American Public Television

Formerly	Eastern Educational Network (1961–1980) Interregional Program Service (1980–1992) American Program Service (1992–1999)
Company type	Nonprofit
Industry	Public television Television syndication
Founded	February 9, 1961; 65 years ago (1961-02-09)
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Website	aptonline.org

American Public Television (APT) is an Americannonprofit organization andsyndicator of programming forpublic television stations in the United States. It distributes public television programs nationwide forPBSmember stations and independent educational stations, as well as theCreate andWorld television networks.

APT was founded in 1961^[1] when it was incorporated as theEastern Educational Network (EEN). At first, EEN was a regional cooperative that began to exchange programs between a few of its member stations.^[2] EEN was one of the first distributors of shows such asThe French Chef (withJulia Child) in 1962,^[2]Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,^[1] andWashington Week in Review on a national basis.

Another first from EEN was the distribution ofNewsfront, America's first live and non-commercial daily news program, starting in 1970.^[2] EEN introducedWall Street Week in November 1970 before PBS began distributing it nationwide in January 1972.^{[citation needed]} EEN also began importing UK'sBBC and CanadianCBC productions to America in 1974, withMonty Python's Flying Circus as one of them. In 1978, the EEN started the Free Library.^[2]

In 1980, Eastern Educational Network started the Syndication Service and was renamedInterregional Program Service (IPS). IPS started the Premium Service in 1989. The first program out of this arm was the seriesU.S. Chronicle, a collaboration of public television stations in cooperation withThe Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting, hosted byJim Lehrer.^[3] The company gained national attention when EEN's IPS subsidiary begin distributingThe Nightly Business Report when it went nationwide in 1981.^[4] The organization becameAmerican Program Service (APS) in 1992.^[2]

American Program Service was renamedAmerican Public Television (APT) in April 1999. Also, with many fax requests from international outlets, an international division called APT Worldwide was started.^[2][5]

With thedigital roll-out, APT became the distributor of a couple of multicast networks. In January 2006, APT started distributingCreate.^[6] They later began distributingWorld on July 1, 2009.^[7]

• APT Exchange (originally the Free Library) was a service in which the company acts a clearing house for pre-funded programs that are offered free of charge to stations started in 1978.Rick Steves' Europe (starting in 2000),Nightly Business Report, andAmerica's Test Kitchen are offered through this service.^[2]
• APT Worldwide is the corporation's international sales division even representing some A&E and Discovery programs. Amongst its network clients are Discovery, National Geographic, Japan's NHK, UK's ITV and Italy's RAI-SAT^[2]
• Premium Service provides programming for stations via outsourcing or acquisition prime time pledge drive programs particularly performance or self-help shows, which would either trigger a pledge call or a DVD purchased for the viewer's use or as a gift. One of its earliest successful show was the firstThree Tenors.
• Syndication is a service in which completed programs are acquired.Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World, purchased in 2002, was a top hit through this service along with the BBC'sBattlefield Britain series.^[2]

APT also distributes two digital broadcast television networks withWGBH,WNET, and NETA:^[2]

• Create, which offers lifestyle programming, including the genres of food, travel, home & garden, arts & crafts, fitness, and living primarily from the APT library.^[2] Introduced in January 2006, Create is licensed to local public television stations, includingPBS stations, and Create is also carried on cable through local agreements with local public television stations. Shows regularly carried on Create includeLidia's Kitchen,P. Allen Smith's Garden Home,Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting,Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television,Simply Ming, andAmerica's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated.
• World Channel, is a 24-hour digital channel showing public television with non-fiction, science, nature, news, public affairs and documentaries.^[2]

APT distributes more than 300 new program titles per year,^[1] including documentaries, talk shows, music performance content, dramatic and comedic series, how-to programs, children's series, and classic films. Shows currently or previously distributed by APT include, but are unlimited to,The Open Mind,Rick Steves' Europe,Live from the Artists Den,Jacques Pepin: Heart & Soul,America's Test Kitchen and its spinoff seriesCook's Country,Yan Can Cook,Barbecue University with Steven Raichlen,The Big Comfy Couch,Net Cafe,Pati's Mexican Table,Samantha Brown's Places to Love,Doc Martin,Rudy Maxa's World,Sara's Weeknight Meals, andScully: The World Show.APT distributes weeknight international news seriesAsia Insight andNHK Newsline from Japan'sNHK, as well as the business news programNightly Business Report.

APT has also distributed special pledge shows to public television, including programs such asFrank Sinatra: Voice of Our Time,Anne of Green Gables,Carreras Domingo Pavarotti,Celine Dion: A New Day,Mike Douglas – Moments & Memories,Leonard Cohen: Tower of Song, andTony Bennett Duets: The Making of an American Classic.

In 2000, APT was the first company to bring a high-definition series to public television with the premiere ofSmart Travels with Rudy Maxa.

On January 1, 2018, thePBS Kids 24/7 channel started airingPeep and the Big Wide World andPocoyo until December 26, 2021.

• Official website
• John S. Porter papers, at theUniversity of Maryland libraries. Porter was a former president and trustee.

• American Public Television
• Public television in the United States
• Mass media companies established in 1961
• Organizations established in 1961
• Television organizations in the United States
• Television syndication distributors
• 1961 establishments in the United States

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