For details of commissioning for non-Network Radio stations, please see the Local Radio and Nations Radio pages.

Our diversity, representation and inclusion strategy

We have pledged to hardwire diversity into everything we do, both internally and in the way we work with programme makers.

We expect content makers to come to us with ideas that have diversity, representation and inclusion built into their development, and all producers will be expected to engage in a meaningful dialogue with commissioners about this at the start of the creative process. We want to work with producers who share our values.

We are committed to growing diversity across the industry via the programmes we commission and the teams who make them. To help achieve our ambitions we have made a commitment that comes into effect on 1 April 2021.

Working with ±«Óãtv Radio

We want ±«Óãtv Radio to be a place where ±«Óãtv Audio and independent producers bring their best ideas. The Radio Commissioning Framework is designed to be fair, robust and transparent, it's a tool to help us reinvent and grow radio.

If you have any comments or complaints about your experience of the commissioning process, please contact the network controller (contact details can be found on the relevant station page) or contact Fergus Dudley, Head of Editorial Standards and Complaints ±«Óãtv Radio, so we can improve how we work.

We also ask for feedback through an annual survey.

Commissioning Calendar 2023/24

±«Óãtv Programme Week Calendar

  • January 2023 - March 2024

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