Reimagining Reading Rainbow, 35 Years Later
The John R. Oishei Foundation grant to fund WNED-TV’s R&D on series relaunch
Beginning this month, WNED-TV will embark on a year of research and development to reimagine Reading Rainbow for a new generation of young readers who consume media in very different ways than children did just a decade ago. The John R. Oishei Foundation has provided the $200,000 grant to make the project possible.“Reading Rainbow is one of the most popular and long-running children’s shows in PBS history, and we’re going to spend the next year making sure that its next chapter is just as successful as the original series,” said Donald K. Boswell, President and CEO of WNED | WBFO, which solely owns the rights to Reading Rainbow.Reading Rainbow ended its 26-year run on PBS in 2009, having earned more than 250 awards, including a Peabody, nine Parents’ Choice awards, and 25 Emmys, nine of which were for Outstanding Children’s Series. Educators continue to use the series in their classrooms, and the series is currently available for streaming through Amazon Prime Video.WNED will examine new ways of creating and distributing content, refreshing the format, and achieving maximum reach and impact. The reimagined series will be reintroduced through digital platforms. WNED will also explore ways to build on the digital content to create a possible new broadcast series.“There are many apps and shows that focus on the fundamentals of reading, but nothing has stepped into the role that Reading Rainbow played, which was to celebrate and encourage the pure pleasure of reading and to build literacy skills beyond figuring out letters and words,” Boswell said. “That need is still there, but we will explore new ways to deliver it in a new media age to a new generation of children.”Upon completion of the research and development phase, WNED will begin raising funds for the realization of the resulting vision and plan, enabling the relaunch of the series.# # #
