Survey Participants Also Agree PBS Leads Both Cable and Commercial Broadcast in
Guiding Children Through Core Curriculum Skills and
Helping Children Realize Their Potential
Arlington, VA, June 24, 2009 - PBS KIDS has earned the distinction as the most educational media brand when compared with Leapfrog, Nick, Jr., Playhouse Disney, Noggin, Discovery Kids, National Geographic Kids, KOL (AOL for Kids), YahooKids and others, according to a new GfK Roper survey. During the course of the study, the non-partisan, international research organization interviewed 1,006 randomly-selected U.S. adults over the age of 18 to determine how Americans view PBS KIDS content and its role in the lives of young viewers.
Participants also agree that PBS leads the industry, when compared to both cable and commercial broadcast, in helping children realize their potential and getting kids ready for success in school and in life. According to the study, PBS KIDS excels at addressing key curriculum areas and children's cognitive and social/emotional developmental needs. Respondents concurred that PBS succeeds in delivering important topics to young viewers with reading and literacy (80%) ranking as the topic that PBS speaks to best. Other developmental areas that follow literacy include the arts (75%), science/technology/engineering/math (74%), social/emotional development (74%), healthy living (73%), and the environment (71%).
"The American public has spoken and declared PBS the best choice in children's media," said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP Children's Media, PBS. "The results of this study confirm the success of our approach-- using media to open new worlds for all children, regardless of their family's income or background, and help them realize their potential. Additionally, third party, independent research proves that PBS content effectively teaches core curriculum skills-- including literacy and math-- and can close the gap between children from low income families and those with more resources."
Of all networks, the general public exudes the highest level of confidence in PBS - with 73% agreeing that PBS serves all children, regardless of their circumstances. Additionally, 73% of respondents indicated that the network provides "a trusted and safe place for children to watch television," and 70% say that PBS serves as a "safe haven for children." Overall, Americans noted they are much more satisfied with programming for children ages 2-8 on PBS compared with offerings on commercial broadcast and cable television.
In addition to the Roper Poll, series-based research has proven that PBS's preschool and early elementary school content contribute towards engaging and inspiring children to succeed in the core curriculum areas that lead the nation's education agenda. For example, a recent study on the preschool series SUPER WHY, conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, illustrated that the series strengthens the literacy skills of preschoolers, with all kids showing statistically significant improvement on standardized literacy tests, most notably the children from low-income families with poor reading skills and at risk for failure in school. These children scored 46% higher on standardized tests than those who did not watch SUPER WHY.
Other series-based research on programs including BETWEEN THE LIONS and WORD WORLD has also proven a significant impact in children's literacy skill development by watching these programs. Series such as SESAME STREET and BARNEY & FRIENDS have proven their ability to positively impact children's school readiness and have helped children develop core social emotional skills to better relate to and communicate with their peers. For school-age children, research conducted on CYBERCHASE demonstrates the series success in helping children strengthen their math skills, while studies conducted on MAYA & MIGUEL have proven the series' ability to help children develop positive attitudes towards ethnic diversity. For more information on series-based research, please see the contact information below.
About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. With positive role models and content designed to nurture a child's total well-being, PBS's children's media and family and educator resources - including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. In September 2008, PBS KIDS GO! launched its video player (pbskidsgo.org/video), featuring hundreds of video clips and dozens of full-length episodes. Since launch, the site is averaging more than 1.2 million streams per week. In March 2009, more than 9 million unique visitors visited pbskids.org. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month. For more information on specific shows supporting literacy, science, math, and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom.
Roper Public Affairs & Media GFK
GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media is a division of GfK Custom Research North America specializing in customized public opinion polling, media & communications research, and corporate reputation measurement - in the US and globally. In addition to delivering a broad range of customized research studies, GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media draws from GfK's syndicated consumer tracking services, GfK Roper Reports, US and GfK Roper Reports Worldwide, which monitor consumer values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in the US and more than 25 other countries. Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of the GfK Group. With home offices in Nuremburg, Germany, the GfK Group is the No. 4 market research organization worldwide. Its activities cover three business sectors: Custom Research, Retail and Technology, and Media. The Group has more than 115 companies covering 100 countries. For further information, visit: www.gfk.com
Survey Methodology
The findings are based on a telephone survey commissioned by PBS and conducted by GFK Roper Public Affairs & Media that polled 1,006 American adults over the age of 18 between April 9-11, 2009.
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CONTACTS:
Jill Corderman, PBS KIDS, 703.739.5788 / jcorderman@pbs.org
Jake Landis, PBS KIDS; 703.739.5362; jwlandis@pbs.org
Alison Grand, 212.584.1133 / alison@grandcommunications.com
www.pbs.org/pressroom