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Television Production Companies Basics

Learn what television production companies do to create programming for broadcast and cable networks

By Rachel Davy, Writer/Editor
Television production companies bring together writers, directors, producers and crew in order to create television shows. There are TV production companies that work with the larger networks such as ABC, CBS and NBC, and then there are others such as children's television production companies and Christian television production companies that specialize in creating only certain types of television programming. Cable television and independent media production companies, depending on the size of their production company, can produce shows for large cable television venues or small TV stations. These kinds of TV production companies can create shows for large cable networks or small independent channels.

Here are some things to consider as you learn television production companies basics:

1. Learn what television production companies do, and view listings of TV companies.

2. Find out about category television production companies, such as children’s and Christian television production companies.

3. Get information about independent and cable television companies.

 

Find listings of television production companies that create a wide range of programming

Reviewing listings of television production companies will show you how many TV production companies there are as well as what some of them do. A larger TV production company such as ABC can produce its own network shows, while smaller companies create other kinds of programming such as broadcasts, interviews and press conferences.
Try: Find television and video production companies by reviewing the lists at New York 411. Visit ProVideo Productions, which offers a video to learn about some of the services that video TV companies provide.

Learn about category television companies that produce shows for children and religious programming

Because there is a such a wide range of television programming available, there are production companies that specialize in creating TV shows for certain markets such as children's or religious programming. Since these kinds of TV companies work primarily in a specialty market, they will be able to bring a tighter focus to this kind of programming.
Try: Visit 4KidsEntertainment, which is a children’s T.V. production company that not only produces children’s TV shows but music for them as well. Harvest Media Television Group specializes in religious TV programming. This company has studio and satellite connections so that they can broadcast a television show around the world.

Obtain information about what cable and independent television production companies do

Since the budget for many independent or cable TV production is smaller than for a network show, these kinds of television production companies usually rent out studio space or shoot on location to save money. Of course, there are larger cable TV production companies like HBO, which produces and broadcasts its own shows or hires others to do TV production for them.
Try: Visit HBO.com to view its listing of original programming. Go to New Dominion to learn about this independent television production company, which has created and produced its own television programming for more than 15 years.

 

  • There are many kinds of specialty or category television production companies, such as ones that primarily produce history or educational programming or those who focus on made-for-TV movies or reality shows.

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