WNED is proud to be the co-creator of READING RAINBOW, one of the most critically acclaimed and perennially popular PBS children’s television series.  Launched in 1983, READING RAINBOW inspired a lifelong love of reading by introducing children to wonderful books, taking them to interesting places, exploring important societal issues, and offering a close-up look at people around the world.  Broadcast on PBS for over twenty-five years, the half-hour program, hosted by LeVar Burton, was ranked among the most watched, most widely used children’s television series by teachers in schools and best-loved kid’s series in the history of public television.

READING RAINBOW was the recipient of enthusiastic international acclaim, garnering more than 250 awards, including 26 national Emmys (including ten for “Outstanding Children’s Series”), a prestigious Peabody, nine CINE Golden Eagles, nine Parent’s Choice Awards, and six international Prix Jeunesse Awards.  It also launched the READING RAINBOW Young Writers & Illustrators Contest, which attracted over 50,000 entries from grades K-3 children through local public television stations across America.  The legacy of the series and the Contest continues to this day through the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest.