"PBS will discontinue the long-running
one-hour version of Sesame Street this fall, it announced to stations Wednesday, and will continue airing new half-hour episodes that premiered last year.
The new schedule, which takes effect Nov. 16, will feature the 30-minute version at 10 a.m." --Dru Sefton
In a surprise move, Sesame Workshop said it has cut a long-term deal with HBO that will move first-run episodes of “Sesame Street” to the pay cable provider. Those new episodes will air nine months later on PBS, the public broadcaster that has carried “Sesame” since its 1969 debut.
To fill the gap between now and when the new episodes hit PBS, the public broadcaster will air old episodes of the show, which will be edited from 60 to 30 minutes. The half-hour “Sesame” will bow this fall. The HBO deal is for five years, and it gives the network exclusive streaming rights as well, meaning “Sesame” will be available on HBO’s over the top service, HBO Now.
Past “Sesame” episodes will be yanked from current subscription video on demand outlets Amazon and Netflix. -- By Bill Cromwell
Last edited by OBICO on August 13, 2015 18:36.