Several very interesting developments occurred this week in the ever-expanding world of Documentary and Factual Television:
Ford Foundation
- Ford announced a $50 million initiative to fund docs over 5 years
- The aim is to help find and support a new generation of filmmakers whose works address urgent social issues.
- The new initiative is called JustFilms. It “will invest $10 million a year over the next five years to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences.”
Discovery Fit & Health
- On 1/1/11, Discovery Health was absorbed by OWN. That closed the chapter on a Discovery strategy of creating (Health) or acquiring (Travel) channels to provide services to consumers of entire industries
- Now Health is back. It will be relaunched in a merger with FitTV
- Discovery Fit & Health will reach 50 million TVHH. That’s more than the Sundance Channel!
- Today’s Real Screen reports on the new channel’s programming priorities
Oprah’s Doc Club
- 3 more picks were announced for Sundance
- Don’t miss our earlier posts on Oprah’s Doc Club as a ‘gamechanger’ here and here
Discovery
- Alaska gets hotter and hotter
- Congrats to the Discovery Channel team for record viewing!
- And in case you missed this, Discovery Networks just restructured its executive team
We’re at Real Screen
- Email now to arrange a meeting with Peter Hamilton during RS’11
- Want to see your concept on the side of an NYC bus? Don’t miss our Workshop with A&E’s Stephen Harris on January 31!
- And we’re moderating a great panel on Audience Research. That’s on Wednesday at 3:45