What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note
Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
M-Net announces open pitch to industry
To provide fresh local content, M-Net Channel 101 is inviting production companies and format creators to pitch their ideas for an original unscripted show that will provide blockbuster television entertainment in 2015.
Compelling reality shows
The pitching process, which is open to the entire industry, will commence in October 2014 and will consist of a ten-minute face-to-face pitch with M-Net's commissioning team in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. While M-Net is definitely looking for compelling new reality shows, other unscripted genres will also be accepted.
"Since changing the landscape of South African television in 2001 with Big Brother South Africa, the country's first local version of an international reality show format, the channel has continued to raise the bar with first exclusive local entertainment in HD," says M-Net Director Victor Eckard, "However, now it is game on to find 'the next big thing'. We can't wait to see where this open pitch will take us."
Something original
As this new show will take its place alongside the current local and international programmes on M-Net 101, it should have high production values, speaking to the needs of DStv Premium viewers who want to be entertained by slick, sophisticated, unpredictable and unique content for the entire family.
"What we definitely don't want is anything that is dated, old-fashioned or anything we've seen before."
For more information, go to http://mnet.dstv.com/2014/10/17/m-net-pitching-process/. It is compulsory for producers to submit their show concept via this web portal too. No hard copies will be accepted. Once the online submission is completed, the M-Net commissioning team will contact producers to confirm a time slot for their pitch.
