you need to contact ASCAP, SESAC, etc. they do the broadcast thing. Interesting thing to note... you & anyone else who handles the show needs to pay the royality. That means that You, the network (if it's on a network), the local station doing the broadcast (IE channel whatever), the cable company, the sattelite company.... :)

how I would go about getting licensing permission for TV shows


what do you mean, licensing for what, to air, to use in a movie , ?

>>>I'm hoping someone here know about how I would go about getting licensing permission for TV shows. We all know about RIAA and MPAA but is there one for commercial TV? Who would be contacted for licensing info? Would it be the production company or the network which aired it (contracted for it)?<<<

This is somewhat vauge. I mean it wouldn't seem so but it is. Are you asking about using a clip from a show in a film or are you asking about syndication rights? Or are you asking about "stock footage" type of rights?

Several outlets have their own "in house" licensing for some things - CNN, NBC, BBC for example. C-Span deals with it in house as well. Other places use clearance houses and older shows (Such as Lassie, Underdog and the like) have character licensing that must be done and that is outside of the actual show. (Classic Media if you care to inquire about rights) Likewise indy shows are available via other means - in other words someone like Langley Productions will produce a show and offer it to anyone who might want it nationwide...network or not it would be offered on a first run syndication basis. So the local Fox outlet might be airing it in metro NYC but the local ABC affilate might be airing it in El Paso, Tx.

The answer to your questions depend on what you are looking for and for what use.

Now that you mention it, I guess the question is a bit vague. It was perfectly clear in my head though... ;-)

I was curious as to what it would take to license old TV shows for sell on DVD - if license is even the correct term. For example, if I wanted to make and sell DVD's of, say "Gilligans Island", who should I approach to get permission? And while I'm at it, would/could that licensing include access to the originals for the conversions?

I just used GI as an example as they may already be out on DVD.

Well obviously you start with the copyright owners.
However be warned, even if they are keen on your idea they may not be able to do so. For example they might not own all the rights outright. This isn't just music, it can include anyone who had any input to the program unless they were work for hire and even then it could be sticky.

Bob.

Distribution...you seek distribution. help you I will.

sorry..for some odd reason Yoda popped into my head. Anyhow - Distribution is what you are asking about. best starting place is to look at what show you are interested in putting out and see who the original producers were. You can also do a copyright search. For example this is one of the returns on Lassie -

1. Registration Number: RE-147-742
Title: Gramps; television program.
Series: Lassie
Claimant: acLassie Television, Inc. (PWH)
Effective Registration Date: 13Dec82
Original Registration Date: 31Dec54;
Original Registration Number: LP4640.
Original Class: L

Ironicly a search for Gilligans island turns up nothing.

Some of the older, more obscure shows, might be in public domain. Others may been found really cheap from some third party who might have bought up rights. Viacom owns much of what might beconsidered "classic TV" but they also are sort of on the same level of M$ and AOL/Time Warner in all they are part of. (And now Aol/TW has TelePictures [Which is part of Warners I believe], which did have GIlligans island at one time. They also did shows like the Waltons and Full House) I mentioned Classic Media in my post above.

Another place to search is the Internet Movie Database. And being a member of the VSDA isn't a bad thing if you are considering distributing TV Shows. If you become a member as a distributor you will get many packets about products vailable for distribution. Also going to the AFM (The AFMA is now called the Independent Film & Television Alliance) might turn up some gems. Over the past several years things like television and home video have become big items, it isn't just for films anymore - as seen in the name change.

Thanks for the info!

filmy,
The copyright site was a lot of help! I think I found the series that I was interested in is owned by Viacom. I say I think as apparently Viacom split up into 2 corporations (Viacom and CBS Corp) on Jan 1. From what you were saying about Viacom, that does not look promising.

I'm starting a letter to them now.

Any idea about what distribution rights would cost? I would think it would probably depend on the popularity of the series and the extent of the catalog. But, just curious if anybody has any kind of pricing guideline?