P0p1sm is Permanent Revolution

Lisa O'Carroll
Friday July 30, 2004

The shortlist to win the high-profile contract for BBC4's new media show has narrowed to just two independent production companies.
Janice Hadlow, the channel's new controller, reviewed the pitches and selected October Films - which has slated author and journalist Paul Morley as its presenter - and one other as-yet unnamed company.

The two companies, which were among at least seven who presented their pitches to BBC executives earlier this month, have been told to draw up a blueprint for another episode. They will be required to make a second presentation to commissioning editors including executive arts editor George Entwistle, with Ms Hadlow also expected to be present.

At least seven bidders were originally in the running for the £1.5m contract, which runs to 30 episodes on BBC4 over the next two years. Talkback Thames signed up the former Loaded editor James Brown as part of its pitch, while Kirsty Wark was named as the presenter on the tender drawn up by her company, IWC.

The former Times media editor Raymond Snoddy joined Clive Anderson for a bid by Oxford Films.

The original Media Show was made for Channel 4 by Wall to Wall, which has also put in a bid for the new incarnation. A number of Wall to Wall alumni are working on bids this time round, including Talkback's Daisy Goodwin and Denman Rooke of October. Mentorn and World of Wonder were also on the "long shortlist".

The BBC4 show will have a first run of 10 episodes starting in January, and bidders have been asked to come up with a "must-watch show for all those engaged in the media industry". A further two series have been pencilled in for 2005/6...