The Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides limited direct funding for broadcast and digital productions for public media. By statute, CPB does not produce or distribute content.
CPB-supported productions must be distributed through U.S. public broadcasting entities and are considered for funding if they have secured distribution in advance. Collaborations between independent producers and public media stations are highly encouraged. Program proposals are assessed internally and evaluated by panels of external experts.
CPB production grant funds may not be used for advocacy, direct political influence, commercial media, or programs intended primarily for non-domestic distribution.
Resources for Public Media Producers
Public media is locally based, so those wanting to produce for public media should contact their local public media stations to see if they have opportunities available. In addition, numerous public media distributors and other organizations offer guidelines, services, and other resources:
- PBS: https://www.pbs.org/about/producing-pbs/
- American Public Television: https://aptonline.org/pages/producers/Producers-Overview
- NETA: https://www.netaonline.org/programming-service/producers
- PRX Exchange: https://help.prx.org/hc/en-us/categories/360001131494-PRX-Exchange-For-Producers
- Public Media Content Collective: https://www.pmcc.org/
- AIR (Independent Audio Producers): https://airmedia.org/