Making Programs for VisionTV
VisionTV works with independent producers from Canada and around the world on a broad range of programming including documentary series and one-offs, lifestyle series, dramas, and music specials. We are committed to cultural diversity and the fair and accurate reflection of people of all faiths, cultures and races. We have very specific requirements. Please read this guide carefully.
We are accepting proposals for the 2012/2013 broadcast year, with a plan to make decisions by November 2012. CMF commitments will not be made until the announcement of Broadcaster Envelopes in late March or early April 2012.
All series and one-off documentary, lifestyle and music program commitments have been made for VisionTV’s 2011/2012 broadcast year (Sept. 1-Aug. 31).
We receive more than 1,000 proposals per year and it may take us up to eight weeks or more to review your project.
Sections
- Who We Are
- Who Watches VisionTV
- What We are Looking For — Types of Programs
- International Co-Production
- What We are Not Looking For
- Canadian Content Requirements
- Submitting a Proposal to VisionTV
- Meeting with Us
- Sending Your Proposal
- What We Pay
- Windows & Exclusivity
- Requirements
- Important Notes
- Legal Waiver
Required Forms
Technical Specifications
- Technical Specification (Full)
- Technical Specification (Short)
- Break Structure Specs: 30 min | 60 min | 90 min | 120 min
Who We Are
VisionTV (ZoomerMedia, Television Division) serves the interests of Canada’s largest demographic, the 14.5 million Canadians who are 45 plus. The channel, licensed as a multi-faith broadcaster in 1988, features Zoomer news, movies, music and faith. .
About 50% of the schedule is comprised of dramas, comedies, documentaries, music, information and current affairs programs – presented, produced, co-produced and acquired by VisionTV.
The other half of the schedule is produced and presented by approximately 75 faith groups. This programming ranges from the Daily Mass and Reflections on Islam, to Voice of Hinduism and the United Church of Canada’s Spirit Connection.
Sixty-five percent of programming in the overall schedule and 50% of programming in prime-time is Canadian.
Who Watches VisionTV
VisionTV is available as a “basic” service on cable and satellite in approximately 10 million households across Canada. One in four Canadians tune in to VisionTV at least once a month. An average of 2.4 million people tune-in to Vision TV each week and 7.9 million people will tune-in each quarter.
What We are Looking For
We are looking for program that include religious subject matter as it intersects with groundbreaking thinking and discoveries in politics, science, archeology, social/cultural/world issues, religious leaders/icons. We are also looking for speculative fiction (supernatural/paranormal/apocalyptic themes) and sacred/gospel music programs featuring big name artists.
Proposals can be submitted at any time following our submission guidelines and must include a signed release form. See Submission Guidelines and Release Form below.
Documentary Series and One-Offs — Recent or Currently Airing
Sex + Religion — What is the relationship between religion and sexuality? Where does sex fit into the pursuit of divine enlightenment? Is it an integral part of who we are or is it a blind biological drive that distracts us from realizing our highest spiritual goals? In a world in which we are bombarded with sexual messages, can we unite our sexual desires with our divine purpose? In order to get to the heart of this dilemma, this 13-part documentary series explores the world’s four major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, and interviews ministers, rabbis, imams, priests and other religious experts to give us insight into how ordinary people can reconcile their sexuality and their love of God.
I Prophesy: The Future Revealed — Human beings are obsessed with trying to predict what will come tomorrow – and these efforts tell us much about who we are today. The I Prophesy documentaries consider some of the possible futures that await us: from a world in which physical sex no longer exists and humans live for a thousand years, to doomsday scenarios in which our civilization is erased by asteroid collisions or epic floods. Episode List: Dude, Where’s My Flying Car (Future Thinking); Death From Above (Asteroids);Sex and Romance; Fountain of Youth (Anti-Aging); Mass Extinction; Cyborg (Human and Machine); Nuclear 9-11; Thought Police; 2012 (The Mayan Calendar); Designing Humanity (Genetic Engineering); Apocalypse 2060; Chasing Chimera; Superflood; Tiny Revolution (Nanotechnology); Cosmic Energy (Solar Storms/ Cosmic Radiation); Journey From Earth (Space Colonization); Utopia.
Supernatural Investigator — Have extraterrestrials visited our planet? Did vengeful demons hound a Canadian journalist to his death? Why did the U.S. government experiment with ESP during the Cold War? Did the world’s greatest escape artist somehow slip the bonds of death? This documentary anthology series from VisionTV, takes a critical look at other worldly phenomena in an attempt to separate fact from fiction.
Episode List: The Antichrist; Life from other Planets; What Killed Joe Fisher Part 1: The Trap is Set; What Killed Joe Fisher Part 2: The Trap is Sprung; The Crystal Skulls; Remembering Past Lives; Seeing 911; Remote Viewing; Hex or Hoax?; Chaos Magick; The White Mountain Abduction; The Nightmare; Detour on the Road to Atlantis; The Seducers; Hunting Houdini; It’s in the Stars; Occult Architecture – Washington, DC.
The Naked Archaeologist — Is the Bible history or myth? Present-day archaeology may hold the answer. In this series, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici investigates the mysteries of Biblical archaeology.
Twist of Faith — Belief influences the actions of peoples and nations, and entwines itself into every global happening, from our fight against terrorism to the struggle to save our environment. Veteran Canadian foreign correspondent Martin Himel (End of Days, Jenin: Massacring Truth) embarks on an epic journey around the world to find out how religious faith is shaping current events – and how current events are affecting the nature of belief.
Driven By Vision — Towering cathedrals of recycled junk. Castles built by hand with stones dug from a mountainside. Windmills and whirligigs assembled to offend politicians and charm old girlfriends. On country back roads and urban side streets you will find them: strange and wonderful handmade monuments, lovingly constructed of scrap and detritus by some of the world’s most eccentric visionaries. Welcome to the world of Driven By Vision.
Five Roads to Freedom — Until 1994, South Africa was reviled internationally for its system of institutionalized racial discrimination, or apartheid. Few who lived under this system could have imagined that South Africa would embrace civil rights and democracy in the course of their lifetimes, let alone win the respect of the international community. Five Roads to Freedom: From Apartheid to the World Cup is an original new Canadian documentary that looks at South Africa’s revolutionary transformation through the eyes of five men and women who lived under the shadow of apartheid.
God Bless America — In this new six-part documentary series, award-winning Canadian broadcast journalist Ralph Benmergui visits our southern neighbour to learn how and why religious faith has come to play such an important role in the political life of the United States. The program’s premiere is part of a series of special broadcasts on faith and politics, marking the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Decoding Christianity — For two thousand years the finest artists in the world have been inspired by the core beliefs of Christianity. Adopting a thematic, investigative and quirky approach we bring the audience on a journey of discovery unlocking the mysteries of the church and its symbolism. A six-part series.
Lifestyle Series — Recent or Currently Airing
- Divine Restoration
- Gospel Challenge
- Prenup Challenge
- Recreating Eden
- Medicine Woman
- 5 Seekers
Music Specials — Recent or Currently Airing
Carry Me Home: The Story & Music of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale
Using the music of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, this one-hour documentary film will weaves together the life and accomplishments of Nathaniel Dett, providing Canadians with a chance to reclaim an unknown hero while taking them on an enchanting journey of passionate sounds and musical history.
The Barra MacNeils’ Celtic Christmas
This one-hour special taped before a live audience features Celtic music by the Barra MacNeils.
Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ”
The recent recording of Haydn’s masterpiece is performed in an Easter concert by some of Canada’s foremost musicians, including violinist Andrew Dawes, widely regarded as Canada’s most distinguished violinist.
Quartet Plus Four At Christmas
A one-hour Christmas music special, taped at St. George’s Anglican Church in Halifax, featuring an array of holiday selections performed by the Blue Engine String Quartet, along with singers Jeri Brown, Mary Jane Lamond, Cindy Church and Lina Boudreau.
International Co-production and a Note to Non-Canadian Producers
Because of VisionTV’s licence requirement to broadcast 65% Canadian content, all of our commissioned programming must carry Canadian content certification. This means that Canadian producers must be involved in a production for it to qualify as a true co-production meeting CAVCO and/or CRTC co-production guidelines.
What We are NOT Looking for
- Second windows
- Short films in any genre (less than 22 minutes)
- Dramatic feature films
- Half hour, one-off programs in any genre (except for specific strands)
Canadian Content Requirements
Virtually all of the documentary programming VisionTV broadcasts must qualify as Canadian content. This means that foreign producers must work with Canadian co-producers to achieve a qualifying rating on the CAVCO scale.
If you are a foreign producer with a Canadian partner, have a project you feel is appropriate to VisionTV and which qualifies for CAVCO, please feel free to send it. (Continue to read down for details.)
Submitting a Proposal to VisionTV
What proposals must include:
- Submission date
- Program title
- Length — e.g. 22 (1/2 hr. slot), 45 (1 hr. slot), feature (specify length)
- Number of episodes
- Genre — e.g. documentary one off, mini-series or feature; docu-drama; docu-soap; lifestyle; reality; music; drama series; MOW
- Region in which your company is located – e.g. Western (BC to Manitoba); Central (Ontario); Eastern (Quebec and Atlantic Provinces); North (northern territories);
- Co-Production (if applicable) — co-producing countries
- Strand (if applicable) e.g. I Prophesy
- Logline — a one-line description of the program/series
- Synopsis — a concise description of the program/series that fully conveys the creative treatment. Maximum 150 words.
- Treatment — includes the background, key issues, key characters and the access you have to them, host or investigator’s role (if applicable), the way the story will be told, the style and tone, the devices that will be used (e.g. narration, interviews, verite footage, archival stills or footage, CGI, re-enactments, graphics, etc.). Maximum four pages.
- Titles and short paragraph description of each episode for series
- Story arc or structure broken into acts (see break structure above)
- Low res photographs are welcome. (Feature photos for website should be 600 pixels x 380 pixels or larger.)
- CVs of the creative team — we are looking for clear proof that you and your team have the knowledge, qualifications and track record to make the project not only succeed but shine.
- Full contact information
- Preliminary budget top sheet (summary), finance plan and demo or trailer
- Release Form — Proposals MUST be submitted with a release form. Click the link to download and print the Release Form. Sign, scan and send as PDF with your proposal or send by fax to 416-368-9774.
Meeting with Us
We frequently meet producers, most often after we have discussed an idea by phone or after they have sent an outline or complete written proposal. Given the volume of proposals we receive for consideration from across Canada, it can be difficult for us to find time to meet on spec. We are often at festivals, events and industry gatherings across the country where we participate in panels and pitch sessions.
Where to Send Your Proposal
Proposals MUST be sent by email to: proposals@zoomermedia.ca
Hard copies are NOT required but if you wish, they may be mailed to:
- Director, Independent Production
- ZoomerMedia, Television Division
- Liberty Market Building
- 171 East Liberty Street, Suite 230
- Toronto, Ontario M6K 3P6
What We Pay for Programming
Should your proposal be accepted, VisionTV would enter into a pre-sale licence fee agreement for the project. Every project is different and there is no hard and fast rule. Pre-sale agreements, meaning agreements to licence a project based on a written proposal submitted by an independent producer, can range anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 per hour, depending on the project. Click here for a complete list of all Funding Sources.
Windows and Exclusivity
These depend on the project. A one-year period of exclusivity in Canada is standard. We are not interested in second windows.
Requirements Should Your Project be Accepted and Produced
- Canadian content certification with a CAVCO or CRTC number
- Errors and omissions insurance
- Closed Captioning
Important Notes
VisionTV has been acknowledged as Canada’s most exemplary broadcaster in terms of diversity. All of our programming conforms to the VisionTV Code of Ethics, Standards and Practices, and is consistent with fostering respect and tolerance of all faiths and cultures. We also actively seek to ensure that our programming reflects the full spectrum of faiths and cultures in Canada and provides a voice for those infrequently heard in the media.
VisionTV is a member in good standing of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and all programs must adhere to the standards established by that organization. In addition, VisionTV is required to comply with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children. VisionTV also expects all programs to comply with CAB’s Sex-Role Portrayal Code for Television and Radio Programming and CAB’s Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming.
VisionTV is an English language service and only accepts proposals and projects that originate in English.
Normally we respond to proposals in eight weeks or more. Please be patient as the number of proposals to be read and tapes to be screened can be overwhelming for our limited staff. Please do not expect “rush treatment”. Exceptions cannot be made to meet other funding deadlines. If you know of a deadline coming up, you can best ensure that it is met by submitting your proposal a minimum of eight weeks in advance.
Unsolicited proposals and tapes are not returned, so do not send us your original copies.
We recognize that all ideas or projects presented in written form have been submitted in confidence by the independent producer and undertake not to pass any information about ideas or proposals to any third party without first obtaining consent. Please also be aware that ideas submitted to us may be similar or identical to those already developed by VisionTV or which others have already submitted. We accept no responsibility for duplication of ideas.
Legal Waiver
In submitting a proposal or idea to VisionTV (whether via email, phone, mail, courier, hand delivery, tape, CD or a face to face meeting) you understand that VISION will not make any use of the proposal or idea that you are submitting to us except under the terms of an agreement to be negotiated between us.
You acknowledge and agree that our receipt and review of your proposal or idea does not mean that your proposal or idea or the underlying concept therein is unique or original. Similarly, you acknowledge and agree that VISION, or other persons, may have previously created or may in the future independently create something that is substantially similar or identical to your proposal or idea, which we will have the unrestricted right to use with no liability or obligation to you.
You have retained a copy of the Materials submitted to us and release us from liability for loss or damage to such Materials. The Materials submitted by you will not be returned. All of the above applies equally to any proposal or idea you have in the past or may in the future submit to us.
