Milwaukee PBS to launch over-the-air 24/7 PBS Kids channel | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee PBS
December 16, 2016
Milwaukee PBS announced that it will launch a new, 24/7 children’s channel, to air on Milwaukee PBS’ channel 10.3, and live stream on digital platforms. This is the station’s latest initiative to support early learning in its viewing area.
Milwaukee PBS will broadcast PBS KIDS shows 24 hours a day on channel 10.3, which will be called Milwaukee PBS KIDS, and also as a live stream, making it easy for children in southeastern Wisconsin to watch their favorite series during primetime and other after-school hours, when viewing among families is high. Viewers will be able to watch the Milwaukee PBS- branded live stream through pbskids.org and on the PBS KIDS Video App, which is available on a variety of mobile devices, tablets and over-the-top platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. The live stream complements on-demand clips and full episodes, which will continue to be available for free on the PBS KIDS Video App and streaming via pbskids.org.
“Milwaukee PBS has been an integral part of the community for nearly 60 years, delivering content and services that parents trust and that move the needle in early learning,” said Bohdan Zachary, General Manager of Milwaukee PBS. “We are excited to build on the work we do every day for the families in southeastern Wisconsin by adding these new 24/7 services, ensuring that our educational content is accessible anytime and anywhere to all kids.”
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PBS stations reach more kids aged 2-5, more moms with children under 6 years old and more children from low-income families than any other kids TV network. With its new 24/7 channel and digital offerings, Milwaukee PBS will build on this reach and impact. Through this effort, Milwaukee PBS will extend its commitment to early learning by offering more families high- quality PBS KIDS content that is trusted by parents and proven to help kids learn.
In a recent survey, PBS KIDS led all networks in improving kids’ behavior, with 74% of parents saying their child exhibits more positive behavior after engaging with PBS KIDS. And years of research confirm that PBS KIDS media content helps children build critical skills that enable them to find success in school and life, while also helping parents increase their own engagement. A recent study conducted by WestEd found that PBS KIDS resources can help narrow the math achievement gap for children from low-income families and better prepare them for kindergarten. Additionally, parents’ awareness of their children’s math learning increased significantly – as did their use of strategies to support their children’s learning.
PBS KIDS 24/7 Channel Press Release Page 2
Designed to meet the needs of today’s kids, Milwaukee PBS’s new, free 24/7 services will provide learning opportunities for children whenever and wherever they access media. Nielsen data demonstrate that live TV is the dominant way children access video, accounting for 68% of the time children spend watching video content. Most kids’ TV viewing takes place on weeknights and weekend afternoons and evenings. This trend is true for all children, but especially for those in low-income families.
The PBS KIDS 24/7 channel, Milwaukee PBS KIDS, will include popular favorites such as DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, ODD SQUAD, WILD KRATTS and DINOSAUR TRAIN; the new series NATURE CAT and READY JET GO!, which debuted February 15; and SPLASH AND BUBBLES, a series from The Jim Henson Company that premiered in November 2016. Milwaukee PBS will provide the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel in addition to its current daytime children’s program line-up on Channel 10. The schedule of children’s programming on the primary Milwaukee PBS channel will be different from the 24/7 channel, offering families a variety of options.