So Idea Channel is about to have its first sponsor.
And I'm going to talk about this for a couple minutes
because I think it's important and because I
want to explain exactly what sponsorship means
and how it works, because you as our audience deserve to know.
And also because I want you to know.
And also because I think it's kind of interesting,
and maybe also you will, too.
I don't know.
Either way, I think this kind of transparency is important.
So we're going to at least aim for it.
First things first, yes.
This is our first sponsor, which means, before this moment,
Idea Channel has not been sponsored.
Even when I made that whole episode about my jawbone up,
that was just me wanting to talk about my jawbone.
And actually, if we were sponsored by Jawbone,
I would not have even been allowed to make that episode.
We'll talk about why in a couple minutes.
Anyways, this might lead you to ask, how has Idea Channel paid
to keep the camera rolling for this long without a sponsor?
I'm glad you asked.
But first, I want to tell you how Idea Channel is not funded.
We are not funded by donations, the US national budget,
or taxpayer money.
And if you have no idea what that means,
allow me to explain.
Idea Channel is produced by PBS Digital
Studios, which is part of PBS.
PBS is kind of like a hub for a bunch of local television
stations around the country.
The PBS system is funded a couple different ways,
which include, one, when viewers like you donate to your local
PBS member station, which you should; two,
through federal funding, which is 1/1,000 of a percent
of the national budget comprised in part of taxes collected
every year from individuals; three,
from grants and underwriting-- funds given by private
and public entities who are interested in helping PBS
continue to make awesome stuff for the simple fact that PBS is
awesome.
PBS Digital Studios, the part of PBS that makes Idea Channel,
receives no funding from stations or the government
or taxpayers.
We are entirely grant-funded.
This is how Idea Channel has existed
over the last several years.
We've been very lucky to have been funded by entities
interested in arts, culture, and educational programming--
no strings attached.
Just make a neat thing.
And so that's what we have been trying to do.
But grants only go so far.
The fourth and arguably the most important place
that PBS gets funding from is sponsorship,
which is when an organization gives money
to a program in return for some amount of air time
and the ability to deliver a very specific type of message.
A sponsorship message is not the same as an advertisement.
Basically, in a sponsorship, the only thing
that can be said-- the only thing that
is allowed to be said-- is that the business sponsoring
the programming has sponsored the programming.
And then there can be some description of their services.
No claims can be made.
No value judgements delivered.
For instance, our first sponsor will be Squarespace.
Even if I actually, earnestly like Squarespace,
if they are sponsoring Idea Channel, I can't tell you that.
Those are the rules of sponsorship.
If a company sponsors Idea Channel,
I cannot tell you how awesome I think they are,
even if I actually think that, because then I would be
advertising to you, and that's against the PBS rules.
If some company hasn't given Idea Channel money,
I can tell you how awesome I think
they are all the livelong day.
Strymon guitar pedals-- awesome.
Catalyst Games-- love them.
Secret Aardvark-- it's my favorite, and you know that.
Also, sponsors have no editorial control.
They won't see scripts or videos before they get uploaded.
They won't be able to ask me to say or not say certain things--
period, end of story.
And since PBS Digital Studios receives
no funding from stations or the government or taxpayers,
in order to keep Idea Channel keeping on,
we have to figure out how to pay for my very expensive coffee
habit.
And I know, some of you would gladly donate.
And that is sweet and kind and generous.
But that has its own other set of very complicated rules.
So for now, we're going to try sponsorship.
And I think it's just it's important that you know that,
because I like you.
And transparency is cool.
If you have questions about how it's going to work,
please ask them in the comments.
I will try my best to answer to the best of my ability.
But otherwise, hey, sponsors.
It means the ideas will keep flowing.
I'm excited about that.
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