These are not areas that are governed by industry agreements except to the very limited extent mentioned in this brief guide.

Nevertheless, you should remember that presenters, reporters, voice-over artists and other such contributors to your programme — including, even, people you interview for the programme — may generate copyright in any words of their own that they say, and performers’ rights in their rendition of any scripted material (voice-over commentary, for example).

Even though, 999 times out of 1,000, it may be no more than a tedious formality, you must therefore ensure that you have an assignment

of (or at least a licence to) those rights. With presenters, reporters and voice-over artists, that is usually simply a matter of including words to that effect in the contract. Provided the fee is agreed, the rights question will not become an issue.

You may occasionally find that you want to engage an actor to do a voice-over, and that he/she or his/her agent wants the protection of an engagement under the appropriate Equity agreement. For more about these agreements, see under the icon "Industry Agreements: Actors" in this section.

With interviewees and similar non-professional contributors, you should cover yourself by getting a signature on an interview clearance,