RDA, RAC4, talks, features and published material rates increase annually on 1 August. If you have any queries about rates/negotiations please contact the Broadcasting Group Secretary, Jo McCrum.
Rates are calculated per minute on the slot length with the exception of the '15 minute' Drama broadcast in Woman's Hour and paid on the actuality of 14 minutes. Slot lengths are:
- Friday Drama, Saturday Drama, Classic Serial – 60 minutes
- Afternoon Drama – 45 minutes
- 15 Minute Drama (note fees paid on actual written length of 14 minutes)
- 11.30 and 23.00 Comedy - 30 minutes
| Attendance payment | £60.00 |
Original Drama (per minute, from 1 August 2011)
| Beginners' rate: | £58.47 (2 tx) |
| £35.09 (1 tx) | |
| Established writers' rate: |
£89.05 (2 tx) £53.42 (1 tx) |
Dramatisations
| Beginner | Established |
| 65% = £38.00 (2 tx) | 65% = £57.88 (2 tx) |
| 65% = £22.81 (1 tx) | 65% = £34.72 (1 tx) |
| 75% = £43.85 (2 tx) | 75% = £66.78 (2 tx) |
|
75% = £26.32 (1 tx) |
75% = £40.06 (1 tx) |
| 85% = £49.70 (2 tx) | 85% = £75.69 (2 tx) |
| 85% = £29.83 (1 tx) | 85% = £45.41 (1 tx) |
Serials
| Storyline, characters, format etc provided: | £687 per episode* |
| Format, structure provided but writer provides storylines, some characters etc: | £909 per episode* |
| The Archers | £892.50 per episode* |
*no increase has been offered since 2009 with the reasoning that these writers are paid above minimums. Archers writers received a 2% uplift in 2011 with attendance payments remaining static at £120 and £140 for lengthy meetings.
Commissioned Short Stories (per 15 minutes from 1 August 2011)
| 1st and 2nd | £177 |
|
3rd – 5th |
£211 |
| 6th - 9th | £239 |
| 10th onwards | £306 |
| Generally established outside the BBC | £306 |
| Generally established inside the BBC | £363 |
Abridgements (per minute, from 1 August 2011)
| Beginners' rate: | £6.90 |
| Established writers' rate: | £10.27 |
Download the Radio Drama Agreement (original drama, series, dramatisations and special adaptations)
Download the RAC4 (short stories, abridgements and other scripted contributions)
Download the BBC7 service licence
BBC/WGGB/PMA TV rates for writers
(Per minute, on slot length, from 1 November 2011.)
| Teleplays: | £178 |
| Series/Serials: | £162 |
| Dramatisations: |
£116 |
| Adaptations: |
£71 |
| Educational Drama: | £109 |
| Attendance fees: | £95 |
| Pension Ceiling | £16,020 |
Established and in-demand writers may be able to negotiate a higher rate. Rates will apply to 1 January 2013, or until the first anniversary of the implementation of a 2012 TV Writers Agreement, whichever is later.
An established writer is one where the Writer has had 95 minutes of dramatic works broadcast provided that this has been achieved over more than at least two Plays, Dramatisations, Dramatised Features, Adaptations, Series or Long Running Series. A writer who qualifies as established for the purposes of the BBC’s Agreement with the WGGB and the PMA for Television Drama shall also be regarded as established for radio.
Radio 4Extra Rates
Under the current RDA a New Public Services Fee of 10% of the single transmission fee covers broadcasts on 4Extra (as well as simulcast etc). Archive material, however, is paid for and distributed by the ALCS at the following rates (until December 2012). In return the BBC has the right to broadcast a writer's/author's work for 6 transmission days (up to four transmissions per day) over three years on the Service and rights acquired include the right to stream on demand for up to 14 days following each transmission:
Original script material £2.78 per minute
Dramatisations (including specially commissioned translations) £1.71 per minute
Source work material (including translations) £1.15 per minute
Abridgements £0.70 per minute
BBC/Society of Authors/Publishers Association - Published Material Rates
Download the PA 5 Agreement and 2011-2012 Published Material Rates. These rates are calculated on a one transmission basis. 2 transmissions, if paid upfront, are 180%.
Please note that if you are dramatising an English translation you will have to clear rights to the translation and the underlying work. 2/3 of the prose for dramatisation rate is paid to both the original author/publisher and the translator/UK publisher.
Television
Prose (per minute) £30.41
Poetry (per ½ minute) £36.48
Download the TV Agreement.
Core Service Radio
Plays/Prose (per min) £17.66
Poetry (per ½ min) £17.66
Prose for Dramatisation (per min) £13.77
Prose Translation (per min) £11.77
World Service Radio (English)/BBC Digital Radio originations
Plays/Prose (per min) £8.83
Poetry (per 1/2 min) £8.83
Prose for Dramatisation (per min) £6.87
Prose translation (per min) £5.88
Local Radio
Plays/Prose (per min) £4.41
Poetry (per 1/2 min) £4.41
Prose for Dramatisation (per min) £3.43
Prose translation (per min) £2.94
Download the radio agreement.
Radio Features
Features are commissioned at a minimum fee of £42.85 per minute with a baseline threshold of £299.95. The minimum fee equates to seven minutes duration. These rates are valid until 31 July 2012. No residuals or repeat fees are paid for further broadcasts and the author is able to re-use their script (but not the recording) once an exclusive period lapses. The option to engage radio features contributors on a daily rate remains.
A feature writer has to provide the following services: research in depth; collection and selection of insert material (e.g. actuality recordings, literary material); scripting; presentation; interviewing as may be required by the BBC to make a radio programme, or self-contained item within a radio programme, which is a creative treatment of its subject but which does not involve actors in character or original material in dramatic form. Such programmes or items would normally be fully or partly edited or compiled by the contributor but these special terms applicable to ‘features’ work may still apply if the BBC carries out editing subject to this being taken into account in assessing the fee.
Some producers offer authors a low non-edit rate with the reasoning that authors are required to submit a fully edited programme. This may be reasonable if a substantial edit is necessary, but a lower rate has not been negotiated with the Society/Guild/NUJ representatives.
Download a sample Feature agreement.
Radio Talks Contributions
These rates run from August 2011 - August 2012.Talks are commissioned on a flat-fee basis with no residuals paid for further broadcasts. There is a limited exclusive period after which the author is able to use their script. Minimum rates are:
Script and Read: £22.36 per minute with a minimum fee of £44.71.
Script only £17.33 a minute with a minimum fee of £34.65.
Daily rate Reporting £125* per day. Minimum fee of £62.50* (per half day). *Figure rounded.
Download a sample Talks contract.
Contributions bought on a daily rate basis are bought out on an assignment basis. See a sample assignment.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| PA5 Complete Work Published Material-1.doc | 76.5 KB |