PBS KIDS® Backgrounder & Facts
PBS KIDS is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of children through curriculum-based entertainment. With a 360-degree approach towards learning and reaching children, PBS KIDS leverages the full spectrum of media and technology advancements as well as community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. PBS KIDS encourages children to interact as respectful citizens in a diverse society. By involving parents, teachers and caregivers as learning partners, PBS KIDS helps to empower children for success in school and in life. PBS' bottom line is measured by how much it contributes to the welfare of America's children.
Positive Role Models
Providing the highest-quality programming and learning environment for children, PBS' children's programs are non-violent, age-appropriate and offer positive role models for children to learn from and grow with. The series' characters emulate good behavior towards one another and demonstrate respect and tolerance towards family members, peers and other individuals.
Promoting Physical Activity and Smart Food Choices
As a longtime advocate of positive, healthy development among children, PBS KIDS understands the value of physical activity and smart eating and features series, role models and episodes that share this message. In October 2007, PBS KIDS launched a partnership with Produce for Kids® to promote healthy eating and smart food choices through the numerous benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. The initiative kicked off October 1st with a supermarket-based educational campaign encouraging children to "Eat Smart for a Great Start," and resources and activities on pbskids.org and PBS Parents. A portion of the proceeds from the in-store October campaign will go back into PBS's services and programs.
Diverse Audience, Diverse Characters
As America's public broadcaster, PBS KIDS reaches a diverse population of children with varying backgrounds and cultures. With programs such as MAYA & MIGUEL and DRAGON TALES, which give special emphasis to Latino and Hispanic American experiences, PBS is reaching out to these growing audiences, portraying positive images from their cultures and teaching children about different customs.
Programs on PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! are available free to families of all income levels across the country. Black, Hispanic, low income and low education households make up a large percentage of PBS' daytime audience, exceeding that of the U.S. population with 15.5% Black (compared to 12.1% in the U.S.), 17.6% Hispanic (10.2%), 26.2% with an annual income lower than $20,000 (22.1%) and 19.9% with less than four years of high school (14.4%).
Age-Appropriate
PBS follows the development and growth of its audience, recognizing ages from two up until nine and refers to these as "stages" rather than "ages" as every child develops at a different pace. PBS began to drill down into these stages with PBS KIDS GO! for the early elementary school-age group, and is now distilling further to meet the needs of toddlers and preschoolers to build the blocks of development for them to grow along with PBS KIDS. In January 2006, PBS made some slight modifications to further group age-appropriate shows to maximize the viewer's learning experience. In September 2006, PBS launched a new preschool destination on-air and online that further reflects this.
Award-Winning
Only PBS has earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS' children's programs consistently earn more prestigious awards than any other broadcast or cable network. The year 2007 marked the tenth consecutive year that PBS earned more Daytime Emmys for its children's programming than any other broadcast or cable network. SESAME STREET has now won a total of 117 Daytime Emmys, more than any other program in the history of the Emmy competition. In addition, ARTHUR was awarded its fourth Outstanding Children's Animated Program Emmy and READING RAINBOW was selected for both Outstanding Children's Series and Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series. Other winners included BETWEEN THE LIONS, CYBERCHASE AND JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS.
Consistently New Content and Campaigns
In 2006, PBS announced PBS KIDS Next Generation Media, an initiative defining the role PBS will play in the changing digital children's media landscape.
In January 2006, PBS reinvented its children's schedule in response to parent research that indicated a desire for age-appropriate shows addressing key developmental stages - toddler, preschool and early elementary school - to be grouped together.
On September 4, 2006, PBS KIDS launched a new preschool destination featuring PBS KIDS' first-ever live host - Chicago-based performer, teacher and mom Lori Holton Nash. As the new host, "Miss Lori" and an animated guinea pig named "Hooper" guide kids through a two-hour programming block for preschoolers and corresponding Internet activities at pbskids.org. The new block features four age-appropriate PBS KIDS programs including PBS KIDS' new series, SUPER WHY!, which debuted on September 3, alongside existing favorites CURIOUS GEORGE, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG and DRAGON TALES. A new season of the PBS KIDS preschool destination kicked off September 3, 2007.
PBS also convened a "Think Tank" of advisors including educational, child development, media and technology experts to develop the strategy and integrate related activities across the company for PBS KIDS Next Generation Media.
In January 2007, pbskidsgo.org launched "News Flash Five," a Web-only site from Thirteen/WNET New York for early elementary schools kids. A recent PBS survey of pbskidsgo.org users and children of pbs.org and pbsparents.org users revealed a high level of interest in the news. Almost four in every five kids described themselves as interested or very interested in the news, but only one in four kids think most new stories are "very easy" to understand. "News Flash Five" features a cast of five Flash-animated kids who report on national and world news, technology, entertainment, sports and weather each week to early elementary school kids in an age-appropriate manner. In addition, kids have access to various games related to the news and other resources such as how to write an op-ed. As with all PBS KIDS GO! content, there is a parents and teachers area with lesson plans and a news primer explaining to grown-ups how to talk to kids about the news and get them interested.
Also in January, WISHBONE, which originally aired on PBS from 1995 to 2001 and was the recipient of two Television Critics Association awards, four Emmys and a Peabody, returned to PBS on PBS KIDS GO!.
In February, DESIGN SQUAD, from WGBH Boston, hit the air. The series is part reality competition, all engineering, and major fun for kids and adults of all ages. Over 13 episodes, two teams of high school students design, build, and test whimsical machines and innovative products - everything from a wireless light and dance squad to an automatic pancake maker - for real clients. The brainchild of ZOOM producers, DESIGN SQUAD aims to get its viewers excited about engineering.
WORDGIRL, the new PBS KIDS GO! series from Scholastic Media and Soup2Nuts that chronicles the adventures of Becky Botsford, a mild-mannered fifth grader who, at the call of duty, transforms into WordGirl - caped crusader and definition dynamo, debuted as a series of on-air and online shorts in November 2006. The full half-hour animated series, featuring the voices of Tom Kenny ("SpongeBob SquarePants"), "Saturday Night Live's" Chris Parnell and veteran character actor Jeffrey Tambor, premiered September 7, 2007, with a sneak peek on September 3.
For preschoolers, PBS KIDS premiered SUPER WHY! and WORDWORLD on September 3, 2007.
SUPER WHY!, an animated series from Out of the Blue Enterprises, is a superhero show designed to boost literacy skills through interactive fairytale adventures that encourage viewers to participate through entertaining and engaging games. Whyatt Beanstalk, younger brother of Jack from "Jack in the Beanstalk," and his three fairytale character friends transform into the "Super Readers," with special literacy-charged powers. The Super Readers jump into books to discover answers and find solutions to everyday preschooler questions and challenges.
In WORDWORLD, created by Don Moody and presented by WTTW, words are truly the stars of a show. Each episode is a fun narrative built around the WordFriends, who are characters first and words second. WordWorld is a colorful, vibrant, word-rich place where friends have fun and meet challenges in the same way: through WordPlay.
MAMA MIRABELLE'S HOME MOVIES, from National Geographic, premiered on PBS KIDS the weekend of September 8 and is a warm-hearted, high-spirited show about a sassy, soulful elephant host named Mama Mirabelle and the young animal characters she cares for on the African Savanna. Starring Vanessa Williams as the voice of Mama, the series combines a uniquely animated world that preschoolers will want to explore with stunning wildlife movies from the National Geographic and BBC award-winning archives.
PBS KIDS had a number of continuing series return with new episodes for fall 2007, including SESAME STREET, CURIOUS GEORGE, BARNEY AND FRIENDS, BETWEEN THE LIONS, TELETUBBIES, THOMAS AND FRIENDS, BOB THE BUILDER and FRANNY'S FEET. On PBS KIDS GO!, ARTHUR, MAYA & MIGUEL and DRAGONFLY TV premiered new episodes this fall.
PBS KIDS Begins with Educational Goals and Objectives
With up to 33 series offered nationally and nine hours per day available to each PBS member station, the PBS KIDS schedule helps children in each of the four key areas of childhood development - cognitive, social, emotional and physical.
PBS KIDS works with experienced educational film or television producers who involve children, educational researchers, parents, educators, daycare providers and subject-matter experts in the design and production process. PBS and its producers conduct research to determine the best ways to engage children in active viewing in order to achieve the educational goals within PBS KIDS content.
PBS requires its children's producers to create educational support materials for young people and the adults who care for them. Programs are extneded beyond broadcast to interactive learning activities on pbskids.org and pbskidsgo.org, as well as through educational outreach activities and print materials.
Parents Trust PBS KIDS
In a 2006 Kids Image Tracker study conducted by Harris Interactive, PBS KIDS received the highest quality score for all children's television brands measured among U.S. parents with kids ages 2 to 5. Parents feel PBS KIDS in a "non-violent, trusted and safe place for children to watch television."
The Kids Image Tracker study also reported that parents choose PBS KIDS as the most educational media brand for children (2006).
Among ladies of the household 18 to 49 with children under three, PBS KIDS had four of the top ten programs during May 2007, including SESAME STREET, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, DRAGON TALES and CURIOUS GEORGE1.
PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) offers discussions, advice and research-based resources for parents, such as:
Articles and discussion on children and media including "Ages & Stages Media Milestones: How TV, Computers, and other Media Shape Development" and "TV Viewing Tips for Families: Make TV Time Educational, Fun and Safe"
Expert Q&A's on parenting issues from knowledgeable sources, such as child development expert for MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD Hedda Sharapan and child emotion and behavior expert John Wheeler, Ph.D., among many others.
Goals, educational value and other information for all of PBS' children's series
PBS Parents Child Development Tracker and Bookfinder
PBS Parents Guides to Math, Creativity, School and Birthday Parties, among others
Kids Choose PBS KIDS
With long-running favorites and new shows every year, children across the country continue to choose PBS KIDS programming over other children's shows.
In May 2007, three PBS KIDS series, CURIOUS GEORGE, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG and DRAGON TALES hit the top 10 among kids 2 to 5, with CURIOUS GEORGE ranking #1. CURIOUS GEORGE also ranked first among kids 2 to 111, with ARTHUR and CLIFFORD also in the top 10.
PBS KIDS GO! programs including ARTHUR, MAYA & MIGUEL, POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER and CYBERCHASE are reaching an average of 1.4 million kids ages 6-11 each week2.
PBS KIDS on the Internet (pbskids.org and pbskidsgo.org)
PBS' #1 Internet destination - pbskids.org - features fun, educational interactive games, stories and adventures that families can enjoy together, and provides a haven for children to learn all about the world around them. In May 2007, pbskids.org received over 5 million unique visitors.
Pbskids.org complements the overall PBS KIDS curriculum. Internet-original projects allow PBS KIDS to experiment with new topics and promote learning goals in a more interactive environment. "EekoWorld," "News Flash Five" and literacy activities such as "Get Your Web License" are all examples of this.
Pbskids.org puts kids in the driver's seat; inviting them to own the experience, make their own decisions and build their own creations.
All pbskids.org and pnskidsgo.org sites are accompanied by content designed for parents and teachers. These areas provide adults with tips, tools and questions to help extend children's learning on the site.
Program companion sites are created by the same producers as the TV shows. They are designed for the same target audience and have the same edcational goals, thus insuring a consistent look, feel and message.
As technology expands into handheld devices and other portable media, PBS KIDS continues to be out in front of the effort to deliver age-appropriate, compelling, rich content.
Schools and Homeschoolers Teach with PBS KIDS
In March 2007, PBS launched PBS Teachers (pbs.org/teachers), a Web portal that offers a one-stop resource for preK-12 educators searching for wide-ranging curriculum resources, video products (Shop for Teachers), online professional development opportunities (PBS TeacherLine) and more.
PBS Teachers features thousands of free local and national standards-based lesson plans, classroom activities and interactive resources - organized by subject, grade level, and curriculum topic.
PBS Teachers is also the home of PBS' education blogs, learning.now (pbs.org/learningnow) and Media Infusion (pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion) and includes dedicated areas for early childhood educators, library media specialists, and technology coordinators.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, PBS TeacherLine (pbs.org/teacherline) provides high-quality professional teacher development through more than 90 online-facilitated courses reading, mathematics, science, curriculum and instruction, and technology integration.
PBS has a unique local nature to its enterprise, with strong relationships with educators, caregivers, parents and children across the United States through its 355 member stations. PBS member stations conduct training workshops with parents and preschool and daycare teachers to help their students use PBS content to achieve developmental goals such as reading readiness.
For a fourth consecutive year, PBS was ranked the #1 television and video resource for classroom programming in the country, according to a 2006 national survey conducted by Grunwald Associates.
Developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education, PBS KIDS Ready To Learn (pbs.org/readytolearn), in its initial inception, helped nearly one million parents and teachers prepare eight million children for success in school through local training seminars, free children's books and PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! TV Programming, coupled with educational video spots and accompanying Internet sites.
In 2005, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and WTTW in Chicago were awarded five-year grants from the U.S. Department of Education for the Ready To Learn Initiative. This Initiative is focused on increasing literacy skills and improving reading achievement for children from low income families, ages 2-8. Four new series for children have been funded as part of the grant, as well as content for distribution on multiple platforms.
Kids Learn with PBS KIDS
Research has proven that PBS' preschool and elementary school content contributes towards children's healthy development. Programs such as SESAME STREET have positively impacted children's school readiness while BARNEY AND FRIENDS has helped children develop core social and emotional skills to better relate to and communicate with their peers.
BETWEEN THE LIONS conducted a significant amount of research on the impact the series has on children's literacy skills development.
In 2004-2005, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a pilot program to help American Indian children in New Mexico. The program provided 16 edited BETWEEN THE LIONS' episodes and educational materials designed specifically for use with American Indian communities to tribal Head Start programs. The findings showed that participating children made statistically significant gains in key areas such as letter knowledge, picture naming and phonemic awareness.
Based on the Get Ready to Read screening tool, an overall measure of reading readiness, the number of children "at risk" for reading failure decreased from 39% to 12%, while the number of children performing at an "above average" literacy level increased from 23% to 64%.
During the 2005-2006 school year, preschool teachers, childcare providers, and children in 20 classrooms participated in an independent research study conducted by the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at the University of Mississippi thaty demonstrated that children exposed to BETWEEN THE LIONS during the school year made significant gains in their overall reading quotient measured by the Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA-3), while children in the control classrooms showed no significant gains.
For school-aged children, studies conducted on CYBERCHASE have shown an increased knowledge of math and problem-solving skills among this age group. Other school-age programs such as MAYA & MIGUEL have proven their ability to develop positive attitudes towards learning and speaking English.
A 2004-2006 study of the series MAYA & MIGUEL showed that English Language Learners (ELLs) ages 6-8 who viewed MAYA & MIGUEL have significantly more positive attitudes toward learning and speaking English than peers who did not watch the program. MAYA & MIGUEL also positively impacted attitudes toward ethnic diversity among both ELLs and English language speakers.
PBS KIDS in the Community
PBS KIDS Literacy Events and Activities: PBS KIDS' events underscores PBS' vital role in early education with age-appropriate activities based on PBS KIDS broadcast and online content. Hundreds of events are hosted each year by PBS member stations around the country, tapping the brand equity of beloved characters such as Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George. Each event also leverages the wealth of engaging and downloadable resources available for parents (pbsparents.org) and teachers (pbs.org/teachersource). Among the most popular annual events, PBS plays a leading role in the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., which draws nearly 100,000 people, and the White House Easter Egg Roll, a traditional occasion hosted by the President and First Lady that opens the gates to nearly 30,000 people of all denominations. Over the years, PBS KIDS has also partnered with various organizations to host child literacy events for families, including visits to American military bases throughout the U.S., Guam, Japan and Korea.
PBS KIDS Backyards: In 2003, the Mills Corporation, a leading retail developer, opened the first PBS KIDS Backyard. Today there are three indoor play-and-learn destinations with locations in St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. PBS KIDS Backyards are not retail stores, but rather free, fun, educational destinations for families to play, learn and explore together. Each PBS KIDS Backyard features a jungle gym, computer kiosks, book nooks, a small theater, PBS KIDS programming and much more. The partnership between PBS KIDS and Mills has also enabled monthly PBS KIDS Share A Story reading events at all of their U.S. shopping centers, reaching thousands of children and caregivers in attendance each month.
PBS KIDS Books: Published by award-winning educational publisher Brighter Minds Media, Inc., PBS KIDS Books inspire children's imaginations while developing their self-confidence and love of learning. Each book includes a guide that provides simple ideas for parents, teachers and caregivers to take learning beyond the pages of the book and into everyday activities. Additional resources can be found on PBS Parents (pbsparents.org). PBS KIDS' publishing program for toddlers and preschoolers builds upon PBS' commitment to school-readiness, further extending PBS KIDS' mission to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of young children beyond television. There are currently eight board book titles and two sets of touch-and-learn cards available nationwide through retail and online outlets including Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds from book sales supports PBS programming and services.
PBS KIDS Sprout On Demand and PBS KIDS Sprout: Providing enhanced delivery of a trusted source of favorite children's educational programs, on-demand and around the clock, PBS KIDS Sprout on Demand launched in April 2005 and PBS KIDS Sprout (the cable channel) launched in October 2005. Since its launch, PBS KIDS Sprout On Demand has received over 200 million orders. Offering families 24-hour access to high-quality, educational kids programming, PBS KIDS Sprout is a partnership between Comcast, the country's leading cable operator; PBS, the most trusted provider of award-winning children's programming; and HIT Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, two of the leading providers of quality entertainment for young children. The programs featured on PBS KIDS Sprout include episodes of ANGELINA BALLERINA, BARNEY & FRIENDS, BOB THE BUILDER, CAILLOU, DRAGON TALES, JAKERS!THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS, JAY JAY THE JET PLANE, SESAME STREET, TELETUBBIES, THOMAS & FRIENDS and more.
October 2007
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Board of Directors
