Hi everyone,

Hope you're enjoying your week!

We're just a few days away from MIPTV and I wanted to cover some basics on how Broadcasters work, since many of you have been writing in and asking how to get your film or program on Cable. Seems like everyone wants to be famous on the small screen :)

So let's see...in the past couple of weeks we've covered the acquisition patterns of networks like Showtime, Starz, and Sundance Channel. For a refresher on how to get your films on to these networks, or plan for a cable premiere in general, I recommend you check out these Audio Seminars from our recent archive:

Showtime & Starz: http://www.filmspecific.com/members/577.cfm

Sundance Channel: http://www.filmspecific.com/members/593.cfm

Then we moved on to Docs and Factual Programs and how to get Worldwide Broadcast Distribution. To that end, I did an Advanced Seminar on Tuesday night for Premium Members on how to Distribute to these Worldwide broadcasters. For all of you who couldn't attend, I recorded the seminar and you can access it at the link below.

During the seminar I recounted my own personal experiences selling Docs and Factual on the front lines at Film Markets, what buyers want, which territories buy, and how to squeeze the maximum amount of profits out of a single Doc. Don't miss out on the insiders scoop here:

http://www.filmspecific.com/members/595.cfm

And just to recap everything, I wanted to talk briefly about the three ways networks acquire their programs (whether it's narrative, docs, or series):

1. They acquire a finished program. This is usually the least expensive option for a network, and where you, the producer stand to receive the lowest acquisition price (the exception being if you're a Sundance Film Festival winner or something like that). Networks acquire their programs at both Film Festivals and Film Markets like AFM, Cannes, MIPTV, and MIPCOM.

2. They commission a program: This is the option they go for when they want to own the film or program out-right. You become a hired gun, and create the program to their specifications. A&E only does business this way for example.

3. They engage in a Co-Production agreement: This is actually the most common way a Network acquires it's content. For a review on how Co-Productions work, you can revisit the audio seminar I did on this topic here: http://www.filmspecific.com/members/517.cfm

As you can see, Worldwide Cable and Broadcast distribution is it's own beast. I specialized in it for many years, and to tell you the truth, actually prefer it over other areas of distribution. Why? Because the TV business is a real BUSINESS, and broadcast buyers are eager to spend money to fill their programming slots. It's much more cut and dry than the Theatrical distribution world, and a much easier sell most of the time.

If you want to learn all the intricacies of Broadcast distribution, I would recommend checking out a service like Cable U. Especially if you want to PITCH your ideas to networks, their service is invaluable. And the good news is I've twisted their arm to give my subscribers a free ONE MONTH trial. Just go to www.CableU.tv and enter promo code: FilmSpecific, and you'll see what I mean about this being an invaluable resource for Producers interested in broadcast distribution for their work.

Here it is again: www.CableU.tv promo code: FilmSpecific

By the way, Cable U is brought to you by our friends at Cable Ready, one of my recommended sales agencies for broadcast distribution. I even did a special audio seminar with them a few months ago. You can check that out here and learn more about them: http://www.filmspecific.com/members/331.cfm

Alright folks! That's enough stuff to keep you busy for a few days, isn't it?

If anyone has any feedback on Broadcast Distribution in general, we'd love to hear from you! Let us know your success stories, or not-so-success stories....

Talk to you soon~

To your success, Stacey* PS: If you weren't able to access any of the links above, why not get 2 free months of Premium Membership, just by picking up a copy of the Film Distribution Kit? You can read all about that here: http://www.FilmSpecific.com/DistKit