Posted on: Sunday, June 9, 2002

Hawai'i PBS station to expand air time

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i Public Television will be adding to its broadcast hours on July 1, providing an additional 15 hours of Hawai'i-originated programming each week, including such children's favorites as "Sesame Street" and "Barney & Friends."

This expansion will mainly affect children who watch public television in households without cable service, HPTV said. Those who receive "PBS Direct" programming on cable will also benefit by having a more stable program schedule that is not affected by daylight saving time on the Mainland.

Hawai'i Public Television CEO Mike McCartney credited community supporters for providing the extra money required to allow for direct programming. "PBS Kids programs are extremely popular with children, and we're proud to be able to bring such high-quality programs to the keiki of Hawai'i," McCartney said.

On weekdays, the station will begin transmission at 5 a.m.; the station now goes on the air at 8 a.m.

"PBS KIDS" programs make up one of the most watched portions of Hawai'i Public Television's program schedule, the station reports. Popular programs include "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat," "Dragon Tales," and "Arthur." In February 2002, PBS had seven of the top 10 program among children 2 to 5, the top three programs among all children 2 to 11 and eight of the top 10 programs among women with children younger than 3.

Hawai'i Public Television, a noncommercial station, gets its financial support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and from community contributions.