PBS Selects thePlatform For Online Programming 

Broadband Video Company To Publish, Manage Video Programming On Web Sites

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 5/13/2008 1:00:00 PM

PBS has chosen thePlatform, a Comcast unit, to power a new online video initiative that will significantly increase the amount of PBS video available on both pbs.org and local PBS station Web sites, officials said Tuesday.

PBS will use thePlatform, a broadband video management and publishing company, to publish and manage its national broadband video programming on its Web sites, including pbs.org, pbskids.org, pbsparents.org, and pbsteachers.org.

The agreement also allows PBS to enable online video distribution of national programming to PBS member stations and their respective Web sites. In addition, local PBS stations will have access to thePlatform’s publishing system and video player technology to publish locally produced content to their individual Web sites and to make it available to other local PBS stations.

ThePlatform, a subsidiary of Comcast, is a broadband video management and publishing company. Media companies and video sites rely on thePlatform’s services to manage their media, generate revenue from their content, syndicate media to outlets, and create unique broadband video players.

Hundreds of media companies use thePlatform to manage billions of videos every year. Customers include BBC, CBS’s College Sports TV, CNBC, Comcast, Corus Entertainment, Gannett, Helio, HIT Entertainment, PBS KIDS Sprout, Sony BMG, Hearst, Verizon Wireless and Vongo.