Baker Media CBBC Prank Patrol

Background

Insurance in the world of media can bring up all kinds of strange scenarios, all of which need to be covered by a comprehensive insurance policy. Stockport-based Bakermedia is a client of Peter Hattersley and Partners and had a long list of problems that were solved by David Malone and his colleagues.

Started by former Granada TV executive Peter Baker and four of his fellow factual programme producers, Bakermedia Limited now has 20 staff and is based in the Europa Business Park in Cheadle Heath. Corporate clients with video requirements include: Halifax, Debenhams, Tarmac and Carillion. But it's on the broadcast side of production that the big insurance headaches began.

Situation

As well as shooting an 8 part ITV 1 series with actor Dean Sullivan (known as Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside), at the time of writing Bakermedia is in the middle of 20 programmes for the BBC; a children's show called Prank Patrol for Saturday mornings.

Empowering kids to build, set up and carry out elaborate pranks on their friends and family, the format needed a huge purple "prank van", (which was converted from an old Chevvy Silverado ambulance!) two "ninjas", and a barrel-load of creative filming set-ups. Filming started in June 2006 with a very tight schedule and budget. The BBC insisted on a watertight insurance policy, and so did Bakermedia who would lose out substantially if any of a number of things went wrong.

Results

David Malone of Peter Hattersley and Partners identified a Chubb Media policy as being the most comprehensive for Bakermedia's needs. Covering everything from the obvious to the bizarre, TV productions are covered in cases from if the presenter is sick to if tapes are destroyed. The American Prank Van created insurance problems of its own; again sorted by David Malone.

"When time is tight, a media company wants to put all its efforts into creative production" says Managing Director Peter Baker. "It's a great relief that PHPL listened to our unusual needs and suggested a very comprehensive package that was media-friendly and was agreed by the BBC who we are making the series for."

Back to Case Studies