BY: Liliana Rocio, Senior Editor For World Liberty TV
POV (a cinema term for “point of view”) is television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.
POV winner of many film awards
Awards
POV films have won every major film and broadcasting award including 34 Emmys, 18 George Foster Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Broadcast Journalism Awards, three Academy Awards®, the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award and the Prix Italia. See a full list of awards. »
“So much of what we see is watered-down and easily digestible, designed to appeal to the largest common denominator and not cause offense. Against this pallid landscape of cream-puffery, POV stands out as something quite bright and unusual.”
Audience Reach
As a series broadcast on the national PBS schedule, POV can be seen by over 97% of the American viewing public, with a cumulative audience average of 2.5 million per program In addition, POV works with thousands of educators and community groups, reaching over 15,000 people directly.
Dr.Abbey with Chris White ,Executive Producer POV
Impact
The series continues to challenge the notion of television as a one-way medium by creating pioneering models and innovative broadcast-related projects designed to maximize television’s potential. Talking Back is a hallmark of POV which completes the broadcast loop by featuring viewers’ responses to our broadcasts. POV Digital harnesses the interactive potential of the web as a medium that encourages dialogue and participation. POV’s Community Engagement campaigns build new audiences through partnerships between public television stations and community groups, broadening public debate and fostering community-based activities around issues represented in select programs.
Dr.Abbey with Justine Nagan Executive Director POV
Partnering with Independent Producers
More than 800 programs are submitted for consideration each year. The films undergo a rigorous review process involving independent media professionals, public television station programmers and PBS. Once chosen, POV works with filmmakers to craft a strategic broadcast plan which includes a national press campaign, outreach and educational activities in partnership with public television stations, educators and community-based organizations, a stand-alone website and other materials and services geared to providing the most effective springboard possible for the film. See Academy Award Winners.
Funding
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Wyncote Foundation, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, The Educational Foundation of America and public television viewers. Special support provided by The Fledgling Fund. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET. Check out our Entertainment Channels.
