The executive producer is the most senior person on a production and usually oversees the programme from beginning to end.
The executive producer is the most senior person on a production and usually oversees the programme from beginning to end. They often recruit the key members of the production team, sign off the most important decisions and keep a close eye on the budget.
One of their key roles is managing the long-term relationships, such as those with the presenters, the commissioners, the legal advisors and the media and communications team.
Executive producers don’t usually run the programme on a day-to-day basis – that’s the job of the producer – but they are on hand to troubleshoot, give advice and step in during busy periods. They are entrepreneurs: always ready to find a new presenter or champion a great idea.
They are also responsible for safety. While working closely with the producer and production manager on the risk assessment, it’s the executive producer who makes the final judgement and signs off the safety forms. They are usually the person who makes the final editorial and legal checks on a programme and confirms it’s ready for transmission. On a live programme, they are often required to be in the production gallery, checking for editorial accuracy, possible libel and offensive language.
Many executive producers are freelance. Often they are the owners of the production company making the programme. They might specialise in a particular genre, such as sport, entertainment or music, or in different styles of programme making, like magazine programmes in studios or major outside broadcasts.