01/06/2009

The Public Broadcast System Goes To Print Through New Deal With Brand Sense Partners

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 6, 2009) – PBS, the most prominent provider of programming to U.S. public television stations, has entered into an exclusive agreement with Los Angeles-based new business development consultancy Brand Sense Partners LLC (BSP). BSP will focus exclusively on identifying publishing opportunities that leverage the original, unbiased and intelligent content of PBS and its sub-brands. With demonstrated success in strategic brand extensions and licensing, BSP will identify and execute opportunities for publishing partnerships that reflect the service’s revered place as one of the most trusted media institutions in America.

With broad offerings ranging from science to history, nature, public affairs, drama and educational children’s programming, PBS has earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers nationwide. Through the partnership, BSP will work with PBS and its PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO brands to extend its award-winning content into publishing properties. BSP will target partners to develop genre-specific books on topics such as the military, science, history and nature, as well as, children’s activity and sticker books, craft books and educational books.

“PBS is committed to making our high-quality content broadly available to the public,” said Dawn Ciccone, Senior Director Consumer Products. “We are delighted to enter into this new partnership, as BSP understands both our mission and the unique value of our offering. By extending our reach to a more traditional medium we are able to give viewers increased access to the original ideas and new worlds explored on PBS.”

PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation founded in 1969. PBS provides quality programming and related services to 356 noncommercial stations serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. PBS services include overseeing program acquisition and distribution as well as promotion, education services, new media ventures, fundraising support, technology development and video marketing.

“PBS is at the heart of American life and the trust consumers have in its unbiased original content will translate fluidly from television into a series of books,” said Brand Sense Partners President Ramez Toubassy. “We will create new and viable lines of business for PBS through the natural extension of its unparalleled content across the publishing platform.”

The partnership with PBS is the latest addition to BSP’s media and technology practice group, which includes such brands as the Travel Channel, SCI FI Channel, Shape Magazine, MGM and more.

Companies interested in partnership opportunities with the PBS brand should contact BSP at 310-867-7222.

About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans — from every walk of life — the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each week, PBS reaches more than 65 million people and invites them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.

About Brand Sense Partners, LLC
Established in 2001, Brand Sense Partners, LLC (BSP) is a new business development consultancy with an integrated turnkey infrastructure that can execute the strategies it recommends. BSP fosters growth in new categories of business for its clients by leveraging brand equity and other strategic assets. Clients focus on their core businesses while BSP’s team of industry experts develops the strategy through market research and in-depth analysis, negotiates the deals and manages the new lines of business. The BSP approach reduces capital costs, risk and time to market resulting in new, profitable and accelerated growth for its clients. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Brand Sense manages more than 200 partnerships for its Fortune 500 clients with $1 Billion+ in retail sales in the consumer products, media, technology, celebrity and fashion industries. For more information, please visit www.bsp.com.