Sophie Morgan

Congratulations to all the nominees at this year's British Podcast Awards. There are undoubtedly some interesting shows in the mix, and I hope that they use the nomination as a big professional springboard. But... By my - back of a fag packet, admittedly - calculations, 30% of this year’s nominees at the British Podcast Awards were produced or distributed by the BBC (48 of 162 show nominations). A single publisher representing almost a third of nominations is monolithic, and this is without most of its radio shows which are repackaged as podcasts. That's a massive bloc for most creators to compete with, and that's before even thinking about what Global, Sony, Amazon etc are doing in the marketplace (spoiler alert: taking up a lot of the remaining 114 nominations). The awards are under no obligation to recognise creative diversity. I wouldn't want them to patronise smaller podcasters or networks. And it's hard to know whether the homogeneity of the list is a product of jurors lack of omnivorous consumption, or the fact that independent publishers are not submitting to the awards (possibly a function of the very steep increase in the costs). There are some omissions from this list that are so glaring that I have to assume that the shows/companies didn't submit for consideration. Maybe I'm being too jaded. Full disclosure: Podot only submitted one show this year, and it wasn't nominated (we submitted into the Wellbeing category, which is a bad fit anyway). But inevitably the British Podcast Awards will come to represent a Best in Class list of UK podcasting, especially for those outside the narrow industry walls. I have to say, I look at some of those categories and I struggle – as a critic and consumer, rather than creator – to believe that these shows really represent the best of the business.

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Our subscribers are now reading 4 exclusive deepdives about: CloserStill's deal price, the possible fate of Centaur, growth plans for Jacobs Media, and The Ankler coming to the UK. It only takes two minutes to join the media leaders who are readers. Why not now? Friday will never be the same. Flashes & Flames: The Global Media Weekly

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I was really privileged today to chair a fascinating debate on “Post Transformation”, sharing the stage with Andy B. from Channel 4, Iris Nedio from Accedo.tv, Mark Patrick from the BBC and James Glendinning from Techex to talk about the current state of broadcasting and where we stand on our transformation journey. My key takeaways: 💰📱 Commercial and consumer pressures continue to drive demand for innovation and adaptability. Small screen viewing, on demand requirements and competition from platforms like YouTube are changing the market. Digital first is the way forward. 🏃‍♂️ The speed of change required has continued to accelerate - in the software world, immediate PoCs are required and go live might be within weeks. We have to be able to drive incremental improvements and integrate where required. ☁️ In Core Video and audio technology, the move from SDI to IP and the cloud is the enabler for future flexibility, but not everyone is there yet. It takes time to replace core legacy infrastructure. We are not all “post transformation”. The scale of backbone tech change required is challenging to deliver. 📹 Video and audio in the cloud is complex. Standards can reduce complexity (we all want reduced complexity!), but can standards keep up with the pace of change? How can this work globally? We also don’t have sufficient people with the right skills for cloud. 🤝 Super flexible industry partnerships are key to agility, providing solutions, software and resource augmentation. Requirements can and will change. Thanks so much to our panelists and to Polly Hickling for organising the SMPTE track!

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Really sad to hear that the BBC will be ending Short Cuts. We undervalue the role of short form work as a place to develop skills and creativity. For entities that distribute documentary audio, supporting shows that feature short form work is essential to fostering talent and building the future of the medium. But from a commercial standpoint, canceling Short Cuts also feels shortsighted. This American Life is a great example of how building a library of short form work can support sustainable production budgets and editorial freedom in the long term. With 25+ years of archives, TAL has the ability to cut stories that aren't working, rerun episodes that are beloved, and create space for new episodes to be properly reported and produced. They have a weekly show but don't have to create brand new episodes every week. It takes time to build this sort of engine, but it is worth the investment. I'm not privy to any of the decision-making here and public media is complicated. But with 12 years of episodes and an archive featuring some of the best in the medium, canceling the show seems like a failure of imagination. https://lnkd.in/esaus6Xy

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Some years ago, the first Looking Glass Survey revealed (unsurprisingly to many) a mental health crisis in the Film and TV Industry. That crisis is still very much still here - with signifiant problems in the culture and conditions within the industry, and research last year showed that only 11% of people felt the industry was a mentally healthy place to work. Things needs to change, and they are - slowly. But in order to know what needs to change specifically, and how we change it (and who needs to make those changes), we need to collect meaningful pan-industry data. And this is where all of you come in ... Completing the survey gives the Film and TV Charity a chance to gauge how longstanding issues like bullying and harassment, working conditions and culture are affecting our workforce, and whether there’s been positive progress since they launched the first survey in 2019. As such, spreading the word and ensuring we secure a wide cross-section of industry workers is vital. Survey filling can often feel a pain - especially when we all have busy schedules, but if you are either a permanent or freelance workers from any corner of the industry - so not just those working on production - but anyone in any role that supports the creation and distribution of screen entertainment., then please, please can you fill in the survey - as it will genuinely help us all make a difference. I have a love-hate relationship with this industry. I can see its amazing merits, and I can see how it can also hurt others, and their families too! But 25 years on I'm still plodding away, and trying to do my little bit to make it a better place to work... all of us have some meaningful things to say about our experiences, and this survey is the perfect opportunity to get those thoughts down... You can find the survey here https://bit.ly/45z88hf

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Do give this interview on Monocle with my colleague Alex Wood Morton a listen - lots of good soundbites on our European strategy  #fortune #businessmedia #makingbusinessbetter

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On #WorldSuicidePreventionDay (10 Sept), I’m very pleased to announce that Inside Job Productions has been awarded a two year grant by NHS England to establish the Suicide Prevention Film Unit, based out of Wandsworth Prison in London. As the World Health Organisation (WHO) declares today, suicide is a major public health challenge with over 700,000 deaths each year globally. Each suicide has far-reaching social, economic, and emotional consequences, deeply affecting individuals and communities worldwide. Nowhere more so than in prisons, where health and social challenges are greatly amplified. This will be the first film production unit of its kind, recognising the importance of sharing relevant information and supporting informed conversations around the reasons why people choose to take their own lives or self-harm in our prisons today and how we can better support them during times of crisis. By putting prison staff and prisoners at the heart of the production process, we will ensure that the film and digital media content produced is authentic and therefore accessible to all. We’re proud to be picking up on one of the WHO themes of #WorldSuicidePreventionDay 2024: #StartingTheConversation. The primary purpose of producing the film content is to support and encourage conversations between individuals who may be considering suicide or self-harm and those who are there to support them. These conversations may explore coping mechanisms when you are struggling with life inside prison, or they may be about flagging up existing services or suggesting new ones. As well as using the conventional routes for disseminating film content in prisons, including in-cell TV, we will also be facilitating a series of screening events inside the prisons which will provide a safe space for prison staff and prisoners to view the films and discuss the content in some detail, motivated and aided by experts in the subject matters. We are currently assembling a strong coalition of volunteers who will provide the project with this invaluable support. We would be delighted to welcome more of you to this eminent group of suicide prevention champions. We look forward to taking this important new project forward with your support. https://lnkd.in/ecm_ZUyF #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #StartTheConversation

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Quick take on the budget - further thoughts to follow. For film and TV there seemed to be two tax incentive policies that I could spot. These were ones already announced by the Tory government. The indie sector needs, and deserves more from this government. Department for Culture, Media and Sport - there needs to be more coming. Pact and Creative UK I know you are lobbying to drive change, as are Bectu and the excellent Philippa Childs For ref the two were: 5.108 Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit: Additional tax relief for visual effects – From 1 April 2025, film and high-end TV productions will be able to claim an enhanced 39% rate of Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit on their UK visual effects costs. UK visual effects costs will be exempt from the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit’s 80% cap on qualifying expenditure. Costs incurred from 1 January 2025 will be eligible. This measure was announced at Spring Budget 2024 and it will be legislated in Finance Bill 2024-25.     5.109 Independent Film Tax Credit – From 1 April 2025, UK films with budgets under £15 million and a UK lead writer or director will be able to claim an enhanced 53% rate of Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit, known as the Independent Film Tax Credit. Expenditure incurred from after 1 April 2024 on films that began principal photography on or after 1 April 2024 is eligible. This measure was announced at Spring Budget 2024 and has been legislated. And here is our survey from ahead of the budget covered by Max Goldbart in Deadline Hollywood https://lnkd.in/eeBWgC-P.

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The Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC) will allow films with a total core expenditure of under £15 million to be eligible for a relief of 53% on qualifying expenditure. Films with a total core expenditure of up to £23.5 million can qualify for the IFTC, however can only claim on up to a maximum of 80% of £15 million of the core expenditure. £23.5 million is the tipping point where it becomes more advantageous to claim the standard rate of AVEC without being capped at £15 million.

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I recently spoke to Diyora Shadijanova at The Lead about the deepening crisis in TV and film production here in the UK. It’s a clear and comprehensive article that paints a truly terrifying picture. Speaking to journalists on this subject has become something of a regular activity for me since writing my viral thread on Twitter the day that Doctors finished production in March. I’m aware that I’m beginning to sound like an industry ‘Cassandra’ on this subject and that maybe I should just shut up… But everyone I speak to is struggling, panicking, no idea where the next job is coming from or how they’re going to survive mentally and financially until it does finally appear. IF it does… And yet, despite this, all I seem to hear, time and again, is “Survive to 25”. Which is fine if – and it’s a Godzilla sized ‘IF’ – things actually do pick up in 2025 and work starts to flow again. But even if we assume things really are picking up next year, who’s going to be left in the industry with skill and experience to do all this work once ‘25 rolls around? Only those who can literally afford to ‘wait it out’ financially will survive. And that will only exacerbate the industry’s serious problem of representation across class divides. Slowdown in production across the board means that hundreds of brilliant, hugely experienced writers, crews, producers, actors, and creatives of all stripes are leaving the industry in droves. We’re losing all that talent, all that experience, all that brilliant creativity. And once it’s gone, it won’t be replaced for decades if at all. So, why aren’t we talking about it more? Why aren’t we coming together to find solutions? I get it. No one wants to acknowledge things are bad. We’re an industry that thrives on spin, on bigging up our successes and glossing over our failures. But in order to deal with a problem, you first have to acknowledge there actually is a problem… Increasingly it’s starting to feel like the Titanic… The ship is sinking fast and down in steerage the third-class passengers are drowning… Meanwhile, on deck, in first class, the band plays on oblivious… Clearly, Labour are more favourable to the arts than the outgoing Tory government have ever been. But, should they win, they will only have goodwill to help us with because the money isn't there… Sunak  is rightly condemned for leaving millions of freelancers without support during Covid. So, why are we as an industry allowing the same thing to happen on our watch? The time is long since passed for those whose voices carry weight in our industry to stand up and speak out to help. We can build a resilient industry that actually cares for the people who give their lives to work in it. But we can’t do that until all of us – ALL OF US – acknowledge what is going on and talk to each other about it. https://lnkd.in/emsET9j6

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2024 - the year of elections everywhere…with impacts on broadcasting. The British Labour Party if it wins next week, plans to “work constructively with the BBC and our other public service broadcasters so they continue to inform, educate and entertain people, and support the creative economy by commissioning distinctively BRITISH content.” Sounds like a sensible policy for the UK. In ireland, political parties must ensure RTE also commissions distictively IRISH Content, especially in its entertainment and popular factual genres, not just news and current affairs. Ents. and popular factual/formats are the most exportable and valuable genres to build capacity for the indie sector. One way to ensure precious Irish tax payers monies are not needlessly exported and opportunities to leverage capacity & sustainability are missed; is to have a public register of shows/formats that are bought in/reversioned (irishified) with the cost of the foreign owned format Licence, its minimum Licence term (1,2,3 season orders) & commercial Holdbacks specified. RTE, in its new iteration, needs to stop short term shoring up of ratings at the expense of coming up with its own original shows in the relevant genre. Reporting this would be revealing as to where spend lies. It shouldn’t have to be, but incentives to innovate original winning IP need to be put in place. It should be core and part of RTE’s DNA and mandate. Otherwise what’s the point and long term future?

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TW: Assisted Dying. Last Thursday night it broke that a bill was going to be introduced to parliament to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Be Broadcast and Brazen PR acted swiftly on behalf of Paul Carroll Publishing, whose book *Shaking Hands With Elvis* explores this sensitive issue. Thanks to our rapid response, we secured coverage on major platforms like BBC News, BBC Radio 5 Live, all of the BBC Regional Network, Times Radio, and Channel 5. Paul's experience of watching his family members suffer, leading him to Dignitas, inspired the book. His research revealed how quickly assisted dying laws evolve, as seen in Canada, where it now accounts for 4% of deaths, and Denmark, where a 29-year-old woman chose it due to depression. An evolution of where these laws began. Disability campaigners warn these laws could evolve further, and with the NHS struggling, might we soon see pressure for even more groups to be included? While we may trust the system now, it wasn't long ago we heard chilling references to "Let the bodies pile high" to save the economy. Paul calls for improved palliative care and before proceeding down this path.

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Interesting piece on where the industry is now in the UK. The question we all have is where is it going? The years of plenty got everyone thinking (or hoping) it would / could continue indefinitely. The article is right to focus on the people though. Building Studio space is a clear commercial calculation, which is difficult to make because infrastructure takes ages and stable demand is short term. Hence all the “new Studios” that are really just a press release looking for finance. The people challenge however, that’s is where it’s at. Working in Film & TV demands and develops all sorts of incredible skills in people, not just technical, but soft as well. It requires leaders, collaborators, thinkers, problem solvers, dynamism, organisation, adaptability and effective management. But is the freelance nature of our business it’s great strength in the good times and it’s greatest weakness in the tough times? Is it a dichotomy that can never be reconciled cleanly?

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What’s next for UK Film & TV? As election looms, we know there is cross party support for creative industries - but how can they support further? Read my thoughts & other industry leaders here https://lnkd.in/dNGXTxAm #film #tv

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Linked In are asking what are your go-to summer reads. Here's my recommendation. My new novel which you can preorder this summer #HolidayMode #LinkedInNewsUK #summerreads #publishing https://lnkd.in/gibeV_ts

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This marks a big step forward for our titles. The launch of news apps for the St Helens Star and the Wirral Globe, with full access for our digital subscribers. I firmly believe it is one of the most positive strides we’ve taken towards shaping our digital future. The Star and Globe were born as large-scale ‘free’ distribution newspapers half a century ago. They remain at the heart of their communities and provide a vital service, providing trusted news and information for our readers - connecting them with their communities. Both titles have had to evolve over the past decade and we’ve seen this through the enormous audience growth of the websites and the ongoing development of the print titles (which has driven newspaper sales). As we look to expand our growing number of digital subscribers and loyal audience, these apps are the next significant step, offering an improved user experience for subscribers that includes access to all online news and content - and digital e-editions of the weekly newspaper editions. We have some introductory offers on at the moment (£5 for 5 months), so give our apps a try and let us know your feedback. https://lnkd.in/e9EWA2Uy #news #digitalsubscriptions #journalism

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It's that time of year again ... 🎄🎄🎄 ... it's commissioning time in Radio Cymru. We commission our linear broadcasts in autumn / winter and our podcasts around January / February. We've shortlisted proposals submitted by both independent suppliers and in-house staff. There were hours of discussions around the shortlist. And this week we start meeting everyone to discuss the shortlisted ideas. And it's after the discussions that I get to the big jigsaw - when deciding on commissions there are a load of factors to consider; it's the idea first and foremost but delivery dates, finance, what the subject or treatment brings to our schedule, if there's a definite broadcast date etc are all considerations. And sometimes we'll have a number of programmes we want to commission, but they all need to be broadcast around the same time, and there aren't enough broadcast slots. There's a lot of juggling, communication, negotiating and problem solving in the commissioning process, and it's my role to bring everything together into a schedule that makes sense editorially and logistically. And, guaranteed, there will be a point (in about two weeks 🤯) where there are more questions than answers. Add into the mix changes to how the circuits between Bangor and Cardiff work (which will significantly lower risks around 2 workflows - hurray) and the extra work getting schedules / programmes / autoplayers ready for Christmas and it's going to be an interesting month! Diolch to everyone who submitted ideas for Radio Cymru in 2025-2026; it's a privilege to receive and read them and I look forward to the discussions over the next few weeks. Picture: has absolutely nothing to do with commissioning other than the laptop. I'm sitting at a table with a duck egg blue wall and Japanese print behind me, and a window on my left. My laptop is open and there are note books on the table to my right. I'm wearing a green jumper, laughing, and because of the angle of the shot my right hand looks HUGE - but I absolutely love this photo.

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