NB: email addresses and websites in blue and underlined are hyperlinks – press Ctrl and left-click to use.
Be On A Show is a BBC website that advertises for contributors and contestants for
BBC programmes. Take a look at bbc.co.uk/beonashow to see how we do it.
Why do I need Be On A Show?
If you’re looking for any kind of input from the public, we can help you to find it:
contestants for a quiz or game show
volunteers for a makeover or reality programme
musicians, dancers, actors or other performers
reminiscences or stories from members of the public
archive material, home videos, photographs, etc
Your page on our site will tell the public about your programme and what you’re looking for, and
give details of how they can apply.
Audiences
Sorry, but we can’t advertise for audiences unless they will be actively involved in the programme.
If you’re looking for an audience, please contact BBC Studio Audiences.
Email: studioaudiences@bbc.co.uk Phone: 02 61514 (internal) or 020 8756 1514 (external)
What do I have to do to get on Be On A Show?
1 Mandatory: Contact ITACU (Interactive Technical Advice and Contracts Unit) about your plans
to ask for contributors for your programme – see below for details.
2 If you have an application form for contributors, contact the Information Policy and Compliance
Team for advice on the data protection notice that the form must include – see below for details.
3 Write some copy inviting the public to take part in your programme. Attract their attention with
details such as who the presenter is, what they’ll get out of it, what their home movies will be
used for, and so on. Try to show why it’s a great opportunity for them, as well as useful for you.
4 OR, if you already have your own web page with all the details of what you’re looking for and
how to apply, simply give us the website address and we’ll link to it from our homepage.
5 If possible, find an image we can use. If you don’t have an image we will normally use the
channel or network logo.
6 Fill in the Be On A Show form below.
7 Mandatory: Email the form and any image to your BBC Executive Producer to request sign-off
of your copy for accuracy. The Executive Producer should then forward the form and image to
BeOnAShow@bbc.co.uk. See below for details.
8 When we receive the signed-off form from your BBC Executive Producer, we’ll make your page.
(TV shows only: please copy the form to VisionMultiplatformProgrammeSupport-Ateam@bbc.co.uk.)
Queries
Be On A Show is managed by Capita and the BBC MC&A Web Publishing team. If you have any
queries, please email BeOnAShow@bbc.co.uk or phone:
Moira Gillies (Capita) 01 75840 (internal) or 0141 307 5840 (external)
Carol Stanley (BBC MC&A Web Publishing) 02 25789 (internal) or 020 8752 5789 (external)
Mar 2009
IMPORTANT
Please make sure you comply with the following before you send us your completed form.
Mandatory: Sign-off by ITACU
ITACU is the BBC’s Interactive Technical Advice and Contracts Unit. It helps production teams to
use interactivity to agreed BBC standards. This includes helping you with the way you ask for
contributors for shows. ITACU works with in-house BBC teams as well as independent production
companies.
If you are looking for contestants or contributors for shows, you must talk to ITACU about your
plans. They will help you with specialist technical and legal advice, setting up the best value phone
lines and assessing any risks.
Ideally you should contact ITACU at least two weeks in advance of publishing the details of your
show.
Email: ITACU@bbc.co.uk
Phone: 02 58959 (internal) or 020 8225 8959 (external)
Data protection and application forms
We have a general data protection notice on the Be On A Show homepage. However, if you have
an online or downloadable application form – whether it’s to go on your Be On A Show page or it’s
sent out from your production office – it must include a data protection notice specific to your show.
For advice on how to word the notice, please contact the Information Policy and Compliance Team.
Email: dpa.officer@bbc.co.uk
From inside the BBC, email Information Policy and Compliance Team on the global address list.
Mandatory: Sign-off by BBC Executive Producer
As part of the compliance procedure, you must send your request form and image (if any) to your
BBC Executive Producer, who must sign off the content of your form for accuracy by inserting their
name in the box at the bottom of the form. The Executive Producer should then forward your form
and any image to BeOnAShow@bbc.co.uk.
Please note: We can only process requests that have been emailed to us by your Executive
Producer, or their office, from a BBC email address.
Mar 2009
Be On A Show
Your contact details (these will not be published)
Name
Email
Phone
Your programme (please note that we may need to edit your copy)
Programme name
TV channel or radio network
Summary for our homepage
(a ‘call to action’ in 10–15 words)
Describe your programme
and who/what you’re looking
for (50–100 words)
OR give your BBC site address
(if you only need a link to your site)
Image sent with this form? YES / NO
ITACU approval obtained? (mandatory)
Data protection notice? (required on any application form)
Start date (page to go live)
End date will be the closing date given in the ‘To apply’ section below.
Details for the ‘To apply’ section of the page (please fill in all that apply)
Age limit (if any) Applicants must be __ years of age and over
Any other condition/limit
Phone number
Phone charges This standard wording will be used: please fill in the cost.
for 08XX or 09XX numbers Calls cost __ from a BT landline. Call costs from other networks
may be higher, and calls from mobiles will cost considerably more.
For 0370 numbers, we will add different standard wording.
Recording calls Do you require the following wording? YES / NO
Calls may be recorded for training purposes.
Email address
Online application form YES / NO If YES, give your show’s BBC website address:
available?
Postal address
Closing date (give a date or
state ‘No closing date’) If you don’t fill in this box, we’ll remove your page after 3 months.
This section to be completed by your BBC Executive Producer
The BBC Executive Producer should insert their name in the box to confirm that they have checked
the details above. They should then forward the form and any image to BeOnAShow@bbc.co.uk.
I confirm that the details of the show
given above are accurate
(BBC Executive Producer)
Mar 2009