I?m planning on starting a cable television network. I?ve done
Internet research on film libraries, but have yet to find a site that
offers a catalog or searchable database on available films and
documentaries for license. How do television networks find and license
programming such as films and documentaries?

Hi saturnv11-ga,

Like most business, television network buyers tend to find and license
programming through developed contacts with producers and
distributors. Many of these contacts are made and/or renewed at the
major annual international television program markets, including NATPE
(http://www.natpe.org), MIP-TV (http://www.miptv.com), MIPDOC
(http://www.mipdoc.com) and MIPCOM (http://www.mipcom.com).

As for your question, there are number of distributors with online
programming catalogs. Here are a few to get you started:

ReelPlay.com
Essentially an online marketplace that facilitates the buying and
selling of content such as films and documentaries to traditional
distributors. Here you can search for programming and find contact
information for its license/distribution. Reelplay does not license
the content themselves - they just serve as a facilitator to connect
buyer and seller.

From their Web site: "Launched in October 1999, Reelplay is the
leading B2B digital marketplace and global trading platform centered
around the buying and selling of feature films and television
programming. Thus far, Reelplay has aggregated listings, synopses,
stills, credits, key art, trailers from 2,201 selling companies
representing 13,260 titles dating back to the last 13 major industry
markets and festivals."
http://www.reelplay.com

Janson Media
International program sales and distribution company licenses
programming to broadcasters, cable and satellite networks. Their
clients include "the Discovery Channel, the Disney Channel, the
Learning Channel, TNT, A&E, PBS, the Odyssey Network, HBO, National
Geographic Television, the Outdoor Life Channel, the Travel Channel,
the BBC, Channel Four, the ABC, (Australia), NHK (Japan), RTE (Spain),
and Canal Plus and La Cinquieme (France)."

Their catalog "features over a thousand hours of quality programming
covering a wide range of genres, including single titles and short
series as well as long-running series. Program categories include
documentaries & reality programming, lifestyle, adventure, sport,
travel, how-to, music, nature & wildlife, children?s programming, and
family dramas & features."
http://www.janson.com

The Cinema Guild
"The Cinema Guild distributes documentary and narrative films in
Theatrical, Home Video, Television, and Non-theatrical markets
worldwide." The Television Program Catalog lists films available for
cablecast or broadcast licensing worldwide. Click on the link on the
right-side of the page to download the entire catalog.
http://www.davidjimison.com/CinemaGuild/television.htm

If you need any further clarification or sources, please let me know.
Best of luck with your cable television network!

Regards,

--inquisitivega

Thank You for such a wonderful answer so quickly. I’ve searched for
many hours looking for the answers to my questions. Not only did you
answer my question, you answered them clearly.