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PBS will review and consider each proposal submitted to us for consideration. 

PBS is a membership organization that provides national programming, distribution, and technical services to our member stations.  We do not produce the programs you see on our air.

PBS’s distribution schedule is determined 6-12 months in advance, so please keep this in mind when submitting programs that are timely in nature. 

Step 1: Your proposal must include a program summary form and a signed submission release form.  PBS cannot review a proposal until these forms are received. See below to download and complete the following required forms: 

• PBS Program Summary Form
• PBS Submission Release

Step 2: Assemble the following required materials and include any additional materials that may be available:

• PBS Program Summary Form (Required): Include link and password to project, list of funders, available rights, and other relevant details. 
   
• PBS Submission Release (Required): Please include required details and signature.
   
• Key Personnel (Required): Provide detailed biographies or resume information for key project staff, i.e., producer, director, writer, cinematographer, editor, as well as experts, consultants, and talent.
   
• Project Treatment (Required): Clearly communicate how the program will unfold from beginning to end. Include details on story structure, theme, style, format, voice, and point-of-view.
   
• DEI Plan (Required): Please see PBS’s DEI Producing Criteria.
   
• Line-Item Budget (If available): Include an itemized list of project costs, i.e., staff salaries, talent, post-production expenses, outreach, insurance, etc.
   
• Production Schedule (If available): Provide a schedule of all phases of production.
   

Step 3: Email program summary, release, and required/additional materials to PBSGASubmissions@pbs.org with the subject header “SUBMISSION: Title of Project.”   

NOTE: If you are submitting multiple proposals, please email each proposal separately with a program summary form and signed submission release form for each project. 
 
Step 4: You will receive a verification of submission via email. 

Due to the volume of proposals received, a standard response timeframe cannot be guaranteed.  In practice, our goal is to contact producers about their proposed projects within 4-6 weeks. Projects that PBS, in its sole discretion, deem unique and timely in nature may receive immediate attention. 

Proposals are evaluated on an ongoing basis. They are judged on many criteria, including (but not confined to) the quality of the proposal or completed work, compliance with PBS Standards & Practices policies, the credentials of the production team, content priorities, and the financial request to PBS. 
 
The submission process begins with an initial review by the PBS General Audience Programming team. If a program meets PBS’s standards and mission, it is forwarded to a cross-disciplinary team for discussion and consideration. During the commissioning meetings, programs and proposals are reviewed for distribution and/or funding and final greenlight decisions are made.  Producers are notified shortly thereafter.

PBS KIDS focuses on commissioning educational content for kids ages 2 to 8. If your project fits those guidelines, please share your materials through the PBS KIDS submissions portal here. You can also find an FAQ document and a step-by-step guide to submitting your materials here. Unfortunately, we are unable to review projects sent via email or snail mail.

If you have any questions about submitting proposals to PBS KIDS, please email pbskidsproposals@pbs.org.

We regret that we cannot offer detailed feedback on every project received. 

PBS is not obligated to return proposal submissions and PBS is not responsible for lost materials. Please retain copies of all submitted items as they will be discarded upon completion of review. 

Updated: July 2022