In January of 2007, I hosted a conference call for my mailing list with Kate Pierson of The Documentary Channel, a U.S. cable broadcaster exclusively dedicated to screening, you guessed it, documentaries.

Kate is a Sr. VP. at the Doc Channel and I grilled her with the specific questions my readers had sent in advance for her to answer.

The call lasted about 30 minutes and the following is an abbreviated transcript of that call where Kate talks about what The Doc Channel looks for in documentary and how to submit your own for their broadcast consideration.

1.What does the typical TV/Cable deal look like for indie documentaries? How many years, exclusive or non-exclusive, licensing fee?

KP: Typical deal is 2-3 years, exclusive or non-exclusive (depending on what you can negotiate), and license fees range from $2K to $50K depending on the network.

2.As an acquisitions exec, do you see value in acquiring a film if you know a bigger film is in the works from the filmmakers? KP: Yes, definitely! We always want to develop relationships with filmmakers for the long-term so if there are bigger or other projects in the works,please tell us about that as that is a big plus.

3.How important is it for you to work with sales agents and industry people you are used to doing business with as opposed to dealing directly with filmmakers? KP: We prefer to deal directly with sales agencies because 1)they tend to have a whole catalogue of films we can buy and do package deals with, and 2) it's sometimes difficult to deal directly with filmmakers because they are not familiar with how to negotiate a distribution contract and about deliverables like E&O insurance, QC reports, etc. In these situations it's just easier to deal with sales agencies we're used to doing business with. However, having said that, I've noticed that filmmakers are becoming more savvy and thus are starting to become capable of doing deals directly with us, which has been a pleasure. If filmmaker are going to negotiate directly with us for example, they can use an attorney or someone to help them through the first contract and then by the second deal,they should be able to fly on their own.

4.When you are introduced to a film, what makes the best impression on you? A DVD? A festival screening? How much does packaging influence your decision? What can filmmakers do to grab your attention?

KP: Of course festival screenings are always preferable but otherwise, a DVD in my office works just fine. In terms of packaging, a nice package with key-art and a press kit works well.

5.What is the average lead-time between starting negotiations and having a Doc broadcast on the Doc Channel?

KP: At the Doc Channel, lead-time is usually only 1 month or so. Places like HBO and other bigger networks you're looking at around 6 months.

6.What kind of docs are you looking for and where can people send you their trailer or film for review?

KP: We're looking for all kinds of docs, and HD is a plus. You should email me with a link to their trailer, and then I can request a screener if interested. Otherwise, they can go to our website www.documentarychannel.com and we have a submissions page set up.

7.How can filmmakers contact you with additional questions?

KP: You can email me at kpearson@dcoumentarychannel.com