What is a Presenting Station?
Public television distribution services (e.g., PBS, APT and NETA) may require independent producers to hire a “Presenting Station” to assess and facilitate delivery of content for national distribution. A Presenting Station is a local PBS affiliate that charges independent producers a fee to help them navigate distribution of their program in the national public media marketplace.
Specifications
A Presenting Station also reviews programs for adherence to PBS and Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) content and technical guidelines, ensuring that all necessary deliverables arrive on time and at the quality needed for the program’s premiere. Programs must adhere to strict specifications for broadcast, the first is timing. TPT will help the producer get to the required length if requested.
- A thirty minute program must be 26:46 in finished length
- A sixty minute program must be 56:46
- A ninety minute program must be 86:46
- A two hour program must be 1:26:46
Commitment to Review
As a PBS member station, TPT supports the mission and values of public television. We abide by PBS principles and guidelines, especially its Editorial Standards and Practices, Funding Standards and Practices and Production Guidelines. We also abide by FCC rules and regulations pertaining to non-commercial educational television stations. TPT will review and consider each proposal submitted to us for consideration for potential local distribution by TPT, distribution statewide via the Minnesota Channel, regional distribution to other PBS member stations in the Midwest, and nationally to PBS, APT and NETA with TPT serving as a Presenting Station.
Scheduling
TPT’s local and state distribution schedule is determined 3-4 months in advance, so please keep this in mind when submitting programs that are timely in nature. Regional and national distribution schedules may vary, with PBS, APT, and NETA often making determinations 4-6 months in advance of broadcast.
