Executive Producers

Introduction to Executive Producer or ‘Editorially Responsible Person’

As part of Ofcom’s requirements for Compliance and accountability, the BBC now requires every programme/series produced for BBC Radio by an indie to be overseen by an experienced Executive Producer. For some indies this may pose no real problem as they already have the services of suitable Execs in-house. However, for many indies this requirement means locating and retaining the services of a freelance Executive Producer.

AudioUK continues to work with BBC Radio 4 to maintain a list of approved EPs, each of who are available for freelance hire. AudioUK has also created a series of guidelines to help you and the EP understand the role and a basis for a fair and equitable fee structure for the work.

N.B. It is important to note that neither AudioUK nor the BBC is responsible for how you contract your EP! All information, guidance and advice offered on this web-site, or through any downloadable document is meant only as a guide to help you create your own personalised agreement. It is always recommended that you seek the advice of a lawyer if you are uncertain of any issue concerning contracts. AudioUK’s Legal Scheme members can take advantage of our Legal Services Scheme.

AudioUK Executive Producer List

Alison Vernon-Smith [email protected]

A multi award-winning Executive Producer and Producer of radio programmes across the genres and networks with over twenty-five year’s experience in the BBC and the independent sector. Until recently Alison was an Executive Producer in BBC Radio Comedy, responsible for a team producing over seventy hours of new comedy each year for Radio 4 and Radio 2 and was Executive Producer of The Now Show and The Vote Now Show. So she’s well-versed in libel and taste and decency issues and has extensive knowledge of the BBC guidelines. Handy when dealing with tricky grey areas and working with talent to facilitate creativity. Her own Radio 4 comedy productions included Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, It’s A Fair Cop with Alfie Moore and Arthur Smith’s Balham Bash. Previously Alison has been an Executive Producer in the independent sector overseeing several Radio 1 strands and a radio producer working on everything from Woman’s Hour to Radio 1 social action campaigns to documentaries about Rock Against Racism with Mark Steele and The History of Taxation with Ian Hislop to Archive Hours about Stalin and profiles of David Bowie and Ian Dury.

Brian King – Above the Title – 07850 710959

BRIAN KING: Award-winning producer of 1001 features, documentaries, dramas and comedy programmes across the various BBC radio networks over more years than I care to remember. Among the major strands and returning series I’ve produced are Costing The Earth, On The Ropes and Heresy. I’m a former senior BBC manager at Pebble Mill and Bristol and currently working freelance, mainly through the independent company Above The Title, producing Radio 4s legal discussion programme Unreliable Evidence and various features for Radios 2 and 4. I am an experience executive producer and have overseen productions for a number of indies including Above The Title, Unique, Loftus and Falling Tree as well as in-house departments.

Clare Csonka – 07788 940660 – email: [email protected]

Before going freelance in 2004 I was a Senior Producer in the BBC Radio Documentaries department. I have over twenty years experience as a BBC staff radio producer, during which time I have made programmes mainly for R4, but also R3, R2, Five Live and World Service. I have specialised in documentaries, features and readings, but have also produced and exec’d magazine programmes, live formats and dramas. I was Executive Editor of the award-winning Essential Guide to the 21st Century for the World Service. Since leaving my staff job I have continued to make programmes for R4, as well as other broadcasters, including digital channel Teacher’ TV. I have also been part of the compliance team for BBC TV Global Channels.
I have covered as Radio 4 Compliance Editor for Independents, and have substantial knowledge of Editorial Guidelines and understanding of compliance issues, from the viewpoints of both the BBC and the independent producer. I have worked with a number of indies as Executive Producer, which has been extremely rewarding. I am also available for development and consultancy work.

Cherry Cookson – email: [email protected]

I am an award-winning radio producer and director with nearly 35 years experience at the BBC. I have worked with the best of British actors, producing and directing plays and features of outstanding quality often under significant time and money constraints. I have also produced several unabridged audio books, and am an experienced script editor. Since leaving the BBC, I have taught Radio Acting and Creative Writing to students and post-graduates at several leading Drama Schools including RADA and LAMDA. As an independent director/producer I have produced readings for Radio 4, worked in script development and as a consultant for independent companies. Recently I have directed four Afternoon Plays for BBC Radio 4 and two plays for the DRAMA ON 3 slot for BBC Radio 3, including one this year to mark the bicentenary of Verdi and Wagner. One of these productions won David Troughton a 2012 Best Supporting Actor award at the BBC Audio Awards. I produced the readings for the acclaimed 2013 BBC Radio 4 30-part series NOISE and helped the Wireless Theatre Company to achieve their first BBC commission, which I directed. This year, I directed a play on the fringe and have just completed writing and producing scripts for the forthcoming ‘Georgians’ exhibition at the British Library. I also write critical reports on radio plays for the Literary Consultancy. I have won 3 Sony Gold Awards, and directed several award winning performances.

Colin Anderson – email: [email protected]

Colin worked as a staff producer (and later exec) in BBC Radio Comedy for 12 years, producing stand-up, sketch, sitcom, topical comedy, drama and documentary programming across the BBC’s networks. He won Radio Academy Awards for ‘Mark Thomas: My Life in Serious Organised Crime’ and ‘The Now Show’, with a further nomination for Radio 1’s late-night music and comedy show ‘The Milk Run’. Colin left the BBC in 2014 and now Executive Produces 30+ shows on LA-based podcast network, Earwolf. He continues to occasionally freelance as an EP for BBC projects.

Dawn Ellis – 07734 528 651 – email: [email protected]

Dawn spent 19 years in BBC Radio. Starting off as a script clerk in Radio Drama she quickly moved to Radio Entertainment (now Radio Comedy) and spent the next 18 years there starting off as a production assistant and ending with 9 years as producer, 3 years as an executive producer and some months as acting head. Leaving in 2009 she now works as a freelance. Her main focus was on developing and producing comedy drama and sit-com, but she also worked on Afternoon plays and several panel shows. Programme credits include: Ed Reardon’s Week (2010 winner of Best Radio at the Broadcasting Press Guild awards); Safety Catch; Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop; Rigor Mortis; Absolute Power; A Certain Age; The Shuttleworths; The Rapid Eye Movement; The Lawrence Sweeney Mix; High Table Lower Orders; The Write Stuff. As an executive producer Dawn complied most of the comedy output at some time including The News Quiz, The Now Show, Just a Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.

Fiona McAlpine – Executive Producer – 07779 060 717 [email protected]

I have acted as Executive Producer for my own production company, Allegra Productions (which I run with Robin Brooks), since 2004 although I have been working in Radio Drama since 1998. I have produced film, theatre and radio for the past fourteen years. In 2003 I produced six films for UK Film Council Digital Shorts , one of them Billy’s Day Out , won Best British Short Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival (2004). I am an experienced director (Nine afternoon plays, Two Classic serials, a Book of the Week , short story readings and recently a Saturday play for B7 Productions). I am an experienced script editor, abridger and have expertise with all aspects of Radio programming including budgeting, casting, compliance, pre-production, editing and post-production. I recently worked as Associate Producer for B7 Productions’ The Martian Chronicles to be transmitted on R4 in June. I’d be delighted to act as Executive Producer for other indies on a freelance basis.

Gordon House – 07740 818 304 – email: [email protected]

…joined the BBC as a Studio Manager in 1972, and worked in Children’s Television and Radio Sport, before becoming a drama director. He headed the small BBC World Service Drama team for fourteen years, during which time the Unit won over thirty national and international awards – many of them plays directed by Gordon himself. He has instigated and overseen several international competitions; he initiated the the World International Playwriting Competiton for radio dramatists, run in conjunction with the British Council, which attracts well over 1000 entries. He was responsible, with his colleague David Hitchinson, for the development and launch of BBC World Service’s highly popular twice-weekly serial Westway , which ran for seven years. . He also wrote a monthly humorous column for the World Service magazine “BBC On Air” under the pseudonym “Nelson Mature” – a column which brought him far more mail than any of his productions! Gordon has twice adjudicated the National Theatre Awards in Zimbabwe; run Shakespeare workshops in Kenya and Uganda, been a guest lecturer on several occasions for the Radio Nederland overseas drama course and produced a Shakespeare revue for the Harare International Festival of Arts. He has directed a number of plays in conjunction with the Canadian Broadcasting Company and with LA Theatre Works, Los Angeles, most notably “The Glass Menagerie” starring Julie Harris and Calista Flockhart (TV’s “Ally McBeal”), In 1998 he won the Writers’ Guild Special Prize for services for his work with new writers, and two years later won the Sony Drama Award for best drama with his World Service production of Alpha by Mike Walker, an award he won again in 2004 with Gregory Whitehead, for Whitehead’s The Loneliest Road . He is a founder member, and ex-Chair, of The WORLDPLAY GROUP a radio association of drama directors from broadcasting stations around the world. In April 2001 he became Head of BBC Radio Drama, a post which he held until his retirement from the BBC in March 2005. During this time he was a judge at Prix Italia and Prix Europa conventions, and his tenure as Head culminated in the Department winning its largest ever number of awards in a single year. Gordon has now retired from the BBC and is an Executive Director of Goldhawk Essential. He has recently produced Alan Bennett’s latest book Untold Stories for BBC Audiobooks and BBC Radio 4 and will shortly be directing a four-part production of Terry Pratchett’s Small Gods.

Graham Frost – 07973 661123 – email: [email protected]

COMEDY / DRAMA / PANEL GAMES / NARRATIVE SITCOM / FEATURES / FACTUAL / ARTS

A former inhouse executive producer in BBC Entertainment, Graham’s experience covers a particularly wide range of emerging talent and established stars.

In satire and topical comedy, as a producer, his output has included important work by Mark Thomas and Eddie Izzard; and as an executive producer, he handled all series of Charlie Brooker’s “So Wrong It’s Right” (Aled Evans for Zeppotron, R4 1830) and is now handling the new social satire panel game “Best Behaviour” presented by Holly Walsh (also Aled Evans for Zeppotron, R4 1830). Live satire he’s exec’d includes Nick Hancock’s “The Back End of Next Week” for Hattrick.

What’s the chief characteristic of his support for a production as the compliance exec? That compliance must be followed but the script mustn’t get weakened as a result – grounded perhaps in him having cut his teeth as Rory Bremner’s first series producer.

A light touch with complex issues extends into non-comedy. For Whistledown he directed Radio 4’s unabridged new performance of “v.” by Tony Harrison. In drama, he handled as exec the complex race issues in “Mogadishu” for Radio 3 (producer Roger Elsgood), and was involved in the ‘Sex for Grownups’ strand within The Friday Play and the Afternoon Plays by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy (Radio 4). Other companies Graham’s worked with include Avalon, Wise Buddah, Somethin’ Else and many more. He handles innovative formats, such as the originations of Radio 4’s first forays into performance poetry, and as a former head of Radio Comedy North he knows about starting with emerging talent/ideas and ending with long running, popular series. Approachable and happy to discuss projects, he’s also worked as a development exec, and in TV.

Graham Pass – 01229 718324 – email: [email protected]

Gus Beattie – 07944 221130 – email: [email protected]

Gus Beattie is a freelance radio comedy producer with 13 years experience and 14 award nominations to date, and in the role of Executive Producer has an acute knowledge of BBC Radio compliance procedures and audience expectancy when it comes to comedy. He worked for top Scottish independent production company The Comedy Unit for over a decade creating, writing and producing sitcoms and sketch shows for BBC Radio 4, BBC 5 Live and BBC Radio Scotland. Key network comedy credits include the award winning ‘Fags, Mags & Bags’, ‘The Absolutely Radio Show’, and ‘Sketchorama’ all for Radio 4. Other notable series include the critically acclaimed ‘Mordrin McDonald: 21st Century Wizard’ starring Jack Docherty, Gordon Kennedy and David Kay. In 2014 he picked up a BBC Audio Drama Award for best live audience scripted comedy for his Radio 4 show ‘Sketchorama: Absolutely Special’.

In 2011, 2013, 2014 & again in 2015 he was nominated in the Comedy Producer of the Year category at the Radio Academy Production Awards. Other awards include a Writers’ Guild Award in 2008 for ‘Fags, Mags & Bags’ for BBC Radio 4 (nominated 2011 & 2013) and a Sony nomination in ’08 for the same show.

Jeremy Mortimer – 07921 648802 – email: [email protected]

I have over twenty years of experience of being an Executive Producer within BBC Radio, and am now working as a freelance. For the BBC I have produced and directed over 200 radio dramas, documentaries and features for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. I have also worked with BBC Online and have produced dramas and short films for BBC Television. Recent radio productions include ‘James Joyce’s Ulysses’, ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ (Radio 4) and ‘Kafka the Musical’ by Murray Gold and ‘Imo and Ben’ by Mark Ravenhill (Radio 3). I have worked as Commissioning Editor for Radio 3 speech programmes, and as acting Head of BBC Radio Drama. I am a former head of the European Broadcasting Union Drama Project Group and have served on a number of internal BBC reviews. Awards include Sony Awards for Best Drama Production, Prix Europa, BBC Audio Drama Awards, BBC Audio & Music Gold Award

John Dryden – 020 7193 7112 – email: [email protected]

Award-winning radio producer/executive producer. Drama productions include: A SUITABLE BOY, recorded in India (Production and Drama awards at the 2002 Spoken Word Publishing Awards. Short-listed in the audio category of the 2003 British Book Awards): BLEAK HOUSE, (Sony Radio Awards 1999 – Winner: Best Drama. Talkie Awards 1999 – Winner: Best Dramatisation – Winner: Best Classic Abridgement): FATHERLAND (Spoken Word Publishing Awards 2004 – Winner: Best Drama); THE HANDMAID’S TALE, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood (Spoken Word Publishing Awards 2002 – Nominated: Best Production); TALK TO SLEEP (Sony Radio Awards 2000 – Nominated: Comedy): HOTEL EUROPA (Prix Europa 2002 – nominated). He also produced for Radio 4 the semi-improvised, fast-turnover news-based drama series ELECTION LIVES and The Hong Kong Holding Company. Recent productions for Radio 4 include radio dramatisations of Amitav Ghosh’s THE SHADOW LINES and Boris Akunin’s LEVIATHAN. Documentaries include: LANDSCAPE OF FEAR (Sony Radio Awards 1999 – Winner: Best Arts Documentary THE MYSTERY OF THE AFFRAY, the travel series The Traveller’s Souk, ITCHY FEET and the Woman’s Hour serial DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA. He has recently returned to the UK after two years as Head of Drama and Light Entertainment for Radio New Zealand. He is currently producing for Radio 4 a full cast dramatisation in Egypt of The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz.

Judith Kampfner

[email protected] or [email protected]

+1 347 587 9617

My audio career has spanned Australia where I was Executive Producer of Radio Drama at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the UK where I reported, presented and  produced for all BBC radio networks and produced for Loftus, Ladbroke and Whistledown, and the US where I was senior producer in the pilot phase of the national culture show Studio 360 and then a New York Public Radio arts reporter/producer. I set up  Corporation for Independent Media or CIM, in 2005 based in New York City.

We do audio production  – drama and docs – for the BBC, podcasts, PR, media lecturing and coaching. Most recent shows to win awards are the Sunday drama The Hours, the Saturday drama Shadowbahn, a Radio 2 series on Randy Newman, Radio 3 Between the Ears on Watertowers of New York and Sunday feature The Experimenters. I’ve also written several radio dramas and co-written others. I’d be delighted to Exec Prod having negotiated many compliance obstacles over the years and love collaborating. I am a mentor at the US Association of Independents in Radio. I can offer advice about breaking into all aspects of US audio. The new focus of my coaching company is ‘Designing your Podcast’. https://www.judekampfner.com/

Lyn Champion – 07930 307169 – email: [email protected]

22 years varied experience in network radio production, and more recently digital film production. Now working across both media. Much live radio experience in magazine programmes, and much experience in documentary features for most of the networks. Music and “experimental” arts/docs a specialism. Tri-Media Production Trainer at BBC Training for 3 years. Lecturer in Radio /TV Journalist production at London University of the Arts. Softwares: Protools, Sadie, Radioman, Avid Express Pro, Final Cut Pro.

Mik Wilkojc – 07802 212 101 – email: [email protected]

I’ve experienced high-end technical and editorial roles within the BBC – both at network and local level. In a nutshell, I joined BBC staff in 1979 and then surrendered that security for a rolling contract at Radio 1 between 1985 and 1995. Upon leaving that role, I formed ‘apparatus’ and subsequently worked with all other networks in some capacity, barring 1Xtra and Radio 3.

Mike Hally – 01592 840430 or 07801 445132 – email: [email protected]

Broadcast journalist since 1990; freelancing for Radio 4 since 1990, much of it potentially libellous stuff for You & Yours; produced three editions of File on 4 as a freelance — all contentious subjects; founded Pennine Productions LLP in 2000, with three other producers; co-founded Square Dog Radio LLP in 2007 with Mark Whitaker; exec’d over 50 Pennine and Square Dog programmes for Radio 3, 4, and World Service — VERY familiar with the Compliance procedures and the new Editorial Guidelines; founded Radio Independents Group in 2005, led successful negotiations on new Terms of Trade in 2005.

Neil Gardner – 07590 555458 – email: [email protected]

18 years experience in professional UK radio, working as a presenter and producer for many commercial radio groups and for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office as producer for London Radio Service. Since joining Ladbroke Radio in 1999 I have engineered, produced and exec. produced over 500 BBC programmes for all the networks, but specifically Radio 4. Bought the company in Oct 2008 and am now Managing Director – specialised areas include engineering and compliance guidelines; Archive Hours, music docs and comedy, drama and readings. Award winning script-writer and radio drama director. Also former Chair of the Radio Independents Group, Trustee of the Radio Academy, and Trustee/Secretary of the Gateway School of Recording (GETSET Charity). I also co-own and run Spokenworld Audio, a new audio comissioning, publishing and distribution business.

Roger Elsgood – 020 8692 0145 – email: [email protected]

Roger Elsgood is the creative director and executive producer at Art & Adventure. He has been making long-form, usually location recorded, dramas and features on the arts and artists for more than eight years. He has produced ‘To The Wedding’, Theatre de Complicite’s first production for radio which was nominated for the Prix Italia; adapted, directed and produced Anne Michaels’s Orange Prize-winning novel ‘Fugitive Pieces’; adapted and produced the 5th century Sanskrit epic ‘The Mrichhakatikaa’ and John Berger’s play with the artist Juan Munoz ‘Will It Be A Likeness?’ He works closely with director Mike ‘Get Carter’ Hodges and has produced the first two plays in Mike’s radio trilogy ‘Shooting Stars and Other Heavenly Pursuits’ and ‘King Trash’. The third is currently in development. His work also includes ‘When Shura Met Hobie’ with the pianist Shura Cherkassky; ‘A Shadow Into the Future’, a feature commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme with writer Geoff Dyer; ‘De Profundis’, Corin Redgrave’s National Theatre production of Oscar Wilde’s letter to Lord Alfred Douglas and ‘Berlin Project’ with the British artist Tacita Dean. Berlin Project has been acquired by the Tate Gallery and is currently part of Tacita’s exhibition at Tate St. Ives. He is currently producing ‘Inferno’, an adaptation of Dante’s poem for theatrical performance with audio artist Robin Rimbaud. Roger is a trustee of several arts organisations in the UK and France. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Clark, Sue  07780675291

A multi award-winning Executive Producer and Producer of radio programmes across the genres and networks with over thirty years’ experience at BBC, commercial stations and the independent sector. Sue is an Executive Producer for her own production company, responsible for a team of freelancers producing documentaries for 1Xtra, Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 4, as well as podcasts for other platforms.

Sue has extensive knowledge of the BBC guidelines and compliance issues. Sue has been an Executive Producer overseeing several 6 Music programmes.  As well as in the independent sector overseeing many music inspired documentaries including The Shooting of Sam Cooke, Laura Mvula’s God Made Me Funky, Sax Appeal: Ivy Benson’s All Girl Band and Randy Newman’s America.    Sue also exec-produced programmes for Radio 4 and the World Service on a wide range of topics from Women’s Football, to Operation Pied Piper: the evacuation of school children in the 2^nd World War.

As a radio producer Sue has worked on Johnnie Walker’s Drivetime on Radio 2, various live shows and outside broadcasts at BBC London and Kiss FM.  Setting up her own production company she was able to concentrate on producing documentaries about the music and artists she loves especially soul and reggae including everyone at Motown, Island Records, Nina Simone and David Bowie.

For more information contact [email protected]

Tiffany Cassidy email: [email protected]

The Executive Producer Role

The following is a basic explanation of the role of the Executive Producer:

* To provide editorial guidance throughout the production

* To be ultimately responsible for the editorial and compliance procedure relating to the production of the programme/series with said responsibility continuing after the production period has ended and the programme/series has been broadcast (e.g. advice/guidance/sign off for repeats, etc…)

The Executive Producer Fee Structure

For the majority of Radio 4 programmes it is not expected that you will require the services of an Executive producer for more than 1 day (8 working hours) spread across the duration of the production. However, series, dramas and comedies may require more extensive input and therefore a bespoke agreement. The following fees are meant as an industry standard basis for agreements between EPs and indies. As always, you are free to negotiate your own rates:

* One Offs & Ad Hocs (up to 1hr duration) 1 Day £250
* Series (up to 30mins per episode) 3hrs/ep £150/ep
* Drama (up to 1hr duration) 1-2 Days £250/day
* Drama (over 1hrs duration) 2-3 Days £200/day
* Readings (up to 5 x 15min episodes) 5hrs £200
* Readings (up to 10 x 15min episodes) 1 Day £300
* Readings (over 10 x 15min episodes) 1.5 Days £400

 N.B. Strands should be negotiated on a per deal basis

Executive Producer Contracts

The following guidance is intended to help both the EP and the indie to understand the contracting process:

* An EP has to be contracted to the specific production, with the contract laying out the responsibilities and fee structure

* The contract should also spell out the EP’s continuing responsibilities in the production following transmission

* You should consult with a lawyer in regards to drafting company-specific terms and conditions

* AudioUK recommends, but in no way requires, that a standard-fee payment schedule should be based on a ‘payment-after-delivery’ basis – delivery being considered as acceptance by the BBC of all of the contracted items.