PBS Expands Online Video Offerings

PBS revamped its online video offering Wednesday, adding full-length episodes from shows such as “Antiques Roadshow” and “Nova,” as it attempts to broaden its audience and sponsorship opportunities.

The public broadcaster is aiming for younger viewers who don’t tune in to “Masterpiece Theater” on television, but–it hopes–will be interested in its programming if it’s more accessible on the Web. It is adding archived TV, such as the late Julia Child’s cooking series, as well as a show, “Time Team America,” that will debut online in advance of a July air date.

“We know that there’s a certain age group that may not be watching us on television, but it’s not because they don’t have an affinity for the brand,” said Jason Seiken, who heads PBS’s interactive unit. “They love PBS, they grew up with PBS, they have an attachment to programs like ‘Frontline’ and ‘Nova.’ It’s just that they consume their media in different ways than an older generation did. So we feel that this is a way to capture them, to meet that need.”

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