International Broadcasters
CHANNEL PROFILE: ORF is an independent public service broadcasting corporation. It has two national TV channels: ORF 1 and ORF 2 plus four national and nine regional radio channels, all financed by license fees and advertising. The TV channels are complementary and are both transmitted by terrestrial network as well as satellite in collaboration with 3sat.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS : Looking for films dealing with Culture, Art, Int. current affairs | Co-production, Acquisition, In-house
BELGIUM
CHANNEL PROFILE: RTBF is Belgium's French language public service broadcaster. It has 5 radio channels and 2 TV channels: 'La Une' and 'La Deux'. They are complementary channels. RTBF transmits by cable, terrestrial network and in collaboration with TV5 by satellite.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Biographies, History, Geo-politics/strategy, Human issues, social issues | Co-production, Acquisition, pre-buy
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Personal stories, History, Culture | Acquisition, Co-production, In-house
DENMARK
CHANNEL PROFILE: DR is a national public service channel financed by license fees. It has two television channels: DR1' the main channel which broadcasts for the broad audience, and DR2 which has special focus on political debate, comedy, history, science and culture. DR1 transmits by analogue and digital terrestrial network, satellite and cable. DR2 transmits by digital terrestrial network, satellite and cable.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with various topics | In-house, commission, co-production, acquisition
CHANNEL PROFILE: TV 2/DENMARK is a national broadcaster with public service obligations, 100% financed from commercials. It has 5 channels: The main channel TV 2/Denmark and 4 niche cable channels TV 2 ZULU for a young audience; TV 2 CHARLIE focus on a 40+ audience; TV 2 FILM for film buffs, and finally a News Channel to be launched ultimo 2006.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with |Human interest, current affairs, films with an emphasis on the personal/human story. Foreign topics | Commission, co-production, acquisition
| Commission, co-production, acquisition.
FINLAND
CHANNEL PROFILE: YLE is Finland's national public service broadcasting company. YLE operates five national television channels: YLE TV1: The leading news, current affairs and factual journalism channel, focusing on drama, cultural and documentary programs as well as satire in entertainment. YLE TV2: Service and lifestyle programs, as well as drama and comedy. The main channel for children's programs and sport. Current affairs and factual programs stress the population's perspective; domestic and regional issues. YLE FST: Swedish-language full service TV-channel. YLE Teema: The digital channel for culture, science and education. YLE Extra: A channel of events, live broadcasts, popular culture and sports events.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Human interest, social, politics, history, Social, political, creative stories, Various, | Commission, co-production, in-house.
FRANCE
CHANNEL PROFILE: Canal+ is a national pay TV channel totally financed by subscription. It transmits by terrestrial network and satellite. Canal+ also broadcasts in Belgium, Vlanderen (brand name: BeTV) AND IN Sweden, Norway and Denmark (Canal+ Nordic). Total annual hours of transmission: approx. 8000
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Politics, social issues, Current affairs | Co-production, pre-buy, acquisition
CHANNEL PROFILE: France 3 is a national public service broadcaster with 13 regional units. The channel transmits both national and regional programmes. France 3 is financed by license fees and advertising. France 3 transmits by terrestrial network and some programmes by satellite in collaboration with TV5.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Social and contemporary issues, investigative journalism, factual, documentary series, Strong and romaneque human stories, Contemporary history, investigative journalism | Co-production, acquisition.
CHANNEL PROFILE: France 3 is a national, public service broadcaster. It is a knowledge channel. France 5 transmits by terrestrial network TNT, cable and satellite. Total annual hours of transmission: 4100.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Social issues, current affairs, Economy, social issues, Art, culture, music | Co-production, acquisition.
CHANNEL PROFILE: The French unit of ARTE, ARET France, is a broadcaster producing for ARTE only.
It delivers approx. 900 hours of programming a year.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Biographies, portraits, European and international social and political events, Family orientated, broad public topics, films, Creative documentaries and essays, Controversial matters, documentaries and debate, Various | Acquisition, Co-production.
Germany
CHANNEL PROFILE: The pole ARTE Deutschland is the coordinator of the German part of programmers for ARTE. The German companies from ARTE Deutschland are ZDF and the 9 ARD regionals as well as the Degeto, which are all under an obligation to deliver approx. 800 hours of programming a year to ARTE. About 70% of the programmes are first broadcast on ARTE. ARTE has six months exclusive license.
CHANNEL PROFILE: 3sat is a cooperation between ZDF, ARD, ORF and SRG that transmits German language programmes concentrating on culture and information. 20% is produced specially for 3sat. 3sat transmits by cable and satellite. Total annual hours of transmission: 7300 Director European Satellite Programmes.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Various themes, creative, personal documentaries in German | Co-production, in-house, few acquisitions.
CHANNEL PROFILE: MDR is a public service channel in the ARD Network, based in East Germany (Leipzig). It is financed mainly by license fees. MDR transmits to the East German region and supplies ARD with roughly 10%. It is also involved in ARTE and 3sat. MDR transmits by cable, satellite and terrestrial network.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with various | Mostly co-production
CHANNEL PROFILE: WDR is a regional public service channel in the ARD Network, based in the German state Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is financed mainly by license fees and partly by advertising. WDR transmits to Nordrhein-Westfalen as West 3 and supplies 1 ARD with 21%. It transmits by satellite, cable and terrestrial network. WDR is involved in 3sat and ARTE.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Personal documentaries of various themes, TV documentaries; political history, | Co-production, acquisition
CHANNEL PROFILE: Planet is a TV channel exclusively dedicated to documentaries. It was launched as a sister channel to the French documentary channel Planet in June 1997. Planet is a subscriber-based service and is distributed on all major German speaking cable networks, as Kabel Deutschland (Germany), UPC (Austria), and Teleclub (Switzerland).
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Long format docs, monthly changing issues | Acquisition, co-production
CHANNEL PROFILE: ZDF is a national public service channel, financed by license fees and advertising. ZDF is involved with the channels 3sat and ARTE. ZDF operates two digital channels which are committed to factual programming: Dokukanal and Theaterkanal.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Various, Culture, history, the world in general | Co-production, in-house, commission, few acquisitions.
Switzerland
CHANNEL PROFILE: TSR is the national French language public service channel in Switzerland. It is part of the multimedia group of Swiss National Television, place under SRG SSR idée Suisse (like TSI and DRS). It is financed by license fees (80%), advertising (18%) and sponsorship (2%). TSR transmits by cable, terrestrial network and some programmes by satellite in collaboration with TV5. Total annual hours of transmission: approx. 6000
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Docs about theatrical success | Acquisition, co-production.
The Netherlands
CHANNEL PROFILE: Humanistische Omroep is one of the smaller broadcasting organizations in the Netherlands, and is financed by license fees and advertising. It is a public service association. Humanistische Omroep transmits on Nederland 1, 2 and 3 which are national channels that transmit by cable and terrestrial network.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Social issues, culture | Inhouse, co-production, acquisition
Humanist Broadcasting Foundation Website
CHANNEL PROFILE: IKON, one of the smaller broadcasting organizations in the Netherlands is church based. It is a public service association financed by license fees and advertising. IKON transmits by cable and terrestrial network. Total annual hours of transmission: 92.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Creative documentaries and essays | In-house and co-production.
IKON Website
CHANNEL PROFILE: NPS is one in the group of the 9 biggest broadcasting corporations in the Netherlands, and is financed by license fees and advertising. It is a public service association with some legal obligations controlled by the Media Act. NPS transmits on Nederland 1, 2 and 3, which are national channels that transmit by cable and terrestrial network. Total annual hours of transmission: 800
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Creative documentaries | In-house and (inter) national co-production.
UNITED KINGDOM
CHANNEL PROFILE: BBC is a public service broadcaster financed by a universal license fee. It transmits on two analogue, terrestrial channels BBC One and BBC Two. It also transmits BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24 and BBC Parliament on digital, satellite and cable for domestic audiences as well as commercial channels, BBC World and BBC Prime for overseas audiences. BBC London is the broadcasting centre. Furthermore BBC Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and a number of regions produce for the network.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Looking for films dealing with Ambitious, narrative, single, international documentary films, Art, culture | Commission, acquisition, co-production.
CHANNEL PROFILE: Channel 4 is a public service channel financed by advertising. The activities and programming are regulated by ITC. Total annual hours of transmission: 8760
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: Channel 4 has a large output of documentary programs which are handled by different departments. More4, their new digital channel is commissioning docs through the other departments.
Channel 4 Website
USA
International Media Development Fund
ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs primarily for public television. We work with independent producers to create and present programs that take creative risks, advance issues and represent points of view not usually seen on public or commercial television. ITVS is committed to programming that addresses the needs of underserved and underrepresented audiences. We look for programs that bring new audiences to public television and that expand civic participation by bringing diverse voices into the public sphere
International Call
The ITVS International Call enables independent producers from outside of the United States to create documentaries for U.S. television. Through the International Call, storytellers from other countries introduce U.S. audiences to their global neighbors, opening a window into unfamiliar lives, experiences and perspectives.
ITVS Website
CHANNEL PROFILE: P.O.V regularly features films by international filmmakers that resonate the US audience. In recent years, P.O.V. has broadcasted films from Israel, Italy, Denmark, Poland, South Africa, Japan,, China, Chile and New Zealand.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: P.O.V is particularly interested in in-depth character driven stories that express a point of view on issues rarely featured in mainstream media.
P.O.V., public television's premier showcase for independent, non-fiction film and video seeks programs from all perspectives to showcase in its annual national PBS series. All subjects, styles and lengths are welcome.
P.O.V. Website
CHANNEL PROFILE: Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, Showtime Networks Inc and Robert Redford. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression.
www.sundancechannel.com
Qatar
CHANNEL PROFILE: The channel aims to become a leader in its field and to promote the documentary culture; particular attention is being paid to the Middle East with a special focus on the cultural diversity of its societies. This channel will be broadcasting in Arabic 24 hours a day and takes as it's theme the concept of humanity, its environment and the interaction between them.
It seeks to present a deeper understanding of different topics following the "Al Jazeera Spirit" of improving understanding of Arabic culture and reversing the North-South flow of information.Al Jazeera Documentary will also examine all sides of reality, going beyond the immediacy of news coverage and digs deep into the heart of human stories with an informative and educational approach, often focusing on issues that are sometimes marginalised and ignored.
DOCUMENTARY STRANDS: This channel will present a range of high quality documentaries which analyze political, historical, scientific, artistic, tourist, health, religious and social aspects of human life, as well as programs that deal with international figures. The channel also aims to support and develop the documentary industry by working closely with existing producers and film-makers as well as nurturing new and emerging talent.
As part of this it will promote Arabic production and to encourage the new generation of producers while also tapping into existing programs produced by Al Jazeera and other broadcasters.
The channel's Arabic focus will prioritize issues of humanity, human rights, minorities, national independence questions, political, social and economic reforms in addition to topics of interest to other Arabic viewers around the
Al Jazeera Fund
Objectives: The goal of the Production Department is to commission documentaries from around the globe that explore the relationship between people and their environment. By focusing on these interactions, our Commissions will bring compelling and revealing stories to our Arabic audience. In addition, we want to discover, support and cooperate with pioneers in the documentary industry field in order to help establish a documentary industry in parts of the world previously overlooked. Exciting and insightful, our Commissions should present a sweeping panoramic view of what matters most to our Arab audience.
What we are looking for? We will be commissioning either hour, half-hour and filler length high end, quality productions that inform, inspire and connect Arab audiences to the world at large. We are looking for topics that explore complex issues and express original points of view.
Themes: Issues of Arab and Muslim interest, particularly those which reflect the needs and concerns of lesser-known communities within the Arabic and Islamic world; Human experiences; Culture, arts and tradition; Human rights.
Al Jazeera Website
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