AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION SECURES U.S. DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO NEWSLINE, AN INTERNATIONAL, WEEKNIGHTLY NEWS BROADCAST FROM JAPAN-BASED NHK

April 12 launch of English-language world news program features timely, reliable information gathered by more than 70 correspondents at 31 news bureaus

BOSTON (April 9, 2010) -- American Public Television (APT), a leading source of programming to the nation’s public television stations, today announced it has secured distribution rights to NEWSLINE, the 30 minute HD international news program broadcast live at the top of every hour from Japanese public broadcaster NHK. APT will feed newscasts two to three times each weeknight.

Produced in English, NEWSLINE provides HD news from Asia and around the world, featuring reports on current affairs, business, sports, science and technology trends, as well as regional weather forecasts, the latest developments in international financial markets and more.

“We are excited to add a high-quality news program such as NEWSLINE to our diverse and extensive catalog of programs,” says APT President and CEO Cynthia Fenneman. “With an impressive network of global news bureaus and timely updates, NEWSLINE will meet the needs of a discerning public television audience seeking reliable, objective news. We hear daily from viewers who want this kind of broad-scale reporting and we welcome the opportunity to work with NHK on this initiative.”

The series, part of the 24-hour NHK World TV feed, launched in February 2009 and now is broadcast in more than 120 countries worldwide. APT’s release will constitute the first national U.S. distribution of NEWSLINE. “NHK is an organization with an impressive record in news gathering and distribution. Their support and technical expertise – including real-time captioning from their New York facility – has been instrumental in distributing this valuable program to a wider American audience,” adds Fenneman.

The high-definition broadcasts will feed to U.S. public television stations live from Tokyo via satellite, in real-time, twice daily, along with one standard-definition feed Monday through Thursday. These separate, up-to-date feeds ensure public stations receive timely and accurate global news throughout the day. On Friday, a pre-recorded news show will air twice in the evening.

NEWSLINE features three English-speaking anchors: Gene Otani, a former anchor for Bloomberg Television’s Asia Pacific channel; Catherine Kobayashi, a seasoned reporter for NHK World; and Hideshi Hara, a previous Edward R. Murrow award-winner. Adding even more depth to the series are the contributions of more than 70 correspondents stationed in 31 news bureaus, including Asian bureaus in cities such as Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Seoul, Hanoi, Jakarta and Tehran, and worldwide bureaus in cities such as Jerusalem, Cairo, Sao Paulo, London and New York. This network allows for up-to-the-minute gathering and reporting of the latest news.

NEWSLINE is supplied by Japan International Broadcasting, Inc., a subsidiary of NHK. It is distributed and presented nationally by APT’s Exchange service to public television stations nationwide.

NEWSLINE is the latest addition to APT’s impressive roster of news and current affairs series, which has included Worldfocus, Foreign Exchange with Daljit Dhaliwal, World News for Public Television from ITN, Inside Washington, European Journal, John McLaughlin's One on One, World Business, and Nightly Business Report.

About American Public Television:
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Great American Songbook and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create™ – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc.:
Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of the HD English language news/lifestyle program “NHK World TV”, as well as the Japanese language program “NHK World Premium.” Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international satellites and reach households, hotels and others via DTH, cable, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast in over 120 countries.

About NHK:
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan's sole public broadcaster, operating the country's largest national and international television network. In Japan, NHK offers five TV channels (two terrestrial; three satellite, one of them dedicated to HDTV), and three radio services. NHK also operates two international television channels NHK WORLD TV (English, HD, 24/7) and NHK WORLD PREMIUM (Japanese,24/7) and offers international radio services in 18 languages. NHK WORLD TV can be viewed by more than 125 million households worldwide.

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