Cerebellum Corporation Developing Cutting Edge Programming for PBS YOU
ALEXANDRIA, VA – February 26, 2002 -- PBS has teamed up with the Cerebellum Corporation to provide exciting new programming on PBS YOU, PBS's distance learning service. This new programming -- called Standard Deviants School -- will air programs that focus on subjects ranging from mathematics and English to foreign languages and social studies. Standard Deviants School, billed as "Educational TV with Attitude," will be expanded over the coming months to include professional development materials for educators.
The Standard Deviants School programs -- produced by the Cerebellum Corporation -- feature programming targeted to middle school, high school, college and continuing education students, as well as to teachers and homeschoolers. Using computer graphics, step-by-step explanations and a healthy dose of humor, the Standard Deviants trademark teaching style proves that learning can be an enjoyable experience – no matter the subject matter. Each Standard Deviants program is written by an academic team comprised of some of the nation's best teachers and professors from leading universities, including Yale, George Washington University, and Georgetown. Since its initial distribution by PBS stations in September of 2000, Standard Deviants programs have received critical acclaim, including a 2000 Parents' Choice Award and being named a "Top Ten New Show for Kids" by TV Guide.
Standard Deviants School programs air six hours a day, seven days a week on PBS YOU, with thematic broadcasts occurring throughout each week. From Mega-Math Monday to Foreign Flava Friday, viewers can prepare for lessons or review with subject-based programs Monday through Friday. For example, Algebra viewers will join intrepid explorer and mathematician, "Idaho Bones" as he tries to solve for the "Golden X of Algebrar." Weekends will feature educational professional development programming and highlights from the preceding week. In addition to using content from Cerebellum's existing library of more than 150 hours of programming, Standard Deviants School will also become home to new educational programming created by additional, like-minded producers.
"We are very excited to be working with PBS again," noted Chip Paucek, Cerebellum Co-CEO. "At a time when our children's education is at the top of the national agenda, PBS YOU has risen to the challenge by providing relevant, educational content direct to the classroom – even if that classroom happens to be in your own home. Accessible to parents, students, teachers and homeschooling families, PBS YOU is rapidly becoming a part of our children's educational experience."
"PBS YOU continues to be a strong educational service for PBS member stations and our burgeoning national audience of learners of all ages," said Wayne Godwin, chief operating officer of PBS. "Standard Deviants School is a comprehensive, fun and varied educational offering that will bring new audiences and new curricula to PBS YOU. It is a most welcome – and colorful – addition to our lineup."
Launched in December 1999, PBS YOU is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week program service available to PBS member stations for analog and digital broadcast and cable channels. PBS YOU offers telecourses from the PBS Adult Learning Service, as well as a variety of other educational and noncommercial programming aimed at serving the needs of lifelong learners nationwide.
PBS YOU is licensed by 34 local public television stations, and many more stations have signaled their intention to license the service in the coming months as they complete the transition to digital broadcast. In addition, PBS YOU is available to millions of satellite TV subscribers as a noncommercial, educational "set-aside" channel by direct broadcast satellite providers DirecTV and DISH Network/Echostar.
About the Public Broadcasting Service
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. Serving nearly 90 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org
About Cerebellum Corporation
Cerebellum Corporation is one of the nation's leading producers of multimedia educational content and has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception in 1993. Cerebellum's Standard Deviants video, DVD and software titles are widely regarded as the most compelling video-based learning products on the market. Recommended by thousands of teachers and college professors, Cerebellum has won 20 Telly Awards for "Best Non-Broadcast Educational Video" and has also been named to the "Best Films and Videos" list by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Cerebellum took its award winning content to the airwaves in the Fall of 2000 with Standard Deviants TV (PBS), a TV Guide "Top Ten New Show for Kids" and a Parents' Choice "Recommended" winner.
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Contacts:
Kevin Dando, PBS
(703) 739-5073
Mark Mashaw, Cerebellum
(703) 848-0856 ext 103