About MPT

Roles and relationships in MPT productions and underwriting

Underwriters

Whether it is a for-profit or non-profit enterprise, an underwriter organization provides a financial subsidy for an MPT production, but the organization has absolutely no influence over the editorial content in that production. The underwriter does not serve in any advisory capacity and cannot actively participate in the production by reviewing scripts, selecting what's to be taped, or appearing on camera.

The underwriter does not get to see the production until it appears on MPT's air (or until it's featured in a preview screening event). An underwriter may not look at the production in advance before deciding whether or not to provide underwriting support.

The underwriter's role is identified in an underwriting announcement, the nature and length of which are dictated by strict public broadcasting rules from the FCC, PBS, and from MPT itself.

Co-producer

A co-producer provides content assets, production assets, and/or financial assets to MPT.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is a long-time co-producer of MPT's Outdoors Maryland show, for example, providing both funds for the program and identifying topics and places to be covered.

As a co-producer, Maryland Public Television brings production expertise to the undertaking. Our co-producer's contribution might derive from its core strengths or organizational focus – such as the Department of Natural Resources expertise in the example above.

A co-production arrangement may be developed when a producer brings to MPT a fully conceptualized plan for a program and the funding to make it – but invites MPT to shoot and edit the program. Most often, however, a co-producer's concept for a program is usually not fully developed when he/she contacts MPT.

In brief, a co-production is a partnership where two or more producing parties combine their relevant assets (content, production expertise, financial resources) for the achievement of a single goal – that is, a program or some other production (such as a co-produced Web site).

Finally, in any co-production, it is a requirement that MPT retain final editorial control over the project. While the co-production partner(s) might suggest or recommend appropriate content for inclusion, the final determination about what is included – and what is not – rests with MPT.

A co-producer is acknowledged at the start or end of a program (usually not both) when it is aired so that the viewing public is fully aware of the collaboration of MPT with another organization that influences what the viewer sees.

Producer

A producer comes to MPT with a production either partially or completely funded. (The producer might have the production itself funded but distribution and promotion costs may not yet be covered.) The program is typically in the form and shape that the producer envisioned, and MPT decides whether or when to put the program on our air, weighing a variety of factors such as timeliness, suitability for differently aged audiences, uniqueness of topic, etc.

A single individual or a full-scale production house may bring a program to MPT for our consideration. A producer of a program that MPT has decided to air is fully identified at the start or end of the program so that the viewer understands that MPT has no editorial connection with what the viewer sees.