Personal Managers Association
At the last Forum Kate Harwood and Nikki Saunders from BBC Continuing Drama came to offer a new bonus scheme for writers who have three or more episodes per series accepted on Doctors, Holby City and Casualty. After negotiation and discussion, the scheme was accepted by the PMA and WGGB representatives at the end of last week and it is now being set up. It will be introduced on Doctors from series 16, Casualty from series 29 and Holby City from series 17, and is a bonus scheme to reward loyalty to the series. It buys out no rights, and is in addition to any bonuses due to writers on core contracts. In reality it will benefit Doctors writers most but it has been made clear to the BBC that this scheme will not answer the ongoing negotiation about rates of pay on Doctors.
A little more detail: Where a writer has 3 scripts accepted across a single series (e.g. Doctors 16) they will be entitled to a 15% MEBS payment. This 15% bonus would be paid on all 3 scripts, and on any subsequent script accepted for that single series. Once it’s known that a writer has had 3 scripts accepted across a single series the MEBS will be paid on FDPP of the third script. If a writer has a fourth script accepted across a single series that payment will be made on FDPP of the fourth script, a fifth script on FDPP of the fifth script, etcetera.
For writers on previously agreed 15% transitional payments, those who are commissioned for fewer than 3 episodes across a single series will continue to receive this until 27th August 2014 after which these arrangements will end. A script that attracts an MEBS payment will not receive a transitional payment as well.
Once these arrangements go live the BBC will convert transitional payments into MEBS so that a writer is contracted consistently across a series. The MEBS purchases no rights and therefore writers will receive a further payment via WDP for iplayer use (previously this would have been covered by the 15% Public Service payment).
Eastenders and River City are not part of this scheme.
If you have any more questions I have the proposal from the BBC which I can send you, and am happy to answer any further queries.
Best
Jean Kitson.