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FRONTLINE to viewers: ABC series with similar title, branding not associated with PBS's award-winning documentary series

(February 24, 2003--Boston, MA) An upcoming ABC series with a strikingly similar title, topic and advertising logo is not associated with the award-winning PBS documentary series FRONTLINE, FRONTLINE producers say.

"FRONTLINE wishes to clarify that the ABC series 'Profiles from the Front Line' is in no way associated with our series," said Louis Wiley, executive editor for the PBS series. "Apparently, the similarity between the two series' titles is causing some confusion."

According to Wiley, FRONTLINE contacted ABC to alert the network to the confusion after a reporter noted the similar titles in an article about the ABC series. The ABC series, which is documentary in style, is being produced for the network's Entertainment Division. Wiley says that Susan Lyne, head of ABC's Entertainment Division, assured him that the ABC series was, in fact, titled "Profiles from the Front" and that FRONTLINE had been misinformed. One week later, however, ABC issued a press release promoting the new series as "Profiles from the Front Line."

Wiley added that the confusion over the series' titles has been exacerbated by the fact that ABC has scheduled its new series for Thursday nights--the same night that PBS's FRONTLINE airs--and that the ABC series covers the war on terror, a topic that PBS's FRONTLINE has covered in depth. Last month, FRONTLINE's coverage of the war on terror received the prestigious duPont-Columbia Gold Baton.

ABC's advertisements for "Profiles from the Front Line" also promote the series using a typeface that is virtually identical to the PBS FRONTLINE logo. (To view the ABC advertisement, visit www.pbs.org/frontline/press).

"It's unfortunate that ABC has chosen to title, schedule, and advertise its new series in a way that may mislead people to believe that it is associated with PBS's FRONTLINE," Wiley said. "We hope that ABC will reconsider its decision and change the title as soon as possible to avoid confusion."

Press contact:
Erin Martin Kane
(617) 300-3500