Programming Excellence Award

MULTIPLE INDUSTRY AWARDS PRESENTED, NEARLY 100 TITLES SCREENED AT

AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION’S FALL MARKETPLACE 2013

Public television program leaders from stations across the country, national producers and US and UK talent screened nearly 100 programs.

BOSTON (Dec. 16, 2013) – At the recent American Public Television (APT) annual Fall Marketplace in Boston nearly 200 public television leaders and celebrities joined to screen upcoming public television program offers and to congratulate the winners of a number of industry awards. Founded in 1961 as a national distributor of programming to public television stations, and first to deliver such memorable programs as THE FRENCH CHEF WITH JULIA CHILD, MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, THE THREE TENORS and MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS to national U.S. audiences, APT continues to be a key industry provider, distributing 300 new titles per year and offering thousands of program hours in rights.

This year’s APT Fall Marketplace was focused upon presenting new content to programming leaders representing the nation’s more than 350 public television stations as well as recognizing programming excellence, scheduling and an individual and a station who have contributed most extensively to the public television community in the past year.  Station executives, producers and talent – many of the most recognized faces on public television – participated in the screening sessions, special events and industry professional development sessions.

Awards were presented to the Most Valuable Player (MVP), this year going to both Ron Bachman, Director of Programming at Boston’s public television station, WBGH and to the station, for its work as a major producer of public television programming seen across the nation.  Additional awards included recognition of stations best using APT programming to complement and build their schedules and the Programming Excellence Awards.

With more than 4,000 titles in rights, APT’s catalog is one of the largest in public media.  Since 2002 a select number of programs have been honored each year for their originality, execution, creativity, the scope of content and their effectiveness in reaching audiences and engaging them on local public television stations.  This year five programs received the APT Programming Excellence Awards.  The winners are:

  • IN MY LIFETIME/ Robert E. Frye, Executive Producer

    • This special thoroughly examines the 68-year history of nuclear weapons through the use of footage gathered in Europe, Japan and the U.S. and focuses upon the continuing struggle of citizens, scientists and political leaders working to reduce or eliminate the atomic threat, while others search for ways to build nuclear weapons. Including extensive interviews of international experts, the film shifts between historical events, and present-day efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons.

    • DAVID SUCHET IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL/ ITV

      • This two-part documentary retraces Paul’s footsteps in search of the real and highly controversial man hidden within the pages of the New Testament. Traveling across the Mediterranean world, Suchet visits ancient and modern locations, interviews expert witnesses and deciphers new evidence from the latest archaeological and historical research

      • LIVE FROM THE ARTISTS DEN/ presenting station WNET New York Public Media

        • The Emmy®-nominated music series LIVE FROM THE ARTISTS DEN features a remarkable line-up of icons and emerging stars performing in unique and historic venues.

        • WORLD WAR II PRESERVATION SERIES/ Tim Gray Media World War II Foundation and presenting station Rhode Island PBS

          • Over the course of five decades, Kenneth W. Rendell amassed the largest and most comprehensive private collection of original World War II memorabilia in the world. Narrated by Dan Aykroyd, WORLD WAR II: SAVING THE REALITY opens the doors to this private museum located outside Boston. Rendell provides a guided tour of the museum’s 30 exhibits, which chronicle the end of World War I and the rise of Nazism to the start of World War II and the fight in Europe and the Pacific.

          • GREAT SCENIC RAILWAY JOURNEYS/ Robert Van Camp, Executive Producer

            • Hosted by Grammy-winning musician and storyteller David Holt, these two one-hour specials trace America’s railroad history and show why many of America’s railroads have become major tourist attractions.

Additional awards for outstanding local public television station scheduling were awarded, in addition to the screening of nearly 100 new and returning programs to be released over the coming months. These included the following series: Season 6 of AFROPOP: THE ULTIMATE CULTURAL EXCHANGE; AMERICA’S GENERATIONS WITH CHUCK UNDERWOOD; SPACE RACERS; CIVIL WAR: THE UNTOLD STORY; MR, & MRS. MURDER; Season 8 of MIDSOMER MURDERS; ISLANDS ON THE EDGE; ALEXANDER’S LOST WORLD; and, Season 3 of FAKE OR FORTUNE.  In addition, a number of specials were previewed, including: RICK STEVES’ ITALY: CITIES OF DREAMS and RICK STEVES’ FESTIVE EUROPE; and, JOHN GLENN: A LIFE OF SERVICE.

About APT

American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. Since 2004, APT has distributed approximately half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, Rick Steves’ Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia’s Kitchen, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Midsomer Murders, Moyers & Company, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, BBC World News, Paul Byrom: this is the Moment, and John Denver Rocky Mountain High Live in Japan. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming, still distributed by APT.  Visit the website at CreateTV.com. APT is distributes and is a contributor to the WORLD™ channel, on the web at WORLDchannel.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.