Story Meeting

Here is some information for anyone who thinks they might have a story to tell on Maritime Magazine. This is the latest version of our guidelines and some advice for how to pitch a story.

Contributing to Maritime Magazine
Maritime Magazine is the CBC's only regional documentary program. It's heard in all three Maritime Provinces at 8:30 on Sunday mornings, and on-line at cbc.ca/maritimemagazine.
The show is a home for long-form documentaries from both freelancers and CBC staff. That doesn't necessarily mean each documentary has to be 28 minutes long, but they often are. We also play shorter pieces, interviews, and reporter/host interactions (or talk-tapes.)
In terms of story selection, Maritime Magazine's mandate is "change." We are trying to anticipate and document change in the region, so our stories tend to be forward-looking, and we almost never do history, memoirs or essays. If we were to do an historical piece, it would need to have strong elements rooted in the present or future.
That said, the idea of change is interpreted pretty broadly; it could be a change in the way we grow and buy our food, or a change in the demographic make-up of our urban communities, or a change in the way our children are taught in school. It could also mean personal change, which is what the most compelling stories are about anyway.
Our main concern is that we tell good stories. To do that the documentaries should have lots of sound, and action. They should have a strong central character (or characters) and ideally that person should experience a change during the piece. The story should be built on scenes, with each scene building on the previous one, leading us to our - hopefully - dramatic conclusion.
If this seems intimidating, especially to people who haven't made documentaries before, don't let it worry you. The producer of the show is heavily involved in all stages of production, from tape gathering, to deciding on scenes and structure, and eventually writing and mixing.  It's a very collaborative process.
One of the goals of the show is to get new and different voices on the air, both reporters and subjects. So while it's nice if you have some experience in radio, it's not necessary.
The show runs from September to June, and we accept pitches all year long. The best thing to do is send an e-mail to the show's producer (Christina.harnett@cbc.ca ) outlining your idea. Then arrange a time to either come in or talk on the phone. By then you should know who your main characters would be (and whether they will talk), the scenes you'd like to get and how long you think it'll take to gather your tape.
Once your pitch has been accepted you should stay in touch with the producer, who will want to hear your raw tape, and receive regular updates on your progress. Be prepared to work out a structure and to storyboard scenes together before you begin writing your piece. Once you set a deadline with the producer, it's firm.
Maritime Magazine pays standard CBC-CMG freelance rates. Right now a full-length documentary is worth about $1800.00. There is a 25% fine edit fee if you do the final mix yourself, but in nearly every case, the producer does the final mixing. For CBC staff, money is available for a week or so of backfill. Any extra costs should be worked out with the producer in advance (i.e.: gas, car rentals, and hotels. We don't pay for mileage.)
Finally it's a good idea to have listened to the show before you pitch. You can go to the archives link at cbc.ca/maritimemagazine to hear previous documentaries. That's also a good way to find out whether your idea has already been done. And when in doubt - just call me up. Sometimes even the inkling of an idea can turn into a great story.
Christina Harnett (Christina.harnett@cbc.ca)
Producer
902-420-4193 (cell 497-0306)