How to Get Your Own Open Signal TV Series

April 12, 2023


Interested in having your own TV series on Open Signal’s cable channels? With a series you're guaranteed a regular airing schedule, which helps to promote your show and develop an audience. We also offer access to our equipment library and studios to support producing your series.

We open up applications for series twice a year seasons throughout the year. Applications for the Winter 2024 season open from Wednesday, November 1st to Tuesday, October 31st. If you’d like your show to start airing in January, apply by November 15th. Series in the Winter/Spring season will air between January 1st to June 30th. Open Signal members will receive a reminder for each application period in our newsletter.  You can find our series production calendar here

You must reside in the Portland Metro area to submit video for broadcast. Residents can act as a sponsor for videos produced outside of the Portland Metro area (sponsors are responsible for submission).



Series Application Guide for First-Time Producers:

  1. Attend an Orientation. We offer monthly Orientations, during which you'll learn more about Open Signal and get set up with an account to start submitting content.
  2. Have two pilots ready to submit. For your application to be considered, you’ll need to submit two pilot episodes, of the same length and theme as your desired series. For example, if you intend to do a health show consisting of thirty-minute local interviews, your pilots should resemble that content and format. Series episodes can be a minimum of 5 minutes and maximum of 1 hour. You must submit your pilots prior to the series applications closing. You can use these two episodes to launch your show, which helps with managing your upcoming show deadlines.
  3. Add a project to your account. Head to community.opensignalpdx.org and follow the instructions to add an individual project.
  4. Create a new series request. For step-by-step instructions, check out our Series Application Guide.
  5. Submit your pilots. Follow the process outlined here. If you need assistance uploading, contact Playback staff (playback [at] opensignalpdx.org or 503-288-1515 ext. 321).

We want you to be successful with your series! We’re here to help with the demands of creating or delivering shows with deadlines.


Here are some recommended guidelines:

  • Series frequency is the number of episodes assigned to you during a season based on your starting date. For your first series, we advise you to choose a series frequency that you think you can easily manage. If you are going to produce a show in our studios or with our field equipment, we suggest a monthly or bi-weekly frequency. Schedules can be adjusted if you are unable to meet your requested frequency. Frequency for shows starting at the beginning of the season are:
      • Monthly = 6 shows
      • Bi-weekly = 12 shows
      • Weekly = 26 shows
  • If your shows are pre-produced and ready to submit (either produced elsewhere or from your own library), try a weekly series.
  • All shows have a required submission deadline of 48 hours before their premiere date. If you are unable to submit your episode,  let us know what episode you'd like to replay or contact us to make arrangements.
  • Please contact staff if you need assistance. Missing two or more scheduled airings may result in series cancellation.


**Please note that our equity goals aim to support communities who have been historically underserved and underrepresented in media. We encourage community members who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color; living with disabilities; English language learners; and/or living with low incomes (defined as 80% or below the median Portland income for your household size, found here) to apply.


Questions? Contact Emily Roland, Media Services Distribution Manager, by emailing distribution [at] opensignalpdx.org or by phone at (503) 288-1515 ext. 301.

Emily Roland Media Distribution Manager eroland [at] opensignalpdx.org

I manage Open Signal's broadcast and scheduling for cable and online distribution, curating videos and engaging with public volunteer producers about their video submissions.

Talk to me if you'd like to learn how to get your video or series on the channels, want to get broadcast schedules, report technical broadcast issues or learn about our service areas. Prior to Open Signal, I graduated from Mt. Hood Community College with two Associate’s degrees in Television Production.

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