The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliate WTTW in Chicago have each been awarded Ready to Learn grants from the U.S. Department of Education to develop scientifically based children's television programming on reading. The two grantees competed for the approximately $20 million total available for programming, with CPB receiving $11,872,896 and WTTW receiving $7,416,304. CPB was also awarded $4 million for outreach. These amounts are for the first year of a 5-year grant.

"We are very pleased the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service's local affiliate in Chicago, WTTW, will create and build upon current high-quality and innovative children's programs focused on reading," said Nina Rees, assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Improvement and Innovation. "The use of scientifically based research on reading, coupled with the president's commitment to increase literacy, will ensure years of quality television for children."

This year, the Ready to Learn program was divided into outreach and programming components in order to encourage higher performance in reaching the target audience. Two applicants successfully competed for the programming awards, and one applicant successfully competed for the outreach award. This outcome provides the opportunity to fund a variety of new shows that meet the standard of employing scientifically based reading research. In addition, the recipients have identified new partners who represent diverse community perspectives more closely tied to disadvantaged student populations, whom the program is intended to target.

As in all discretionary grant competitions, the Department employed an independent, outside panel of experts to read, review and rate the applications based on their knowledge and background of the field. The grantees determine the specific programming, provided the programming adheres to the standards of scientifically based reading research and is age appropriate. Grantees are also required to establish boards to provide advice on programming and outreach activities.

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