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Connecticut Public Television is the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member network for the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is owned by Connecticut Public Broadcasting, a community-based non-profit organization that holds the licenses for all PBS member stations licensed in the state, and also owns the state's National Public Radio (NPR) member, Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). The network co-produced the long-running children's television series, Barney & Friends, from 1992-2007.

History[]

Barney & Friends[]

After his daughter fell in love with one of the Barney & The Backyard Gang tapes, Larry Rifkin, who was the executive vice president of programming for PBS member station Connecticut Public Television at the time, spoke with the creators of the show in talks of putting the program on PBS.[1]

In 1991, PBS, CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting), CPTV and the Lyons Group entered into an agreement to bring the show to public broadcasting. Under the terms of the agreement, Connecticut Public Television agreed to commit almost $700,000--mainly in-kind services entailed in establishing the liaison between Lyons and the public television stations airing Barney. An arrangement between Lyons and CPTV was already established as CPTV was set to receive thirty percent of profits from foreign broadcast and audio and video sales. However, payments to CPTV would not commence until after The Lyons Group had recouped its initial $2 million investment, as well as costs it incurred in making sales in the home video and foreign markets. CPTV's income was split when PBS and CPB became involved. CPTV had to recoup the initial $700,000 before payments could be received for PBS and CPB.[2]

CPTV and The Lyons Group co-produced Barney & Friends which debuted on PBS on April 6, 1992.

In June 1992, PBS told CPTV that it would not renew Barney & Friends. For CPTV, along with its co-producer The Lyons Group, it meant that they would have to round up millions of dollars through corporate sponsors or some other arrangement in order for the show to continue. CPTV was hoping for Barney & Friends to continue so it could help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for its operating budget through the sale of Barney merchandise during pledge breaks.

CPTV (and the Lyons Group) had applied in April 1992 for $2.3 million in PBS funds to continue Barney & Friends beyond the initial thirty episodes during its first season -- which were produced with a $2.25 million matching grant from a fund established by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The request was turned down. CPTV conducted a ratings research of Barney & Friends during its first season. They saw the show had better ratings than either of the other two shows in television markets where homes have Nielsen ratings meters installed.[3]

PBS decided to renew the series. After the decision was made to keep Barney on the air and renew it for a second season, the program became a phenomenon and became a huge source of revenue during pledge drives Based on the success of earlier pledge drives in 1992, Connecticut Public Television decided to produce a pledge drive event at their studio featuring Barney and others titled the Barney & Friends Family Marathon.

Connecticut Public Television co-produced Barney & Friends for eleven seasons from 1992 until 2007. In 2008, WNET New York, another PBS member station, became the presenting station of the series. That same year, HIT Entertainment, the owners of the show at the time, solely produced the show until its original conclusion in 2010. Although CPTV no longer produced any more Barney & Friends episodes, the company had partial financial control over the franchise until 2015.

Appearances[]

  • June 29, 1991: Barney & The Backyard Gang appear at Family FunDay, hosted by CPTV in Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford.[4]
  • June 6, 1992: Barney, Michael, and Min appeared in Hartford, CT. They appeared on CPTV in the morning to attract membership pledges. They also appeared at the Hartford Civic Center shops from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.[3]
  • March 1993: Barney, Derek and Tina appear in the Barney & Friends Family Marathon, a pledge drive filmed at CPTV.
  • May 21, 2005: Barney appears at CPTV Kids Day at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. awarded two family four-packs of tickets to CPTV Kids Day with Barney between Saturday, May 21, 2005 (one family four-pack for the three-six age group and one family four-packs for the seven-nine age group), at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. All contest entries had to be received over the period of May 9, 2005, through May 13, 2005. Tickets were given to two winners chosen at random from all entries received during the promotion. Eligible to Connecticut residents only, entries had to have the coloring sheet entry form colored in and the contest registration information completed. Winners were then able to have the chance to sing-along with Barney at the aquarium.[5][6]
  • June 8, 2013: Barney makes his appearance at CPTV's 50th anniversary special.
  • May 1, 2019: Barney makes his appearance at The Jerry Franklin CPTV Gala, an event celebrating the retirement of President & CEO Jerry Franklin after 33 years. The event was held at the Connecticut Convention Centre.[7]

Gallery[]

The Jerry Franklin CPTV Gala[]

Logos[]

References[]

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Networks
PBSPBS Kids
Stations
Connecticut Public TelevisionWNET New York
See also
Sprout
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