VMTV CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for Coimisiún na Meán’s Sound and Vision Funding Scheme Autumn 2023

Building on the success of original Fact Ent formats such as Help me Buy a Home, The Clinic for Well People and Grá ar an Trá, along with powerful Factual Series with unprecedented access such as The Guards. We are looking for gripping, brave and entertaining programming with broad appeal. Proposals of particular interest will have an innovative and cutting-edge twist and capture a diverse, contemporary Ireland through a lens that has not yet been seen. We want great Irish stories to be told all over the world!

VMTV wants to champion original Irish formats. Building on the success of formats such Eating with the Enemy, we are looking for noisy, returnable Entertainment and Fact Ent series that capture contemporary Irish life but also appeal to viewers all over the world. We are open to talent suggestions, whether they are well known or dynamic new faces with something interesting to say.

Also of particular interest are high-impact factual series; gripping must-be-told stories that provoke, challenge and entertain viewers. We’re not afraid of difficult topics but our hardest-hitting shows still have room for hope and optimism. We are very interested in unique access opportunities which highlight places, people and organisations that are fixtures of Irish life and open doors into unseen worlds. We are not looking for one-off/ feature length documentaries at this time.

 

Target demographic for all genres is 15-45s. All series must have broad appeal and perform well in a post-watershed peak slot on Virgin Media One or Virgin Media Two, some earlier evening weekend slots are also an option. We are particularly interested in projects that take a ‘digital first’ approach and present innovative and creative opportunities to engage a wider audience across platforms.

 

For those submitting ideas, a track record of great casting and confident storytelling is essential. Virgin Media Television submissions must meet the criteria as set out in the Virgin Media Television Commissioning Guidelines.

 

Submission Details:

· Deadline is Friday 13th October 2023.

 

· All submissions must include a one page programme proposal, production budget and finance plan. Sizzles, episode outlines, scripts are beneficial and will strengthen applications.

 

· Virgin Media Television is currently inviting submissions from Production Companies or Producers with a proven track record only at this time. If you are not a producer or submitting through a production company, and have a general query, feel free to contact vmtvinfo@virginmedia.ie

 

· Due to maintenance currently taking place on our Commissioning Portal, all applications should be submitted by email to commissioning@virginmedia.ie with the Subject line: CnaM S&V - {Name of Proposal}

 

Please Note that by submitting a proposal via email you (the “Applicant”) acknowledge and agree to the disclaimers, terms & conditions (“Terms”) set forth below. Please indicate that you agree to the below terms and conditions in the first line of the email. Submissions will only be considered if confirmation of acceptance is received.

 

Virgin Media Television Commissioning Terms & Conditions

In order to submit a proposal for consideration by Virgin Media Television, you must agree to the following set of terms and conditions.

1. By submitting a proposal via email you (the “Applicant”) acknowledge and agree to the disclaimers, terms & conditions (“Terms”) set forth below. References to “we”, “our” and “us” are references to us, Virgin Media Television Network Ltd (“Virgin Media Television”). We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of these terms at any time. Applicants are advised to read these conditions carefully to ensure they are aware of any changes made by Virgin Media Television. You agree to be legally bound by these conditions as updated/amended by Virgin Media Television.

2. Submissions are made on the condition that Virgin Media Television will handle submissions in a non-discriminatory and fair manner; that similar or identical programme ideas can be generated separately by different applicants at different times; that Virgin Media Television itself creates and also receives from different sources, a large number of programme proposals; that Virgin Media Television may already be developing/producing/commissioning programme proposals or ideas which resemble the Applicant's submission or might do so in the future; that Virgin Media Television's consideration of a submission does not constitute an acknowledgment by Virgin Media Television that the submission is distinctive or original to the Applicant; that Virgin Media Television's consideration of a submission does not adversely affect any copyright, trademark or any other right of any nature that Virgin Media Television or any third party may already have, or assert in the future, based on similar or identical programme ideas and proposals generated independently; that a similarity between a programme developed/produced/commissioned by Virgin Media Television and a submission submitted by the Applicant does not in itself mean that Virgin Media Television has copied the Applicant's submission or handled the Applicant's submission unfairly or dishonestly; that Virgin Media Television’s consideration of a submission does not constitute an acknowledgement by Virgin Media Television that a duty of confidentiality exists in respect of any non-distinctive or unoriginal elements of the submission or in respect of any elements of the submission that are in the public domain; that Virgin Media Television may select the best creative material from all sources, whether external or internal, in accordance with Virgin Media Television's commissioning and scheduling priorities which may change from time to time.

3. If a proposal is not commissioned Virgin Media Television is not obliged to return any materials submitted by the Applicant (including but not limited to scripts, tapes and DVDs) and those materials may be archived, destroyed or returned by Virgin Media Television’s commissioning team. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to keep duplicates of all materials submitted to Virgin Media Television.

4. Virgin Media Television will have no responsibility or liability for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment of any kind suffered by the Applicant as a result of any submission made to Virgin Media Television.

5. Virgin Media Television shall process any information submitted in relation to this process in accordance with the requirements of the applicable data protection legislation. Any data submitted will be processed by Virgin Media Television for the purpose of administration and consideration of submissions. Personal and company contact details submitted may be recorded to ensure that Virgin Media Television’s contact database is accurate.

6. These conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Ireland.

Please indicate that you agree to the above terms and conditions in the first line of the email.