National Black Programming Consortium Web Initiative

While perusing the internet recently I discovered the website for the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). Although I had not previously heard of NBPC, the site was right under my nose; I had only to type the words “black,” “new,” and “media” in a google search.

A little about the organization:

Since 1979, NBPC has been a leading provider on American public television of quality, intelligent and compelling programming that celebrates the cultural heritage of African Americans and the African Diaspora.

My decision to profile the organization was based on the following statement found at the site’s media center:

In line with NBPC’s mission to move Black content forward in all mediums, the NBPC Media Center has been launched to provide our audiences a front-seat view of all NBPC initiatives in web-based and real world media.

They are one of five ethnic consortia funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. How awesome to discover this, especially after browsing their site and discovering NBPC is not wholly a media center dedicated to giving programming from the broadcast airwaves a home online. They are a multifaceted organization that “funds, commissions, acquires, and awards grants to producers and directors of quality films and video projects that reflect African Americans and the African Diaspora.”

So what else does the NBPC offer? To start, they’re about innovation–a fundamental necessity when it comes to success in a web 2.0 world. They organize and host the annual New Media Instititute:

NMI is a professional development training program for emerging and seasoned filmmakers who want to create innovative projects, explore multi platform distribution, and attract new audiences using the latest in digital technology.”

The 2007 Institute was held in Jackson, Mississippi.

So what do you do if you’d like to watch programming the NBPC helps to produce and distribute? First, they profile a collection of videos at the Media Center on their site. Videos are broken down into episodes. Content like the documentary Africa: Open for Business is available to view for free, broken down into episodic increments.

Now this next option I absolutely love. NBPC offers BlackPublicMedia.org where you can browse a collection of video content and enjoy the options of watching (directly on the site), downloading, subscribing to, and/or purchasing videos. The statement on their homepage:

The language of media production and distribution is one that has often written its own script. The artist at best listens to the heartbeat of the revolution and works hard to walk in sync. NBPC aims to help black producers become technicians in these new media, aiding them in future free expression.

As someone interested in creating and distributing films, and who loves to discover informative and fresh content on the subject of the African diaspora, I was delighted to discover the NBPC. With all that they offer, NBPC appears to be a great resource for producers wishing to merge traditional film and video with new media distribution.