new original public media program B u s i n e s s F i n a n c e

new original public media program B u s i n e s s F i n a n c e

 create and design a new original public media program that:

Advances the mission of public media

Would be appropriate for potential distribution through national PBS, NPR, local public radio, local public television, and/or PRX

  • 1 – Introduce your program, and summarize the content. Describe what the program is. Explain the proposed program in depth. What genre would it be? How long is each episode?
  • Describe the program’s form, content, and purpose. Explain what media already exist that might be comparable to your idea, and discuss how yours is different from the options currently available. Consider the production process. What would it take, in terms of people and resources, to actually produce it?

2 – Write a mission statement for the program that addresses how the “program” the overall mission of public media as a public good and public service and serves the public interest.

3 – Target audience

Explain the audience your program would serve. What are their demographics (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, education)?  Explain who the audience is, where they live, the needs and challenges they face, and shared concerns they have. Do some research and identify the media that already target this population, and explain if your program fills a unique need in the media landscape, or adds to a program or set of programs that already exist in public media.

4 – Funding

How would you pay for the cost of production and distribution? Identify at least two foundations (local or national) that might be interested in supporting the program, and explain how the program might advance their missions. Would you want to seek business sponsors? Why or why not? And if so, identify a few possibilities, and explain why supporting the program would be beneficial for them. Explain the extent to which you think you could attract individual donations, and who might be likely to contribute. Finally, consider whether the program might be competitive for a CPB program grant, and if so, in what ways.

5 – Distribution

How would the audience access the program? Would it be over-the-air, live streaming, on-demand, podcasted, terrestrial broadcasting, or some other way the audience can engage with the content? Would you want a distribution partner (such as NPR, PBS, PRX, or a local public media outlet)? What would the argument be for such partners to distribute your show? What would your program’s social media presence be? How would you make use of social media to distribute, promote, or otherwise enhance the program?