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Between the many streaming competitors and the seemingly never-ending list of new content, most in the industry would agree that this is one of the most tumultuous times to be in television. But for Paula Kerger, the CEO of PBS, it’s all old hat.
“We’ve been here before. If you look at the early days of cable, a lot of cable companies sprouted up with the idea that they would be the commercial version of PBS,” Kerger told TheWrap during the network’s day at the Television Critics Association’s 2024 winter tour.
Back in the heyday of cable, Kerger said that she had a set of jokes she used to break out. “‘Do you remember what TLC stood for? It stood for The Learning Channel,’” Kerger recalled.
The same could be said of Bravo, the reality TV hub that started as a commercial-free premium channel dedicated to arts and film, or the History Channel and National Geographic, two channels that got their starts showcasing well-researched docuseries about history and science before they dove the worlds of “Pawn Stars” and “Wicked Tuna.”
“There’s some interesting stuff [on those channels], but it is very different than what was originally envisioned,” Kerger said. “I think what happens is that the financial imperative drives different decisions. I’ve always believed that you have to really understand the core principles and attributes that define your organization, define your company, and that becomes your North Star.”
Kerger emphasized that doesn’t mean that networks should remain “preserved in amber” and continue to produce the same content and utilize the same strategies they did “20 to 50 years ago.”
“Everything evolves. But if you start to veer off into other areas, you can lose your way really quickly,” Kerger said. “That’s not to say that you don’t try to do different things and bring in different platforms.”
For PBS, this evolution has taken place with the network attempting to meet consumers where they are. In 2020, PBS made a deal with YouTube to add its local channels to the company’s live TV offering. That was followed in 2022 by a partnership with Allen Media Group’s Local Now free streaming service and in 2023 by a partnership with Hulu + Live TV.
That’s in addition to the PBS Masterpiece and PBS Kids channels available on Amazon and the donor-funded PBS Passport, which costs either $5 a month or $60 a year for subscribers. There’s also the public broadcaster’s completely free options, PBS.org, the PBS app and the livestream of local PBS stations. No matter how viewers want to watch PBS, the network has found a way to make itself available.
“We should always be thinking forward and thinking about, ‘OK, what could be interesting? What might we try to do next?’ But, within those parameters, is there pressure? Sure,” Kerger said.
What about courting younger audiences? Though Kerger noted that some believe the only way to secure a younger audience is to completely change your content strategy, she doesn’t believe that’s the case.
“What I do understand is that the platforms themselves, the distribution itself, does appeal to different audiences,” Kerger said.
For reference, she pointed to the work of editor-in-chief and “Frontline” executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath, who has been “very successful” on a variety of platforms and whose audience is “significantly younger.” A key part of the strategy for “Frontline” involves posting full episodes on YouTube.
“That is what took us down the path of Digital Studios. It’s not that we changed the quality of the content or at least the significance of the content. But we did it in a different way that’s really engaging and interesting and looks different than what we do on broadcast but does appeal to a broader audience,” Kerger said. “There are ways to make sure that you’re always reaching out without totally pivoting into something that isn’t you.”
Kerger’s nimble approach has also allowed PBS to do the near impossible. During a time when conversations about paying creators for streaming has dominated television, PBS has worked out a way to pay streaming royalties to its creators through its Amazon channels. The trick? To negotiate with PBS’ producers and filmmakers as a unified front rather than relying on standalone deals outside of PBS for creators.
“The money we’re making on the channel, we pay royalties to our producers. Then whatever profit we make back we reinvest in content,” Kerger explained.
This deal has helped offset the revenue PBS used to see from DVD and backend sales as well as help close funding gaps.
“When that went away, this actually became the way to try to recoup some of that money. It feeds the whole economics of our ecosystems that our producers can afford to be filmmakers. At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to have some resources that we can invest back in the content itself,” Kerger said.
This royalty-sharing deal isn’t specific to PBS’ status as a nonprofit company. Rather, it speaks to the value of filmmakers and producers being part of this storied brand.
“Theoretically, filmmakers could go out and try to make their own deals separately for carriage. But the reality is that — particularly in this environment — in the early days, maybe some of them could have been successful. The Ken Burns’ of the world could have been successful. They could have done a deal with Netflix,” Kerger said. “What we presented was sort of a bundled experience, and it really worked. It raised all boats. We had enough scale that we could negotiate for carriage on the services and get the revenue that could then go back to them.”
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