ITV executives have been in Manchester to explain how they want to “strengthen and accelerate” the broadcaster’s relationships with regional indies.
Kevin Lygo, the Managing Director, Media & Entertainment led the Producers’ Briefing at HOME and launched the new Amplify: The Regions initiative.
This will see 5 companies chosen and each matched with a genre commissioner at ITV. They’ll receive a brief and take part in a pitch. They’ll also receive £5k to develop potential ideas. Should ideas be greenlit, they’ll then go through the standard commissioning process.
The pilot programme is aimed at independent production companies which are based wholly in the nations and regions – not those which are part of a larger corporate group.
“For both linear and ITVX, ideas can and absolutely do often come from the nations and regions,” said Lygo.
“ITV wants ideas from the regions, about the regions and produced by the regions in the regions. Which is why we’re excited today to be launching a brand new development initiative specifically for regional indies – Amplify: The Regions.”
This new initiative is based on ITV’s Diversity Commissioning Fund’s Amplify: The Companies, its pilot to accelerate relationships with diverse owned indies.
The Manchester Producers Briefing was also attended by Polly Hill, Head of Drama; Nana Hughes, Head of Scripted Comedy; Sue Murphy, Head of Factual Entertainment; Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment; and Paul Mortimer, Director of Reality Commissioning & Acquisitions and Controller ITV2 & ITVBe, plus their teams.
Lygo emphasised that ITV was open to indies of “all shapes and sizes” and that “if smaller companies come to them with big ideas, they have very experienced commissioners who can help shape it and put the right team together to bring it to life.”
