American Public Television Hires Seasoned TV Producer to Help Identify Strong Programming for Local Stations Across the Nation

Producer of The Victory Garden, Hilary Finkel Buxton, joins leading public television distribution firm

BOSTON (Sept. 16, 2008) -- American Public Television (APT), a leading distributor of programming to the nation’s public television stations, today announced the hire of Hilary Finkel Buxton as senior manager within the Exchange Service – the largest single source of complementary programming available to public television stations in the United States.

As senior manager of Exchange, Buxton will be directly involved in reviewing programs, their rights and acquisition, including: contracts, sponsorship and funding details, program packaging, ancillary materials, scheduling and general negotiations. The programs which APT distributes through Exchange showcase a full range of “how-to” genres (typically cooking, travel, arts and crafts and home improvement), long-form public affairs series, documentary specials and series, children’s series and music performances.

“With more than a decade of experience on programming that is among the best-known and longest-running on either public or commercial television, Hilary brings a wealth of knowledge and the level of hands-on skill required to maintain our standard of excellence within this service,” said APT’s president and CEO Cynthia Fenneman. She praised Buxton’s production work on public television mainstays The Victory Garden, entering its 33rd season, Simply Ming, This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop, saying “Hilary’s trained eye for assessing quality programming is just what APT needs to ensure that local public television stations will have content that engages their viewers. Her many years of working with nationally prominent producers and talent bring a critical level of confidence and understanding to what makes a program worthy of national and local broadcast.”

Many of APT’s Exchange series and specials are among the most watched programs on public television each year, including lifestyle programs: Rick Steves’ Europe, Rudy Maxa’s World, America’s Test Kitchen from Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia’s Italy, and Globe Trekker; the children’s series Big Comfy Couch and Ragg’s; documentary specials such as Appalachians and Great Museums; musical performances such as Anuna: Celtic Origins; and, public affairs series Foreign Exchange, Inside Washington and In the Life.

“Our Exchange Service provides nearly 750 titles and 3,000 hours of programming. It offers one of the most effective marketing platforms for underwriters and content-related suppliers of ancillary products such as books, DVDs and CDs. These are made available through Web and 800-number merchandising at the close of each show,” explained Chris Funkhouser, vice president of Exchange. “Our program inventory benefits when viewers can purchase products that extend the personal value and life of the original content. In Hilary, we will have someone who has a familiarity with and an ability to accurately assess the quality of complementary merchandise – making an enormous difference to stations, viewers and those who provide production funding for each of these shows,” he added.

Most recently a member of the Lifestyle Production Unit at public television flagship station, WGBH in Boston, Buxton was producer of The Victory Garden, which received both Emmy and James Beard Award recognition, and was post-producer for Simply Ming. Her range of production credits from WGBH include: Food Trip with Todd English (another Beard Award winner), Family Cooking: From the Blanchard’s Table, This Old House, The New Yankee Workshop as well as behind-the-scenes work on lifestyle documentaries and musical performances, including The Truth About Cancer, Caring for Your Parents and A Holly Jolly Pops Holiday.

American Public Television:
With more than 10,000 hours of programming in its library, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation’s public television stations for 47 years, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. In 2006, APT launched Create – the TV channel featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming. Known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming, APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as Worldfocus, Rick Steves’ Europe, Globe Trekker, John McLaughlin’s One on One, America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Doc Martin, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia’s Family Table, Foreign Exchange, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, Scully/The World Show, The Big Comfy Couch, Celine Dion: A New Day, European Journal, Monarchy With David Starkey, Spain...on the road Again, and other prominent public-affairs programs, documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

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