Thirteen/WNET New York’s Nature Announces Toyota Has Joined the Award-Winning PBS Signature Series as Corporate Sponsor for 2007-08 Season
NEW YORK--Toyota has joined NATURE, the Peabody and Emmy award-winning PBS natural history series produced by Thirteen/WNET New York, as a corporate sponsor for the 2007-08 season. Toyota’s commitment to NATURE begins November 11 with the premiere of The Cheetah Orphans, a veteran filmmaker’s emotional journey preparing two cubs to return to the wild.
“This is a great example of a powerful public television sponsorship. Our signature natural history series is perfectly aligned with Toyota’s corporate philosophies,” said Jim Joyella, managing director of national corporate sponsorships at Thirteen/WNET.
“This partnership is a natural extension of Toyota’s commitment to environmental responsibility throughout our entire company,” said Steve Sturm, group vice president of Toyota Motor North America. “Toyota is proud to be associated with NATURE, which has long been the benchmark of natural history programs on television.”
Fred Kaufman, executive producer of NATURE, added, “Toyota shares with our series a respect for the natural world and a belief in the power of public television, and we’re thrilled to have them join us this year.”
Toyota’s sponsorship will also include NATURE’s Family Day Zoo Tour, a fun-filled exploration of the animal kingdom and natural habitats stopping at zoos in 10 cities nationwide beginning in 2008.
NATURE, now in its 26th season on PBS, is one of the most acclaimed programs in broadcast history – winner of more than 400 honors, including the first award ever given to a television program by the Sierra Club.
Other highlights of NATURE’s 2007-08 season include Crash: The Red Knot and the Horseshoe Crab (working title), a riveting look at the interdependence of two species from Emmy-winning filmmaker Allison Argo (winter 2008); and the two-part What Females Want and Males Will Do, a groundbreaking look at the universal desires expressed in sexual selection in the animal kingdom (spring 2008).
NATURE video podcasts, available on iTunes and at NATURE Online (www.pbs.org/nature), range from two to 10 minutes in length and feature behind-the-scenes interviews with filmmakers and producers, program excerpts and outtakes.
Last year, to celebrate the series’ silver anniversary, NATURE Online launched a redesigned and expanded Web site. In addition to the weekly video podcasts, new features include a newsletter, streaming video clips, an RSS feed, user bulletin boards and polls, new teacher lesson plans, photo slideshows, and more.
NATURE is produced by Thirteen/WNET New York for PBS. Fred Kaufman is executive producer; William Grant is executive-in-charge. Major corporate support for NATURE is provided by Canon U.S.A., Inc. and Toyota. Additional support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the nation’s public television stations.
The series is closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and distributed with Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for the sight-impaired.
Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, NOW With David Brancaccio, and Cyberchase – as well as the work of Bill Moyers – to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York. Thirteen extends the impact of its television productions through educational and community outreach projects – including the Celebration of Teaching and Learning – as well as Web sites and other digital media platforms. More information can be found at: www.thirteen.org.