ARLINGTON, VA – October 18, 2011 – PBS announced today its launch of the new PBS FOOD website, offering users the ability to easily search for the best of public television’s local and national food content in one place. From national programs like EVERYDAY FOOD and MADE IN SPAIN featuring James Beard Award winner José Andrés, to a selection of the best local food shows, recipes and blogs from across the country, PBS FOOD now offers users a comprehensive directory of more than 150 food and cooking programs from the PBS airwaves.
PBS FOOD connects viewers throughout America to a community of sharable online resources that inspire, unite and celebrate food lovers. Bringing together a few simple ingredients to create a robust foodie experience, users can now find more than 1700 searchable PBS recipes from both local station and national archives with great ease, searchable by course, cuisine type, and theme or by one of the many special occasions that make food important in life. With additional recipes from an array of well-known chefs from PBS.org such as Julia Child and local favorites like WQED’s Chris Fennimore, the site also features classic episodes of BAKING WITH JULIA, videos from PBS favorites like VICTORY GARDEN, and even an appearance from a very young Emeril Lagasse.
“American cuisine is a smorgasbord of regional cuisines, and PBS local stations are uniquely positioned to present the best of local food from around the country,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development & Innovation. “Viewers can now go to PBS FOOD to find a wide variety of streaming video of their favorite locally and nationally produced food programs, as well as recipes and blogs from communities nationwide.”
During the summer, PBS launched the Fresh Tastes Blog, introducing food bloggers Marc Matsumoto and Jenna Weber, who lead an interactive celebration of food and cooking. Each week on PBS FOOD, Marc and Jenna share new recipes and stories about their love of food and travel, and their inspirations for new recipe creations. The site will also profile careers in the food industry in the feature Kitchen Careers, with profiles of culinary professionals working as food stylists, food critics and urban farmers, to name a few.
Additionally, the site will host a selection of the best local PBS FOOD blogs and websites from across the country, including Bay Area Bites, Check! Please Chicago, and Kitchen Explorers. The site will continue to expand to include the local content of its member stations. As of launch, eight local PBS stations have contributed cooking programs and recipes: KQED (Northern California), KCTS (Seattle), WMHT (Albany), WXXI (Rochester), WVIZ/PBS Ideastream (NE Ohio), WQED (Pittsburgh), WTTW (Chicago) and WGBH (Boston).
Users of PBS FOOD can access a full chef’s directory with information on more than 75 chefs from public television, TV schedules, companion websites, as well as direct links to popular culinary arts DVDs and cookbooks on SHOPPBS. The site was designed and developed in partnership with WNET Interactive Group.
About PBS
PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches 124 million people through television and 20 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
CONTACTS:
Michaé Godwin, PBS Communications, 703-739-8483; mmgodwin@pbs.org
Carrie Johnson, PBS Communications, 703-739-5129; cjohnson@pbs.org
For images and additional up-to-date information on this and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at pbs.org/pressroom.
