WOSU Receives Funding through State Humanities Council for Continued Production
May 1, 2013
On April 1, 2013, WOSU Public Media (Columbus, Ohio) was awarded a $10,000 Media Grant from the Ohio Humanities Council to support continued production of the station’s Columbus Neighborhood series. Specifically this grant, along with the required match, will help fund the production of “The South Side”, a television documentary in the Columbus Neighborhood series examining the influx of Appalachians into Columbus’ South Side neighborhood.
An ambitious initiative established by WOSU to celebrate Columbus’ bicentennial in 2012, the Columbus Neighborhood project explores the city’s diverse neighborhoods. The initiative combines a series of six hour-long documentaries with neighborhood story sharing events, in-depth reports from NPR affiliate 89.7 FM, lesson plans and videos for Columbus City Schools, social media activities and an official Columbus Neighborhoods website. As with all of WOSU’s documentary efforts, the goal is to create opportunities for engagement with viewers and listeners that can last beyond the broadcast. “Columbus Neighborhoods: The South Side,” which this newly awarded grant will support, is the continuation of the series and will feature the history of the South Side neighborhood, the people who made their homes there and the impact local industries had on the region.
Due to the tremendous success of this project, the series has become a near permanent fixture at libraries and other organizations with image archives. In fact, WOSU has partnered with The Columbus Metropolitan Library to create a unique website for the project, and the station has worked closely with the local commercial television station to share images and content.
WOSU Public Media is no stranger to the Ohio Humanities Council and the two have worked on previous iterations of the Columbus Neighborhoods’ project, including a similar grant made to support their King-Lincoln production in the Neighborhood series. The strong humanities content makes WOSU a prime applicant and the station talks regularly with Council program officers to bounce ideas for potential projects. These early conversations were key to WOSU’s grant success. Program officers at the Council are eager to speak with prospective applicants, and in many cases prefer these exchanges take place before submitting an application.
Public broadcasting stations are a natural fit for funding from state humanities councils across the country. Brent Davis, Director of TV Content at WOSU Public Media states “They [state humanities councils] are looking for exposure for the humanities, and public broadcasters are uniquely able to provide it.” Davis goes on further to encourage stations to seek out opportunities with their state council. Even with smaller grant awards, an endorsement through the state humanities council has the potential to open the door to other funding opportunities. Every humanities council is different, and some are more established than others. For those looking to apply, take note from WOSU’s success. First, remember these are state councils and may require funded projects have an impact beyond a single community. Second, read the application materials closely for guidance on what constitutes appropriate humanities content as this may vary between councils. Finally, don’t be afraid to begin conversations with program officers early. This is a great way to introduce your project and expose the council to the work and impact of your station.
