FAQ

Is there a deadline for getting my proposal in?

We consider proposals year-round, but the deadline for summer proposals is November 1, 2013. The sooner you submit the better!

When will I hear back?

You should hear from someone within 12 weeks.

Who decides if my show gets on the radio?

The program development group will review your pitch. The PD group is a collection of programmers from across the country. They meet once a month to go through all the proposals that come in.

I have no idea how much my show will cost, do I have to submit a budget?

No. Your suggestions are helpful, but we can manage this part ourselves. Still, you should have a realistic sense of what resources are likely to be available. If your concept is only workable with a team of 10, or with travel across Canada, then it’s likely not going to get made as you’re imagining.

How long should my proposal be?

Explain your idea thoroughly and succinctly. Most successful pitches are 2-3 pages. If we need more details, we’ll ask.

What does success sound like? Give me examples of pitches that came to life as radio shows.

Here are links to favourite episodes from the hits of the 2013 summer season:

Tooth and Claw

The ones we eat. The ones we love. The wild ones, too. Our relationship with animals today is more complicated than ever. And it's the source of some thorny debates. Tooth & Claw jumps right into those debates. Host Peter Brown in Edmonton and field correspondent Manusha Janakiram in Vancouver find the urgent and the absurd in the human/animal relationship today.
Audio: Is it time we let some species go extinct?

Think About It

A user's guide to the brain. Leap into the current rush of brain mania and find out what's really going on upstairs...it's stranger than you think. Host Roberta Walker journeys through the wonders of the brain to find out how it guides us, how it foils us, how it makes us who we are.
Audio: Brain 101

Intersections

It’s happening in office towers, restaurant kitchens, even in our own living rooms. Some call it a "clash of cultures." We call it Intersections. It's a show about how we connect – or not – in our ever-changing Canada. Host Niru Kumar speaks with spouses, colleagues, neighbours and friends about cultural tensions in their relationships. She unearths stories about who we are and where we're heading, exposing some uncomfortable truths along the way.
Audio: Mating and Dating

The Confessional

We’ve all done things in our past we’d like to get off our chest. Here’s the place to do it: The Confessional on CBC Radio One. Host Krissy Holmes invites confessional tales from across the country – some hilarious, some serious, but always must-listen radio.
Audio: Secret Identities

How to Do It

The guide to things you hope you never need to know takes an in-depth look at the questions Canadians are too afraid to ask, like how to disappear from your life and how to make someone fall in love with you. Each week we tackle a new situation we hope you never find yourself in.
Audio: How to Exact Revenge

Can you give me an example of a show pitch that eventually got turned into a show?

Yes, here is the original pitch for the How to Do It. The show on air turned out to be different from the original pitch, but it was a great starting point.