Pitching

This past week, I started my part-time job as a "Digital Media Assistant" here at Ryerson. My job is to sit in the 229 digital media lab and help people with software. Since I work evenings and weekends, there is rarely anyone in the lab. So it's a great opportunity for me to work on schoolwork, features, and pitches. Tonight, for example, I've been listening to This American Life's Apologies episode. Act two is particularly moving. I've been checking Jobs@CBC/Radio-Canada. I've also been looking through Tod Maffin's Radio Freelance Opportunity Database. Am particularly looking forward to more details on pitching to CBC Radio 3. I submitted a story idea to the CBC Fresh Voice competition, but I really think it's more suited to an online radio/photo essay. I like pitching to shows. I think it's a good habit to get into. I try to pitch as many stories as I can, not necessarily because I'm interested in doing (or even able to do) them, but because the act of pitching is a skill I think I should be developing. With every phone call I make or email I send to a prospective commissioner, I think I'm getting better. Feedback is generally helpful, and I try to use it to make future pitches better. By the time I might have to rely on my pitching skills, I want to be really good at it. Tod's database is a great idea. So is the AIR pitch page. Resources like this are wonderful for independent producers, especially in an age where we may have to sell the same story to multiple shows/networks. I've been thinking a lot about intellectual property rights when it comes to radio. More on that later.