CBS’s “48 Hours” is getting into the acquisition game.
The show has bought the rights to the documentary “The Whole Gritty City.” Shot in New Orleans from 2007 to 2010, “The Whole Gritty City” follows three New Orleans marching bands and portrays the setbacks and the triumphs in one of America’s most musical — and violent — cities.
The documentary was produced by Richard Barber, a “48 Hours” editor-producer and Andre Lambertson, a cinematographer and photojournalist. It will be broadcast as a two-hour primetime special in February.
Increasingly, independent producers are working on projects then selling them fully-formed to news networks. CNN Films is focused almost exclusively on acquiring already-produced documentaries, while production outfits like NBC’s Peacock Productions will produce specials and films for a variety of networks.