my community channel

Community Channel broadcasts original shows, the best of terrestrial TV and showcasing the work of new directors and community programme makers. If you've made a film, or are planning to make a film and would like it to be broadcast on the Channel, here's where you find all the information you need to get your programme on air.

Below is a guide to the types of programmes we are looking for. We also have a page dedicated to all the paperwork you need to complete (such as compliance, music clearance etc) for us to be able to screen the programme, and we've also got an FAQ section to answer some regularly asked questions.

If after looking through this section your question hasn't been answered, please email acquisitionsgroupATcommunitychannelDOTorg or call 020 7217 3717 and ask to speak to the Acquisitions department. 

Our address is: Acquisitions, Community Channel, 2nd Floor, Riverwalk House, 157-161 Millbank, London SW1P 4RR. 

So, you've got a film (or about about to begin making one). Community Channel want films like this:

• Positive stories about your community
• Factual material is preferred to drama, although we do accept some drama
• Humour, flair and wit in factual programmes
• Films about what you know
• Using compelling personalities and issues
• Featuring investigations, social campaigning, or activism
• Characterful, with a distinct tone of voice
• Series are always useful, not just single programmes
• Slot duration of 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. NB the actual programme will be shorter than this, with ad breaks (link to downloadable doc with info)
• Controversy is always welcome – if it’s done properly.

Community Channel don’t want films like this:

• Lack of a clear narrative
• Un-cleared third party material, especially music, but also clips, stills, poetry etc
• Long title sequences. It’s not a feature film, so get into the film quickly
• Long credit sequences, especially if the same name appears several times, or if they are on a black background. Again – it’s not a feature film, so don’t give the viewer an excuse to switch off
• Product placement
• Poor sound and camerawork (consistently out of focus/whitebalance out, wind or traffic noise etc)
• Burnt on graphics/captioning, other than well placed, well designed name captions
• Ugly transitions from scene to scene. Keep your clock wipes and page turns to yourself
• Captions not title-safe. Please read your edit suite manual to find out what this means
• Not shot on a digital camera. Must be three chips minimum
• Not shot with proper microphones. The one that came with the camera is not good enough – guaranteed
• Not post-produced on a digital system
• Spelling and grammar mistakes in any caption on screen at any time anywhere. Buy a dictionary, and double-check everything
• External references i.e. to phone lines, SMS codes or websites (we will promote these details in factsheets and on our website)
  
• Relative date references (eg “in the new legislation”, “coming up later this year”, “this time next week…”)
• Party political campaigning
• Deliberately unbalanced programmes
• Odd durations. See our duration rules in a FAQs
• Films that don’t arrive on time
• Films that arrive at a different duration than promised
• Films that arrive without the promised ad breaks
• The word “Fin” appearing at the end of a film.

Quick Check Chart

Here’s a quick reference grid to what we want from you. Our editorial remit is TV that makes you think about the world around you, and inspires you to take action on the causes and issues that matter to you. Broadcasting original shows, the best of terrestrial TV and showcasing the work of new directors and community programme makers, Community Channel is the place for real-life stories.

In all these cases, if you send us a film, please think about any volunteers who were involved in the project, or who work for your organisation, and be ready to tell us about this.

* The “informal production sector” is how we describe the growing number of voluntary and community projects using video and other media. This ranges from individuals making short films with their friends, to established voluntary projects funded by public grants to teach media skills.