Alexandria, Virginia, January, 2006 - Following the recent announcement of its new five-year initiative entitled PBS KIDS Next Generation Media, PBS has launched a nationwide search for the host of its new preschool multi-platform destination, one of the cornerstone components of the Next Generation initiative. This new, cohesive environment, launching in fall 2006, is designed exclusively for preschoolers and features favorite and premiering children's series, as well as a new live host.
Recognizing the discerning audience it serves, kids and their parents, PBS is looking for an authentic talent who embodies a warm, creative and charismatic approach to life-long learning and child engagement. The new host will motivate children through fun, interactive, language-rich and musical original content segments, bridging lessons from each episode that relate ideas and themes to real world appreciation and application. While understanding parents and caregivers' needs, the new host will support PBS KIDS' goal to build a partnership with them in their child's learning and help preschoolers prepare for success in school and in life. The search will target not only the television and talent industries but also pursue education and child development avenues.
"All of PBS' children's programs have valuable lessons that extend beyond the TV screen and the new host will help bring this to life in a safe, familiar environment, further inspiring kids to think about what they are watching and how it applies to their lives," said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, PBS Brand Management.
PBS KIDS Next Generation Media is a five-year initiative to define the role PBS will play in the changing digital children's media landscape. In addition to the new preschool multi-platform destination, a 24-hour multicast service for early elementary school kids will also launch in fall 2006.
With a 360-degree approach to 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.
Qualified candidates can find submission requirements at pbsparents.org, available beginning Friday January 20th, and should be sent to:
Barbara Barna Casting 249 Smith Street, #122 Brooklyn, NY 11231 www.barbarabarnacasting.com
Deadline for submissions is February 10, 2006.
PBS is a private, nonprofit media enterprise that serves the nation's 348 public noncommercial television stations, reaching nearly 90 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 the leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of educational services for adult learners. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online pbskids.org, continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet. PBS is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Media Contacts Only:
Stephanie Aaronson, PBS KIDS, 703/739-5074 saaronson@pbs.org
Jill Corderman, PBS KIDS, 703/739-5788 jcorderman@pbs.org