Roya TV's Mohammad Musleh on 'thinking like a producer' to pitch to TV

Mohammad Musleh, Executive Producer of Donya Ya Donya, the flagship morning show on Jordanian satellite channel Roya TV, spoke with MediaSource about the show’s format, what makes for an interesting guest, and why PRs need to ‘think like a producer’ when they pitch story ideas to TV.

Tell us about the format and topics covered on the show.
Donya Ya Donya is a morning show broadcasting from 8am until 12:30pm daily, and covers a wide-array of social and cultural topics, including success stories, fashion, health, food, art, health and beauty. The final hour of each show consists of one of Jordan’s most famous chefs demonstrating and cooking a particular dish.

Who is the show aimed at?
The show initially targeted Jordanian women aged 20 and above. However, we realised it attracts a wide-array of viewers and now we target men and women of all ages.

Are you open to receiving PR?
We like to receive press material regarding projects, ceremonies and local events via email. What grabs our attention are topics that reveal the positive attributes of Jordan, its people and culture.

Who is the best person to pitch? 
We have three assistant producers who manage the content of each episode. The best person to pitch would be any of these producers, and not the presenters directly.

What are your deadlines like? How far ahead do you work?
We have a monthly schedule in which we fill and arrange segments and interviews for each daily episode.

What makes for an interesting guest spot on the show?
An interesting guest is intellectual, informed and can deliver his or her message in a concise and enlightening manner. An interesting guest spot is also one that can engage with the presenters and the viewers to help enhance the viewer experience.

Any advice for PRs on pitching for television?
I would advise PRs professionals to think in the mind-set of a producer and understand what works well on television. They should be well informed of the program’s content and the type of interviewees we feature, and provide a clear pitch with a clarified objective and aim – this will all help us to obtain and expand material for future episodes.
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