CNBC To Produce Nightly Business Report

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. and MIAMI, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, announced today its intention to purchase the rights to Nightly Business Report (NBR), a leading evening business news program, from national investment firm Atalaya Capital Management. CNBC will begin producing the series exclusively for public television from its Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ on Monday, March 4.

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"We are proud to take the reins of television's longest running business program," said Mark Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer and President, CNBC.  "Our goal is to utilize our global editorial resources to both preserve and strengthen Nightly Business Report, exposing its highly educated audience across 180 broadcast markets to CNBC's already diverse multi-media offerings which include cable programming, a full suite of digital products, radio and our international networks and local language affiliates."

"This move comes at a critical time for Nightly Business Report," explained Rick Schneider, President and CEO, WPBT2, the creator and presenting station of NBR since 1979.  "This change keeps Nightly Business Report on public television and gives the program something that it has never had – the backing and editorial resources of a worldwide newsgathering organization."

"The access to the expansive, award-winning resources of CNBC will amplify Nightly Business Report's ability to report the business news viewers need from a global perspective. We see great value to our U.S. public television viewers – business executives, financial professionals and the general audience – all of whom are interested in gaining trusted information to help manage their business or personal finances," said Cynthia Fenneman, American Public Television (APT) President and CEO. "We look forward to working with CNBC and WPBT2 to continue distribution of this leading business news program to public television stations across the country."

Beginning in March, Nightly Business Report will be anchored by CNBC's Tyler Mathisen and Susie Gharib, the program's current co-anchor. The network intends to maintain the familiar look, feel and format of the program while greatly increasing the depth of reporting and analysis. CNBC will also continue to produce NBR's popular Nightly News Brief, a short synopsis of the day's business news events, for public television stations and will support the program's website, NBR.com. WPBT2 will remain the presenting station for Nightly Business Report.

Nightly Business Report is broadcast to 96% of U.S. television households* and is also seen on public television's WORLD multicast channel. Launched in January 1979 by WPBT2 (Miami's public television station), NBR aired locally until APT, the longest operating distributor of public television programming in the U.S., picked up the series for national distribution in 1981.

The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.

*Source: TRAC Media Services

About CNBC:
With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, CNBC World and CNBC HD+, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to more than 395 million homes worldwide, including more than 100 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 16 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC.com and CNBC Mobile Web offer real-time stock quotes, charts, analysis and video. Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBC Universal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/networks/cnbc.

About WPBT2:
South Florida's premier public broadcaster, WPBT2, is a community-licensed, not-for-profit media enterprise serving communities from the Treasure Coast to the Florida Keys. WPBT2 provides high quality content from PBS, independent acquisitions and its own original productions. WPBT2's digital media platform, offers: 2HD, a 24-hour high definition channel; Digital 2.2, a mix of Science & Nature Channel, The Florida Channel and Create; Digital 2.3, V-me, a 24-hour national Spanish-language network; and www.wpbt2.org, the WPBT2 website including, Impromp2 (a community blog), the WPBT2 Video Player and uVu, a video sharing website.

About APT:
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations since 1961. APT also has distributed about half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles for nearly 10 years. Among its 300 new program titles per year, APT programs include nearly 40 news and current affairs programs, prominent documentaries, how-to programs, drama series and classic movies. Nightly Business Report, Moyers & Company, NHK Newsline and BBC World News are among APT's leading news programs.  Other popular public television series distributed by APT include America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Rick Steves' Europe, Doc Martin, Lidia's Italy in America, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith's Garden Home. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service.  Now in its 8^th year, Create® TV — featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming — is distributed by APT.  APT also distributes WORLD™, public television's premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

Contact Information:                        

CNBC:
Brian Steel
201-735-4778
[email protected]

Amy Zelvin
201-735-4740
[email protected]

WPBT2:
Cammy Richards
305-424-4013
[email protected]

American Public Television: 
Jamie Haines
617-338-4455 ext 129               
[email protected]               

SOURCE CNBC