Made Here is an initiative designed to bring local filmmakers’ work to Vermont PBS viewers, on air and online. In order to bring it to life, Vermont PBS hired a Local Content Manager, Eric Ford, whose key role it is to work with filmmakers to bring their work to air. With his guidance and focus, we’ve been able to significantly increase the amount of local content we procure. In turn, we now are able to dedicate 12-14 hours per week to local programming in addition to new show premieres every month.
While PBS programming is well regarded and watched by our audience, Vermont PBS feels that it is local content that differentiates us from our neighboring stations. Furthermore, Made Here has enabled us to dramatically increase the amount of hours of local content we air. In addition to Made Here premieres on our main channel, we now offer viewers two hours of prime time local content every week night on Vermont PBS Plus, our secondary HD channel. While some of that local content is not part of the Made Here series, it’s Made Here that has provided us with enough new local content on an ongoing basis to make this move possible.