Independent Production Submission
Alongside national PBS programs and local programs, Nine PBS is committed to providing local producers and filmmakers opportunities to distribute their content through our multiple platforms.
Our vision is:
Nine PBS will be the trusted hub for local, relevant content to help our region flourish.
Therefore, we’re always looking for stories that provide a voice to an underrepresented group, provides insight into our community and/or illuminates a topic or issue essential to our region.
Each quarter, Nine PBS will accept a slate of projects/programs for review and consideration of local distribution (broadcast and streaming). The projects can range from but is not limited to: series, long-form program/documentary, digital series, special program/project or digital series.
Q1 – Submit by February 27/ Review in March
Q2 – Submit by April 30/ Review in May
Q3 – Submit by July 31/Review in August
Q4 – Submit by October 31/Review in November
Upon completion of the items outlined below, producers/filmmakers can submit a work for consideration, which will be reviewed by a Nine PBS content review committee. The committee will leverage several criteria, including meeting our standards and guiding principles, serving the St. Louis metro community, and the story itself.
If a project is chosen for broadcast/distribution, Nine PBS will provide guidance, next steps and any further needs.
FAQ
Will Nine PBS provide funding for my project?
At this time, we don’t have funding set aside for outside productions.
What if I’m interested in Nine PBS, being a partner or co-producer?
If you’re pre-production or production stages, let’s have a conversation. Nine PBS loves to work with external producers with projects but must always consider and balance the type of project, work and resources needed. For more information, please reach out to productionsubmissions@ninepbs.org.
Will my program receive national distribution?
Our number one priority is to provide stories about our community and for our community. There are limited opportunities available for national distribution on a case-by-case basis.
How long does the review process take?
Following the quarterly deadline, please allow the committee 4-6 weeks to review the content and all elements of the application to reach a final decision.
If I’m approved, when can I expect the program/series to air?
Typically, we’re scheduling programs a few months ahead of time, so it may be a few months before the program can be scheduled.
Will my project air in primetime?
There are several factors to consider with primetime, and we have limited availability in that spot. While this is in full discretion of the programmer, programs will be placed in a timeslot where it has the greatest reach and impact for the audience it wants to reach.