RTÉ Lifestyle is currently seeking program proposals for its Autumn broadcast line-up. Ideas are currently being sought for six time-slots including a 6 x 26 show with cross-platform potential; docu-soaps that could play at 7:00pm mid-week and a new multi-media format for RTÉ Two which will show weekdays, post-watershed. The proposal deadline is Tuesday, May 10th.
The first of the Autumn series that RTÉ Lifestyle is looking to commission is a 6 x 26 minute show with cross-platform potential including radio and online. The commissioned six part series will be given a budget of €45,000 - €55,000 and should actively seek to assist individuals and communities who have been most affected by the recession and empower them to bring about change in their own lives.
The show’s focus can be on individuals or groups and can take the form of a campaign; an observational documentary series; an expert-driven format; or a combination of all three. Consideration will be given to ideas that seek to pull together existing State resources and business communities in tackling this issue.
Proposals with a well developed cross-media strategy will be favoured by Gráinne and her team, as will multi-platform initiatives or campaigns that can engage and involve the nation. Preference will be given to ideas that have an obvious nationwide scope. RTÉ has given the example of ‘Operation Transformation’ and ‘Fergal Quinn’s Retail Therapy’ as examples of similar programming to what they will be commissioning.
The broadcaster is also looking to commission pre-watershed hoiur long formats for RTÉ One that will broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 8:00pm. The chosen series will feature 6 to 12 installments of 50 minute episodes, each of which will be granted a budget of €80,000 to €100,000.
RTÉ Daytime and Lifestyle are looking for proposals for hour-long formats that will take an hour each week to unfold. The group gives the example of 'Operation Transformation' which moved from a half-hour slot to an hour long one this year. ”Although the series had fewer leaders, audiences responded to the opportunity for greater investment in the characters and to the broader platform that was created by the series' campaigning elements. While viewing figures were broadly in line with previous years', qualitative audience research showed that the public really appreciated the more worthwhile experience that the well-honed hour offered.”The RTÉ website states.
Moving on to RTÉ Lifestyle’s staple time-slot of 8:30pm – 9:00pm on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the group are currently inviting submissions of programme ideas for a show of 6 to 10 half-hour episodes. The episodes will receive a budget of €50,000 to €55,000 each and RTÉ has asked that programme ideas should have a direct appeal to the female audience without excluding the needs and appetites of the broader audience.
Examples given of shows that have performed well in this slow include ‘Showhouse’; ‘How Long Will You Live?’; ‘The Restaurant’; ‘Off The Rails’ and ‘Show Me The Money’. RTÉ further outlines their requirement for this slot, saying ”We need more shows like this that can provide real transformations and outcomes.”The RTÉ Lifestyle website states that the group are open to health and lifestyle programming as well as travel programme ideas, it further notes that the group seek programmes that can be developed mid-week and which may then have the potential to move to a more competitive Sunday night position. It finally states that ”The importance of a good presenter/expert cannot be overstated and is likely to be key to securing a commission for a 20:30 slot.”
The next of the programme ideas being sought is for Lifestyle programming that will broadcast on Sunday evenings at 7:30pm. The half hour episodes will run for a series of 6 to 12 installments and will see a budget of €55,000 given to each episode. The show chosen to fill this slot will need to have a broad family appeal and RTÉ further notes that ”There's also room for RTÉ to fill the void left by other channels at this time and offer our meatier programmes that can attract a more male skewed audience.”
The 7:30pm offering will frequently be sandwiched between a long-running studio-based entertainment format and a results show, and will face strong competition from other channels and bigger and bolder studio formats. As such RTÉ Lifestyle feel the key to a successful series will lie in finding talent and formats that are truly unique and culturally specific, examples of previous successes being 'Brides of Franc' and 'The Restaurant'.
The group are also looking for a 6 x 25 minute series to play during the week at 7:00pm. With a budget of €45,000 per episode, RTÉ are seeking shows that are more likely to appeal to an audience outside of Dublin. The guidelines for this slot see the suggestion of docu-soaps as well as genealogy, popular history and regionally based programmes. Previous shows broadcast in this timeslot include ‘Living Lightly’ and ‘Dealers’.
The final format being sought by RTÉ Lifestyle is the only one that is to be commissioned for RTÉ Two. The series will show post-watershed on weekdays and its hour long episodes will have a run of 6 to 12 episodes with a budget of €80,000 - €100,000 per hour. RTÉ Two format suiggesstions should be aimed at multi-media consuming audience members aged 18 to 35. Themes that could be covered by programmes in this slot could include emigration, lack of job security or employment.
RTÉ Lifestyle is seeking shows that generate a notable following on Twitter, have lives on Facebook and You Tube beyond the TV screen for this time-slot. Recent Lifestyle Commissions for this broadcast time have included 'Baz's Culture Clash', 'The Model Agent', 'Stone Cold Sober' and 'Fade Street'.
RTÉ’s Lifestyle commissioning editor is Gráinne McAleer with Sean Mac Giolla Phadraig on board as Assistant Commissioning Editor. Stephania Fitzpatrick is Daytime Programmes Editor.
Those wishing to submit programme ideas must use RTÉ’s eCommissioning system, available here: e-commissioning.rte.ie under the programme categories Daytime & Lifestyle "Autumn 2011". The deadline for receipt of proposals is Tuesday, May 10th at 12noon.
