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WTTW TO LAUNCH FREE 24/7 MULTIPLATFORM PBS KIDS SERVICE

New Multicast Channel and Live Stream Will Support WTTW’s Mission to Reach All Chicago-Area Children with High-Quality Educational Content

For immediate release
Chicago, IL - December 7, 2016

Today, WTTW announced that it will launch the new, free 24/7 PBS Kids channel and live stream on Monday, January 16, 2017. This new multicast TV channel will be free on over-the-air channel 11-4, Comcast digital channel 368, and RCN channel 39. The service will also stream live on digital platforms. This effort extends WTTW’s support of early learning by giving Chicago area children new times and ways to engage with educational content during primetime and other after-school hours when viewing among families is high.

Viewers will be able to watch the live stream through wttw.com, pbskids.org, and on the PBS KIDS Video App for a variety of mobile devices, tablets, and over-the-top devices such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One, and Chromecast. The live stream complements on-demand videos, which will continue to be available for free on the app and online.

The WTTW PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and stream will present popular favorites such as SESAME STREET, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, ODD SQUAD, WILD KRATTS, PEG + CAT, and DINOSAUR TRAIN; returning series WORDWORLD and FETCH! WITH RUFF RUFFMAN; the new series NATURE CAT and READY JET GO!, which debuted February 15; and SPLASH AND BUBBLES, a series from The Jim Henson Company which premiered on November 23. WTTW will provide the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel in addition to its current primary channel WTTW11, which will continue to feature Kids programming  on weekdays from 6:00 am-6:00 pm; Saturdays from 5:00-10:00 am; and Sundays from 5:00-11:00 am. The schedule of children’s programming on the new 24/7 channel and stream will be different from the WTTW11 kids schedule, offering families a variety of options and continuous programming.

“WTTW has been an integral part of the community for years, delivering content and services that parents trust, and that engage and educate children, ensuring that they are ready to make the most of school,” said Dan Schmidt, President and CEO of WTTW. “This 24/7 PBS KIDS offering is an integral part of WTTW’s long-term vision for its children’s service, and will build on its reach and impact in the community, where it provides essential services for kids, parents, and teachers.”

WTTW’s reach to young audiences is significant. It is the most-watched broadcast station for kids programming in the Chicago area. In an average week, the station reaches 83% of households with children. For kids ages 2-11, WTTW11 is watched by more than 166,000 kids weekly, and more than 386,800 kids per month. Nationally, PBS reaches more kids 2-5; Hispanic kids 2-5 and Hispanic moms of young children; moms of young children in general; and children in low-income families than any other children’s network.1

WTTW’s new, free 24/7 kids service will provide learning opportunities for children whenever and wherever they access media, and will be instrumental in helping them build critical skills that enable them to find success in school and life, while also encouraging parents to increase their own engagement.

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WTTW is a premier public media organization committed to creating and presenting unique television and digital media content across four distinct television channels – WTTW11, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create/WTTW WORLD, and WTTW PBS Kids (24/7); and on wttw.com. Recognized for award-winning local and national productions such as Chicago Tonight, Check, Please!, and MEXICO – One Plate at a Time, WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s programming. Visitors to wttw.com can access a full library of local and national video content for kids and adults, immersive web-exclusive stories and features, event and membership opportunities, and more. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

1 Nielsen NPOWER, L+7 9/21/2015-9/18/2016, PBS stations M-F 6A-6A TP reach, 50% unif., 6+ min. LOH 18-49 w/C<6, Hispanic LOH 18-49 w/C<6, K2-11 in HH w/Inc <$20K.