Launch of PBS channel on Joost to include sampling of popular series and specials
ARLINGTON, VA Dec. 18, 2007 - PBS announced today that it will begin featuring select full-length programming on Joost (www.joost.com), the world's first broadcast-quality Internet television service. At launch, the PBS offering will include popular series, such as History Detectives and Scientific American Frontiers, as well as specials from PBS' award-winning "Empires" collection.
"PBS is dedicated to making our content as easily accessible on as many platforms as possible," said Andrew Russell, Senior Vice President, PBS Ventures. "Working with a premier company like Joost will engage new audiences and reinforce the value of supporting local PBS stations."
Through its partnership with Joost, PBS has bolstered its recent efforts to satisfy the burgeoning demand for online video content. Establishing a multiplatform presence is a critical component to building the PBS viewing community. PBS programming will be available free of charge to Joost users. The PBS channel can be accessed at www.joost.com/237000d.
Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, executive vice president, content strategy and acquisition for Joost, said, "PBS' high-quality, compelling documentaries and series complement the Joost offering and give our viewers an even greater variety of programming to choose from. Documentaries are performing well on Joost, proof that people are consuming long-form programming in addition to our shorter programming, like comedy, animation, sports and music."
Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, Joost combines the best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a full-screen audiovisual experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. Joost is the first online, global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment.
About PBS
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches nearly 73 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of digital learning content for pre-K-12 educators and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS’ premier kids’ TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (www.pbskids.org), continue to be parents’ and teachers’ most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
About Joost Joost provides a new way of watching video that combines the best of full-screen TV entertainment with the interactive and community benefits of the Internet to bring broadcast-quality video to viewers anytime, anywhere. Based on a state-of-the-art, secure, peer-to-peer streaming technology, Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers video content to viewers for free. Joost features more than 250 channels with programming across all genres, including: cartoons and animation; entertainment and film; sports; comedy; lifestyle and documentaries; and sci-fi. Channels and programs available on Joost vary by geographic region, based on copyright ownership.
To learn more about Joost, visit www.joost.com.
-PBS-
Contact information:
Kevin Dando, PBS, 703.739.5073 kdando@pbs.org
Kerry Vance, Joost, 646.330.0737 kerry.vance@joost.com
WWW.PBS.ORG/PRESSROOM