The AFM National Public Television Agreement covers musicians engaged for programming made for PBS. The structure of the agreement best fits for work akin to that which falls under the Live Television (Videotape) Agreement, but may also cover narrative programs or documentaries, unlike other AFM television agreements. 

With that being said, a Producer who is engaging musicians for the scoring of such a dramatic or narrative program with the intention of airing the program under Public Television has the option of filing the work under either the PBS Agreement or the Television Film Agreement. 

Payment under the PBS Agreement falls under one of two “tables,” each of which carries a different option for broadcasting. The cheaper “Table 1” allows for a single 7-day release window. The more commonly chosen “Table 2” allows for four (4) 7-day broadcast windows in a three-year time span. Public Television is unique in that individual networks may choose to air programming at any given time within a broadcast window. 

The pay rate depends on the length of the program and table under which the program is produced. Rehearsal hours are not necessarily required, unlike in network television; however, they must be paid if musicians are engaged to work a longer period of time than the program’s broadcast length (i.e. if a two-hour concert with no prior rehearsal is taped and edited into a one-hour program, the musicians are paid for a one-hour program plus an additional hour at the rehearsal rate.) 

Re-use beyond the initial broadcast window pays at a sliding scale as of 2022. 

All public television work is filed on an AFM B-8 Report Form. 

 

Further Resources:

• National Public Television Agreement (2002-05, extended into 2016)
• 2016 MOU
• 2022 MOU
• Scale Summary Sheet
• Step-by-Step Project Filing Instructions
• Toolkit: National Public Television Agreement

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