American Public Television Celebrates 50-Year Anniversary at Annual Fall Marketplace Meeting

Fall Marketplace 2010 features nearly 80 new program previews, industry awards, professional collaboration, appearances by Jason Alexander, Rachel Allen, Roger Ebert, Rick Steves.

BOSTON (Dec. 13, 2010) -- American Public Television (APT)’s annual Fall Marketplace meeting was held at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif. from Nov. 10-13. This year’s four-day event featured previews of upcoming public television program offers from APT, appearances from some of public television’s most popular hosts and talent, industry awards, presentations and professional development for public television professionals. More than 150 public television programmers, general managers and producers attended.

For a half-century, APT has been an innovator in service and content to the public television system – distributing thousands of programs ranging from THE FRENCH CHEF WITH JULIA CHILD to CARRERAS DOMINGO PAVAROTTI IN CONCERT. In La Quinta, APT celebrated its anniversary by taking a look back at 50 years of groundbreaking programming while also introducing a slate of new programs for 2010 and beyond.

Fall Marketplace 2010 featured appearances from a roster of award-winning television personalities. Attendees were treated to a special live performance by Emmy Award-winning actor Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) as part of an evening reception for the new series THE ARTIST TOOLBOX. Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert autographed books as part of the presentation for his new film-review series, ROGER EBERT PRESENTS AT THE MOVIES.

Nearly 80 new and returning programs were also presented at Fall Marketplace 2010, spanning a variety of genres ranging from drama and nature to science and children’s programming. Feature titles presented include new seasons of the travel show GLOBE TREKKER, culinary favorite Lidia Bastianich’s cooking show LIDIA’S ITALY, and the acclaimed music series LIVE FROM THE ARTISTS DEN.

Other program highlights from Fall Marketplace 2010 include: RICK STEVES’ EUROPE WITH ABANDON! and RICK STEVES’ VIVA ESPANA!, new travel pledge specials from celebrated journeyman Rick Steves; two music specials from legendary artists, JOHNNY MATHIS: WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL! and LOUIS PRIMA: IN PERSON!; the absorbing documentaries OUR SUMMER IN TEHRAN, GLACIER PARK'S NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLIES, SOUTHERN BELLE and FOUR DAYS AT DRAGON*CON; the gripping dramatic series GARROW’S LAW I & II and the fascinating retrospective FESTIVAL EXPRESS; and news and public affairs favorites NEWSLINE, INSIDE WASHINGTON and WORLD BUSINESS XI.

APT welcomed three new cooking series to its celebrated stable: an exploration of Korean food with famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his wife Marja in KIMCHI CHRONICLES; authentic Mexican colors, flavors and textures with chef Pati Jinich in PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE; and a trip to discover the Bayou’s best food in CHEF JOHN BESH’S NEW ORLEANS.

APT President and CEO Cynthia Fenneman also presented several industry awards during the meeting. Industry leader and former APT CEO John Porter was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Charlie Pinsky – producer of the new KIMCHI CHRONICLES and lifestyle programs such as SPAIN….ON THE ROAD AGAIN and BARBECUE UNIVERSITY WITH STEVEN RAICHLEN – was recognized with the “Producer of the Year” award.

Several stations were recognized with APT’s annual “Savvy Scheduler” awards, which honor programmers who have made the best use of APT-distributed shows to bolster their schedules. WETA (New York City), WHRO (Hampton Roads, Virginia) and OETA (Oklahoma) were recognized in the “Full Day” category; OPB (Oregon) and KQED (San Francisco) were recognized in the “Prime Time” category.

Four programs received APT’s “Programming Excellence” awards, which recognize APT programs that have shown outstanding production values through scope of content, execution and degree of creativity. This year, the honors went to the British comedy-drama series DOC MARTIN, the historical documentary FOR LOVE OF LIBERTY: THE STORY OF AMERICA’S BLACK PATRIOTS, the cooking special FANNIE’S LAST SUPPER and the music program ROCK PROPHECIES.

Chef Nick Stellino of Nick Stellino Cooking With Friends served as the closing speaker for Fall Marketplace 2010.

For more information on APT Fall Marketplace 2010, please contact Jamie Haines at 617-338-4455 x 129. To screen clips of APT’s headline program offers, visit www.APTonline.org/teleconference.

APT Fall Marketplace 2011 will be held November 9-12, 2011 at The Peabody Memphis hotel in Memphis, Tenn.

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 & 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. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.