AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION ANNOUNCES RESEARCH FINDINGS FOR PROGRAMS IN 2002/2003

APT programs are among the top performing in Public Television schedules

For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Donna Hardwick
(617) 338-4455, ext. 129
Cell Phone: 617-308-5677
Donna_Hardwick@aptonline.org

Palm Springs, CA (Friday, November 14, 2003) – American Public Television's (APT)'s 2003 U.S. programming conference began with significant ratings findings presented by CEO and president Cynthia Fenneman. APT programs were at the top of the charts and among the top 10 public television programs from November 2002 through October 2003. All findings are based on average household ratings within primetime on primary public television stations in the metered markets.

Between May 28th and June 11th this year, APT's Bob Hope: The Road to Laughter—the Premium Service special – was the 2nd highest rated PTV program with a 2.5, just behind Antiques Roadshow's 2.6. In Summer of 2003, APT had three of the top 10 programs. Pioneer Quest, with a 2.7 average rating, was the second highest rated for the summer, just behind Capitol Fourth's 2.8. The week of September 7th, APT had the two highest rated programs for all of PTV with two 9/11 programs – Clear the Skies and Tale of Two Towers.

For a total year summary, APT programs achieved more significant ratings during the period November 1, 2002 through October 30, 2003. There are 55 Nielsen metered markets currently covering 68.96% of the U.S. population. In order to be included in these tables, a program needed to air in at least five markets. This eliminates a local-event effect, where a program might gather high ratings because of a local topic, which would not translate to high national numbers.

The first sets of results are the Top Public TV Primetime Episodic Programs Breakouts. This table looks at the top titles – including individual episodes of a series and the top one-off titles – side by side. APT titles are highlighted in bold. Of the top 10 primetime PTV program episodes, APT had two with one essentially tied for #1 and another at #3.

Top Public TV Primetime Programs with Episodic Breakouts – Nov. 1, 2002 – Oct. 30, 2003.

Title	Episodic Title	Rating Stations
9/11: A Tale of Two Towers		3.28 16
Antiques Roadshow	Hot Springs/	3.25  54
Antiques Roadshow	Seattle/	3.23  57
9/11—Clear the Skies		3.19  28
Antiques Roadshow/	Kansas City	3.12  55
Antiques Roadshow/	Albuquerque	3.11  57
Antiques Roadshow/	Boston/	3.07  54
NOVA	Vanished!	2.96  8
Antiques Roadshow	New Orleans	2.95  57
Skinwalkers		2.93  56

The second table lists the top 10 PTV titles during the past year from November 1, 2002 to October 30, 2003. APT titles topped the chart with two 9/11 specials: A Tale of Two Towers averaging a 3.3 and Clear the Skies averaging a 3.2. A locally produced, APT distributed program Okie Noodling from Oklahoma Network was #6 of the top 10. An APT movie Ben-Hur and documentary Prince William: The Reluctant Royal were #7 and 8 respectively with a 2.7 rating.


Top Public Television Titles and Ratings – November 1, 2002 – October 30, 2003 Nov. 1, 2002 – Oct. 30, 2003.

Title	Rating Stations
9/11: A Tale of Two Towers	3.3  16
9/11—Clear the Skies	3.2  28
Skinwalkers	2.9  56
Capitol Fourth	2.9  55
Antiques Roadshow	2.8  57
Okie Noodling	2.7  7
Ben-Hur	2.7  16
Prince William:
The Reluctant Royal	2.7  17
Since You Went Away	2.6   12
Six Wives of Henry VIII	2.6  54

APT programs are making a quantifiable impact in attracting viewers and increasing their presence in PTV's top program performers.

The data source for the findings is Nielsen Media Research, NSI overnights; Navigator, Average HH ratings, November 2002 to October 2003. The data was processed by PubTV, a leading provider of ratings and analysis for public television.

About American Public Television

For 41 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations. APT has more than 10,000 hours of available programming including JFK: Breaking the News, Simply Ming, Globe Trekker, Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World, Rick Steves' Europe, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Sinatra: The Classic Duets and Prince William: The Reluctant Royal. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In four decades, it has established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules. Press should contact Donna Hardwick at 617-338-4455 ext. 129 or via email to donna_hardwick@aptonline.org. For more information about APT's programs and services, log on to aptonline.org.