THE ARTS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION

Grants are available to support the development, production and national distribution of radio and television programs on the arts. Priority will be given to artistically excellent programs that have the potential to reach a significant national audience, regardless of the size or geographic location of the applicant organization. Only programs of artistic excellence and merit, in both the media production and the subject, will be funded.

Projects may include high profile multi-part television and radio series, single documentaries, performance programs, or arts segments for use within an existing series. Programs may deal with any art form (e.g., visual arts, music, dance, literature, design, theater, musical theater, opera, media arts, folk and traditional arts). Programs targeted to children and youth are welcome.

All phases of a project -- research and development, production, completion and distribution costs -- are eligible for support. The NEA welcomes proposals that include ancillary activities that are intended to increase public knowledge, understanding and access to the arts. Such activities might include:

• The use of related radio and television programming.
• Interactive websites.
• DVDs or other digital applications.
• Educational material.
• Collaborations with arts organizations, educators and community groups.
• Video/audio distribution to schools, libraries and homes.
• Other public outreach activities.

Programs that are intended primarily for local or non-broadcast distribution are not eligible for funding under this grant.

The Arts Endowment’s support of a project may start on May 1, 2011, or any time thereafter. Generally, a grant period of up to three years is allowed.

Fit for public broadcasting: This grant program is designed to directly support programming for public television stations. Stations who decide to apply must ensure that their proposed projects will have national distribution, as programs intended for local distribution will not be funded. In the most recent contest for this grant, the following public television stations were awarded grants:

• Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council (KLRU) in Austin, TX, was awarded $30,000 to support the production of a nationally distributed television program on the arts. The series, iN CONTEXT.TV, will feature up to eight half-hour programs.
• Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. (WETA) in Arlington, VA, was awarded $150,000 to support WETA’s production of a series of arts news reports. Each six- to 10-minute report will be included on The PBS NewsHour, which airs five nights a week on PBS.
• KQED, Inc. (Northern California Public Broadcasting) in San Francisco, CA, was awarded $25,000 to support the research and development phase of a multi-part television series. In Both Sides Now the artist Linda Ronstadt will explore the rich musical traditions and history of various locals along the border between the United States and Mexico through musical performance, conversation and travel.
• Michiana Public Broadcasting Corporation (WNIT Public Television) in Elkhart, IN, received $10,000 to support the production and post-production costs for an hour-long documentary Kicking the Notes the Toradze Way. The film will explore the life and work of classical pianist Alexander Toradze.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, OR, was awarded $25,000 to support research and script development for the documentary film series Superheroes by Michael Kantor. The series will explore the history of the comic book and the evolution of its main characters.
• WNET New York in New York, NY, was awarded $570,000 to support the development and production of the television series American Masters for PBS broadcast. Definitive documentary profiles of major cultural figures will be made available in 2011-12 to millions of viewers in all 50 states on more than 345 public television stations.
• WNET New York in New York, NY, was awarded $570,000 to support the development and production of performing arts specials for the television series Great Performances and Dance in America for broadcast on PBS.

Eligibility: U.S. nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, units of state or local government, or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. Applicants who have received funding through this grant before must have submitted Final Report packages by the due date(s) for those awards in order to be eligible for this award. An organization may submit more than one application, but those applicants are encouraged to contact the Media Arts staff before applying.

Anticipated funding: For radio projects, grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. For television projects:

• Research and development grants generally range from $10,000 to $25,000.
• Grants for single documentaries generally range from $25,000 to $50,000.
• Grants for multi-part series vary according to the complexity and scope of the project. In rare instances, the Arts Endowment may recommend an award over $200,000 for a project with demonstrated quality, significance and impact.

All grants require a nonfederal match of at least one to one.

How to apply: Applications for this program must be submitted at Grants.gov.

Resources:
Program notice
2010 grantees
NEA website