Fatima Salaria teases Naked strategy

Naked is developing SVoD-style shows that are infused with public service values, as Fatima Salaria welcomes the broadcasters’ shift to VoD-first commissioning.

The former BBC and Channel 4 commissioner, who has taken over the newly-merged Naked and Boundless outfit, described her desire to “bring the ecology of what the SVoDs are doing into the world of PSB”.

She cited the example of Fremantle-backed Naked’s BBC3 format The Rap Game UK, which reflects young people’s lives in the UK “but doesn’t feel like you’re watching a current affairs programme about drug-taking”.

The latest series of the competition, which is adapted from the Lifetime US original, touches on topics including homelessness, depression and LGBTQ issues.

Speaking yesterday (19 November) on an Oxford Media Convention panel about the future of PSB, Salaria said: “I love having the wide remit of working with commissioners at the PSBs and Netflix and Amazon, and would hate it if the PSBs were watered down.

“All PSBs have to work harder and [indies] are trying to service them but without them, the opportunity for shows like the Rap Game wouldn’t be there.”

She brushed off the notion that inflated SVoD budgets will lead her to favour the streamers, stating that there is room on the slate for shows at various tariffs.

Salaria said her plans dovetail with the BBC and ITV’s recent proposals to take a VoD-first approach to commissioning, which “reflect what is happening in the digital world and outside of public service”.

“I welcome the realisation that the PSBs need to think outside of a traditional remit and commissioning structure,” she added.

“This is all about modern thinking - bring more people and ideas in from the SVoDs or digital platforms and a PSB can provide better value for money.”

Salaria has been busy since swapping her C4 specialist factual commissioning role for Fremantle, adding Boundless’ output to her roster and becoming chair of next year’s Edinburgh Television Festival.

At this year’s festival she set out her freelancer plans: “the creation of a pool of freelancers that is balanced for race, age and gender” – and most-recently signed UKTV’s Big Zuu’s Big Eats commissioner Natalie Rose as head of features.

She used yesterday’s panel appearance to deliver an impassioned plea for PSB protection.

“When we talk about investment [in PSBs] what we are really talking about is people,” she said.

“I spent 20 years as a PSB programme-maker and was able to tell stories that were really important to the communities that I am from.

“As long as PSBs continue to challenge and make shows for ever-changing appetites then they will have a huge say in the TV ecology and that is what I’m going to do at Naked.”