Philadelphia, PA, October 2, 2006 - PBS KIDS Sprout, the
first and only 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on
demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and
caregivers, is adding Fireman Sam to its line-up of gold standard
programming for preschoolers. The new series will debut on
Saturday, October 14, 2006 at 8:00 a.m. during the Fireman Sam's
Safety Special, which will also feature age-appropriate fire safety
tips from award-winning firefighter Dayna Hilton and her two
trained Dalmatians, Sparkles and Spanner. After its
debut weekend, Fireman Sam will continue to air regularly on
weekend mornings with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 8:30
a.m.
Fireman Sam, which has been a Sprout On Demand exclusive for the
past year-and-a-half, follows the adventures of Fireman Sam and the
Fire Brigade in the picturesque Welsh town of Pontpandy, where they
never seem to have a quiet day and their services are always
needed. Whether stuck on a high cliff-face or caught in an
underground cave, the children know help is always close at hand -
thanks to the brave and resourceful Fireman Sam. Each episode
communicates a valuable lesson for children regarding fire safety
and social responsibility for the community.
"When Fireman Sam debuted as an exclusive VOD series, we
realized quickly that it was becoming a viewer favorite," said
Sandy Wax, president of PBS KIDS Sprout. "VOD has become an
effective test bed for us to determine what programming is
resonating with children and their parents. With more than
2.3 million VOD views since January of this year, Fireman Sam was a
natural for us to add to our 24-hour digital cable channel
line-up."
As an added treat to help celebrate the launch of the Fireman
Sam series, PBS KIDS Sprout has partnered with the National
Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to bring fire prevention safety tips
to Sprout viewers throughout National Fire Prevention Week
beginning October 8, 2006. NVFC National Award Winner Dayna
Hilton and her two trained Dalmatians, Sparkles and Spanner, will
teach kids how to prevent fire and how to react in a fire
emergency.
Illustrating simple, informative and life saving messages in a fun
and memorable way, Sparkles and Spanner will demonstrate techniques
such as how to "get low and go" in a fire/smoke emergency, test
batteries on an oversized smoke alarm and the "stop, drop and roll"
technique.
Dayna will share fire safety tips with preschoolers such as:
* Don't play with matches or lighters
* Know the difference between hot and cold
objects
* Stop, drop and roll
* Get low and go
* Firefighters are your friends
Photos of Dayna, Sparkles and Spanner demonstrating fire safety
tips are available at http://www.fishwithfeet.com/index-4.html
About Sprout
PBS KIDS SproutSM, the first and only 24-hour preschool
destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5
and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership
among Comcast Corporation, the country's leading provider of cable,
entertainment and communications products and services; HIT
Entertainment, a leading provider of quality entertainment for
young children; PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the most trusted
distributor of award-winning children's programming; and Sesame
Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame
Street.
Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005,
PBS KIDS Sprout has become the #1 Kids On Demand service,
generating over 100 million orders since launch. The 24-hour
digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the
website (www.sproutletsgrow.com),
is available on digital cable and satellite to almost 20 million
committed subscribers. The network's program lineup of
gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows includes:
Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Thomas
& Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese
Cat™, Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Jay Jay the Jet
Plane™, Teletubbies™, Dragon Tales™, Pingu™, Make Way For Noddy™,
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks? and more.
###
CONTACT:
Jenni Glenn
PBS KIDS Sprout
215-667-2703
jenni_glenn@sproutletsgrow.com