The Independent Producers Association BEGINS
Mickela Mallozzi, Founder of the IPA
I hope you are all well and safe and getting through this difficult time as best as possible.
You may or may not remember me, but after the Baltimore APT Fall Marketplace in 2018, a group of us independent producers, programmers, and stations relations folks got excited about supporting each other through an Independent Producers Association (IPA) for public television. I reached out to that original group of about 50 producers (thank you to everyone who filled out the questionnaire I originally put together back in 2018). Since then, I had been busy with the launch of the new season of my own show(as we are all busy!), but seeing that I have a little more time on my hands AND I have been reconnecting with some of you via email and zoom, I thought it was time to get this initiative back up and running.
For those of you who I met at APT Fall Marketplace this past November in Scottsdale, welcome! If you have a moment, please feel free to answer this questionnaire that I hope will help steer us in the right direction:
That being said, the goal of the IPA has always been to support the independent producers that put their heart and soul (and a lot of their own money) into making television that they actually believe in. And as we’re seeing right now during COVID-19, public television is invaluable to our viewers and to the public, providing education and informational AND entertaining programming during a difficult time for our country and the world.
With the IPA, we want to create a community so that we can connect and bounce ideas, offer instruction and guidance, and also help create a cohort so that communicating and working with stations, presenters, programmers, and distribution arms can be streamlined. We want to continue that mission, so as we are all working from home, not in production, now is a time to build up that coalition, build up our continued education in this public television process, and reconnect with one another.
Please feel free to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to join our community. As of now, everything will be entirely FREE! Free community building, free webinars, free communication. We just want to start to build a community and a channel of information that we believe will not only empower us, the independent producers, but everyone involved in this public television process.
Starting next week, we will host our first FREE weekly webinar, beginning with Craig Reed and Keith York of TRAC Media. They will be discussing the resources that TRAC can offer producers including Searchable Television Listings Online for your show’s website, plus breaking down the information pulled through carriage reports – Q&A to immediately follow. And all of these webinars will be recorded and uploaded for you to reference whenever you need.
Join us EVERY Wednesday for our
Professional Development Webinars
at 3pm ET / 12pm PT
YOU MUST REGISTER - IT'S FREE!
Topics for upcoming FREE weekly webinars will include:
The Ins and Outs of Station Relations
Underwriting Guidelines
Producer’s Tool Kit – deliverable assets guidelines
Underwriting / Fundraising (multi-part)
Distribution – APT, NETA & PBS – what’s the difference?
Working with Presenting Stations
Budgeting
Digital Distribution
Best Practices in Supporting Stations (digital promo materials & creative assets)
Working with the Create or World Channels
Publicity and Media to Build Your Audience and Carriage
Deliverables, Tech, etc.
Pledge – what is it and how do you do it?
Licensing Guidance & Guideline
Awards submissions - Tellys, Emmys, etc.
Podcasting – an extension of your brand/TV series
Social Media - how to build your following online, engage with viewers
Are you a seasoned producer who wants to help share your expertise in any of these topics? Or don’t see a topic that you want to host? Email us, we’d love to have you run an upcoming webinar!
I also want to thank and acknowledge Justin Harvey of The Programming Service for Public TV and Selena Lauterer of Artemis Independent for their support and guidance in this process.
I look forward to creating this community with you all – have a wonderful weekend, be well, and stay safe!