The BBC Radio Comedy Writer's Bursary (or the BBC Radio Comedy Department Contract Writer) is a scheme through which emerging comedy writers work in-house at the BBC Radio Comedy department for a year.
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History
The scheme began in 1978 and was devised by the then head of Head of BBC Light Entertainment (Radio), David Hatch, and BBC Television's Head Of Light Entertainment, James Gilbert. Each department put £5000 a year into a kitty to employ three young writers on a one-year contract. The only proviso was that there was to be no contract for a second year, and that the writers must then fend for themselves. The first beneficiaries were Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville and Guy Jenkin, who were followed by Rob Grant, Doug Naylor (Red Dwarf). Since then, the scheme has helped several aspiring or part-time writers to go full-time and has produced a great number of professional writers and comedians including Peter Baynham, Stewart Lee and Simon Blackwell (The Thick Of It, Veep).
Duties of recipients
Under the current regime, those selected for the bursary work on BBC Radio 4's two high-profile topical shows; The News Quiz and The Now Show, contribute writing across the range of the BBC Radio Comedy Department's output as well as script-editing sketch-shows and sitcoms. Bursary recipients are also encouraged to develop new formats and create their own shows.
List of recipients
The names of the writers who have received the bursary are displayed on the wall outside the toilets at the BBC Radio Comedy office.