When ReelChicago last connected with Beth Aldrich of “For Her Information” in early 2005, the show was in its second season on the PAX network, and Aldrich was on the hunt for a national distributor.
Eighteen months later, “FHI” has landed on PBS in about 30 cities currently, and airs locally on Ch. 11 on Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
But the show didn’t make the jump straight from local to national television. It went from PAX to Israel ‘s HOP! Family Network, and played for a year domestically on iLife Digital Cable, where it caught the attention of PBS, based on both the program’s merit and Aldrich’s charisma and persistence.
In other words, the show’s recent success didn’t just fall into her lap. How did she do it?
“I literally had to create affiliate station relations with each and every one of the PBS stations nationwide, including Ch. 11,” said Aldrich, the show’s creator, producer and director.
“I showed them tapes of what would be syndicated via satellite to their station. They made the decision as to whether or not they had room in their schedule for a series like ours.
