(February 25, 2004) New York, NY and Boston, MA--WGBH Boston and Thirteen/WNET New York have combined forces to launch World and Create, two new digital channels for viewers throughout the Boston and New York metropolitan areas. Available to digital cable subscribers as well as over the air to viewers with digital receivers, the new channels complement the traditional analog programming of WGBH and Thirteen/WNET.
World and Create each focus on a popular genre, offering new programs, schedules, and options for viewers with more specific interests. World features a wide range of culture, science, nature, public affairs, history, and business series, along with documentary miniseries and specials. Create features a do-it-yourself library of series and specials on cooking, renovating, collecting, painting, crafts, traveling, and gardening, among other subjects.
Both channels draw on the substantial programming libraries of Thirteen/WNET and WGBH, offering viewers in both markets a wealth of new series and specials as well as alternative air times for many of the stations' popular programs.
In Boston, the services launched on March 1. The projected start date for the services in the New York area is April 1.
"Digital technology has opened up new possibilities for public television to serve wider audiences and to reach traditional audiences in new ways," said Henry Becton. Jr., president of WGBH. "With World and Create, WGBH and Thirteen/WNET are taking public television into a new era, harnessing the digital spectrum to expand the services we're offering audiences through more choice and convenience."
"With the advent of digital technology, television is undergoing dramatic changes, and many viewers are looking for a more focused, more tailored experience," said William F. Baker, president and chief executive officer of Thirteen/WNET. "These new services make it possible for viewers to enjoy the great programs they want and expect from Thirteen/WNET and WGBH, with more choice, flexibility, and convenience. At the same time, they allow us to offer programming from our station libraries that does not fit into our regular analog services."
In addition to these new services, Thirteen/WNET and WGBH intend to work with PBS as it develops other new digital initiatives. PBS recently received a grant to plan for more public affairs programming across the digital spectrum.
Thirteen/WNET
www.thirteen.org
WGBH
www.wgbh.org
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