CBC Radio Program Development Group Pitch Guide

What are we looking for?

New radio shows and holiday shows. We’re also looking for potential – not only in ideas, but in people. We want to find the writers, hosts and producers of tomorrow.

Important things to know:

• The deadline for submitting a pitch for a summer show has changed. It is now November 1, 2013. And the earlier you send us your pitch the better chance we have to work with you to develop it.
• CBC is committed to developing predominantly Canadian shows and talent.
• CBC Radio receives hundreds of proposals every year and only a few are selected for development.
• Submissions are usually reviewed within three months. 
• Your proposal doesn’t need to be long and complicated (2-3 pages maximum please), but it should be well thought-out and include all the information we've requested.

The Idea

As your put your idea down on paper, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. When you tell others about your idea, what seems to excite them the most? This is often a good way to start your pitch.
2. What makes your show perfect for CBC Radio now? Does it take CBC Radio somewhere new? Does it do something we aren’t already doing?
3. Does it fit our values as a public broadcaster? We're looking for high-quality, distinctive Canadian programming that’s intelligent, insightful and entertaining, and reflective of the diversity of Canada.
4. How would you describe your show’s sound? Will it be light-hearted, serious, cheeky, respectful, probing, reflective, journalistic? Is there anything new or different about how your show will sound?
5. Who is the host? Do you have someone in mind? If not, what qualities does your ideal host possess? What should they sound like? What’s his or her role in the show?
6. What is the online component? What opportunities do you imagine for the web and social networking?
7. What format do you see your idea taking? Is it a half-hour summer replacement series, or a one-hour holiday show?

The Checklist

Once you’ve worked through your idea, here’s a quick checklist of other things you should include in your proposal:

1. Who You Are: Tell us why you’re the best person to do this show. If you’ve hosted, produced or written for radio before, let us know. Also, what led you to your idea? Give us a sense of your background, your passions.
2. Who is Who: If you’ve got people you want to work with, tell us who they are. Who’s producing? Who’s hosting? Assume we don’t know these people. Give us an idea why they’re the best people for those roles. Let us know if you’ve approached these people, and what they've said.
3. Reaching Out: What plans do you have for using social media or other tools to attract audiences to your show?
4. Support: What kind of support do you need? Mentoring? Coaching on your performance? In-studio training? Digital audio editing?
5. Timing: Is your proposal time-sensitive? Are there times when you can work on this, times when you cannot?
6. How to Get Hold of You: Don’t forget to include your e-mail, home phone, cell phone, etc.

To get your pitch to us

You must upload and submit your pitch online here.

We prefer to receive proposals as attachments in Microsoft Word format. Feel free to send short audio samples as well – in mp3 format please! You will get an email confirming we have received your pitch.

Top 10 Tips

Do you have any other useful tips to help me brainstorm my idea?

Sure. Here’s a list of our top 10:

1. Read and follow the Pitch Guide.
2. Listen to other shows from CBC, NPR, BBC, ABC, private radio, and listen to podcasts.
3. Really ask yourself, what makes this show a GREAT idea?
4. Be realistic about your team and what they can do. If you have some gaps, spell them out and propose solutions
5. Shoot for the moon.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
7. Ask for unbiased feedback and be open to it.
8. Ask someone you don’t know well to read your pitch and then tell you what the show is about in a couple of lines.
9. Fall in love with your ideas, but don’t marry them just yet.
10. Read and follow the Pitch Guide.