Create’s Web site offers more information, easier navigation for America’s do-it-yourselfers

Boston (May 21, 2008) – American Public Television (APT) today announced the launch of the revamped CreateTV.com Web site, providing visitors with a chance to engage more directly with projects and activities featured on the Create™ TV channel.

Create TV is the dynamic 24/7 digital channel now in its third year of delivering the best of public television’s lifestyle shows. The channel features many of television’s most recognized personalities from the worlds of cooking, travel, arts and crafts, gardening and home improvement.

Create TV is carried by 178 public television stations nationwide which represent more than 70% of US television households. With the rapid growth in popularity of Create TV’s content, viewers have expressed increased interest in behind-the-scenes information about program hosts and tips to help them “create” what they see presented on television.

The Web site, CreateTV.com, has become a key component of public television’s growing Create franchise. CreateTV.com will now feature more information, expanded interactivity, easier navigation tools and a new shopping area to help legions of devoted do-it-yourselfers around the home, in the kitchen, and on the open road.

The site will expand to accommodate the growing resources provided to viewers directly from Create TV’s renowned show hosts. Web site viewers can discover secrets of authentic Italian cooking with Lidia Bastianich of Lidia’s Italy, find hidden vacation gems in France and Germany in Rick Steves’ Europe, and unearth their green thumbs in P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home.

“Viewers want to be empowered, entertained and informed with how-to shows, and CreateTV well meets those needs,” said APT President and CEO Cynthia Fenneman. “CreateTV.com is the ultimate online resource for the spirited individuals who enjoy Create’s sterling how-to, cooking, arts and crafts, gardening and travel programming.”

In response to viewer requests, CreateTV.com boasts a helpful "Recipes and Projects” page that includes delicious recipes, a broad variety of lifestyle tips and instruction, and home improvement advice. Examples include a recipe for “Bratwurst and Pepper Jack Grilled Mushrooms” from Barbecue University With Steven Raichlen, hints on potting spring plants from Sloan Payne-Rutter and Vicki Payne of For Your Home, and instructions on painting a gorgeous mountain scene from Bob Ross of The Best of Joy of Painting.

Other features on the site include detailed biographies and upcoming appearance schedules for the show hosts, a programming schedule customizable by viewers’ local station and time zone, and image galleries from the diverse roster of shows. The “ShopCreate” section offers viewers an easier way to purchase products from their favorite hosts and shows—all while supporting public television’s Create channel.

Create™ TV continues to receive high viewer praise in various research studies. Viewers say they value the channel’s quality of programs, depth of knowledge of the hosts, and variety of how-to topics. They also appreciate that its programs are shown as complete half hours – uninterrupted by mid-program commercials or breaks.

Create™ TV is produced and distributed by American Public Television (APT), Thirteen/WNET and WGBH Boston, in association with the National Educational Television Association (NETA) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

About Create™:
Create™ is the dynamic TV channel that spotlights many of television's most popular how-to, cooking, arts and crafts and travel series. Create is produced and distributed by APT, Thirteen/WNET and WGBH Boston in association with National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) and PBS.

About the Entities That Make Create TV Possible:
American Public Television
For 47 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation’s public television stations. APT distributes more than 300 new program titles per year and has 10,000 hours of programming in its library. It is responsible for many public television milestones including the first HD series and the 2006 launch of the Create channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming. APT is known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming. It has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules such as Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti in Concert, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves’ Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin’ – The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs and classic movies. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

Thirteen/WNET
Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for PBS, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, and Cyberchase — as well as the work of Bill Moyers — to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers, airing the best of public television along with its own local productions. And, through its Web site and educational outreach projects, Thirteen extends the power of its work beyond the television screen. In 2003, Thirteen merged with sister station WLIW21 New York, America’s fourth most-watched public television station. WLIW distributes live daily broadcasts of BBC World News and produces PBS programming celebrating the diversity and ethnic character in America. More information about Thirteen and WLIW can be found at www.thirteen.org and www.wliw.org.

WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of one-third of PBS’s prime-time lineup, along with some of public television’s best-known lifestyle shows and children’s programs and many public radio favorites. WGBH is the number one producer of Web sites on pbs.org, the most-visited dot-org on the Internet. WGBH is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards…even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH was honored with a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of excellence. For more information, visit www.wgbh.org.

National Educational Telecommunications Association
The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) is a professional association that serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. NETA serves by connecting people and ideas, by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support and national representation. For more information, visit www.NETAonline.org.

Public Broadcasting Service
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches nearly 73 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. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

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