New Public TV for a New America:

New Public TV for a New America:

WORLDVIEW Launches as an Independent Program Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent public broadcaster MHz NETWORKS has launched WORLDVIEW, an internationally diverse 24/7 program stream for public television stations. The new stream aims to attract globally aware viewers with a wide range of international programming blocks - - World News, Foreign Affairs, International Mysteries, World Music, Sports, and Foreign Films -- all of it English accessible (in English or subtitled). "The idea is to make the world, and all its rhythms, opinions, textures, easier for Americans to understand," says Frederick Thomas, the executive behind WORLDVIEW. "The channel will tell all of the stories about the world, good and bad, going beyond the usual tragedy stuff." It won't be difficult for viewers to gain different perspectives given the wide range of countries and cultures carried on WORLDVIEW.

The evening World News block features newscasts from Taiwan, India, Japan, France and Germany -- with Bolivian and Russian news being added in March, and Pan-African news arriving by June. The World Music block features Strictly Global, with videos from across the globe and the Emmy Award-winning MHz Presents, which features artists from all genres of music, guests such as Floetry, The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Afro Celts, Suzanne Vega, and dozens more. The International Mystery block features iconic detectives from all over the world; the super sleuths that become "can't miss it" viewing opportunities.

Another important audience for WORLDVIEW will be America's recent immigrants, who represent a wide range of countries. "Through our experience in the Washington, D.C. market we know that immigrants will support this type of programming, and the stations that carry it, because they feel they have a stake in it, like an investment," says Thomas. In Washington, MHz has been successful at raising on-air pledge dollars in at least six different languages: Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese, Urdu, and French, and has acquired significant local underwriting from businesses wishing to reach these viewers. "'Passionate' is a word frequently used to describe how local ethnic communities feel about MHz," says Nancy Sherwood, MHz's membership manager. MHz plans to upload a weekly American-Diversity block of programming produced by ethnic producers across the country on the WORLDVIEW feed.

In a nod to the largest group of recent immigrants, Spanish-speaking groups from Latin and South America, WORLDVIEW is presenting a Spanish- Language block of daily news and informational programming. Dialogue is WORLDVIEW'S signature series in its Foreign Affairs block, while the Indian programming block on WORLDVIEW recognizes the influx of South Asian immigrants to the U.S. Interstitial programming on WORLDVIEW comes from washingtonpost.com, one of the premier news websites. In a unique alliance, WORLDVIEW will be the broadcast outlet for washingtonpost.com's video stories, usually housed on washingtonpost.com's website. Lastly, rounding out the genres is WORLDVIEW's Shortie block of programming which showcases films from the annual MHz Shortz Student Film Festival.

WORLDVIEW to Help Promote Financial Independence

MHz NETWORKS has been operating as an independent public television organization (non-PBS affiliated) for over a decade. Shrinking Federal and State funding over that time forced MHz to become more entrepreneurial, with the ultimate goal being to create financial self-sustainability. WORLDVIEW has been funded internally by MHz. "The financial realities dictated that we become very flexible," says Thomas, "over the last decade we've had to turn on a dime, many times, finding new ways to acquire programming and generate revenue. We think our experience will help us meet the specific needs of other stations that take the WORLDVIEW feed." MHz plans to share its unique marketing and development knowledge with WORLDVIEW-presenting stations, helping them attract local dollars through underwriting, ancillary sales, and even video-on-demand opportunities. The approach is to build new U.S. programming partners in the same way that MHz has forged programming partnerships with international programmers, many of whom have been on MHz's stations in Washington, D.C. for years. These programmers trust MHz as a U.S. programming partner -- as a U.S. organization that "speaks their language." "WORLDVIEW is a great platform for our content," says Sanjiv Prakash, Editor and CEO of Asian News International (ANI) based in New Delhi. "We've been with MHz for a while and are really excited to see the evolution of their vision." ANI provides exclusive content from South Asia for WORLDVIEW.

"Programming independence can lead to financial independence -- I think these are the two best concepts we have to guarantee the future of public broadcasting," says Thomas, "We believe WORLDVIEW can help stations move in that direction."

Viewers who would like to see MHz WORLDVIEW offered through their local public TV station should contact them directly.

MHz NETWORKS, which operates in Northern Virginia and serves the Washington, D.C. market through WNVC and WNVT, is owned by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation (CPBC), headquartered in Richmond, VA. CPBC is a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation which also operates WCVE-TV/FM and WCVW in Richmond, VA and WHTJ-TV in Charlottesville, VA. The WORLDVIEW program stream in sponsored in part by the GlobeCast WorldTV service and is available on Intelsat America 5. MHz produces its original programs through its two production studios, one in Northern Virginia at its technical operations center, the other at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Visit http://www.mhzworldview.org/ for more information.

CONTACT: Jenna Reedy of MHz NETWORKS, +1-703.770.7135, or jreedy@mhznetworks.org

Source: MHz NETWORKS

CONTACT: Jenna Reedy of MHz NETWORKS, +1-703.770.7135, or
jreedy@mhznetworks.org

Web site: http://www.mhznetworks.org/

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