Government of the District of Columbia
Executive Office of the Mayor



Office of Cable Television
3007 Tilden Street, N.W., Pod-P
Washington, D.C. 20008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 14, 2009

CONTACT: Kenneth Borden 202.671.0057, Kenneth.Borden@dc.gov

OFFICE OF CABLE TELEVISION TO LAUNCH DISTRICT KNOWLEDGE NETWORK
District Schools Television Gets New Look, New Name, New Logo and New Programming

Washington, DC – To coincide with the kick-off of the District of Columbia Public School's (DCPS) 2009-10 school year on August 24, 2009, the Office of Cable Television (OCT) will launch the rebranding initiative of District Schools Television (DSTV). With the goal of enlarging the scope, capacity and potential of the District's education access cable television channel, DSTV will be renamed the District Knowledge Network (DKN).

DKN is a joint venture supported by DCPS and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and is designed to provide innovative resources and support to students, parents, teachers and community members.

"This is one more example of the District providing wraparound services designed to compliment and enhance what is taught in the classroom in order to foster lifelong learning," said DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Utilizing online and other leading-edge technical resources such as video-on-demand and video conferencing, DKN will empower DCPS students and the community at-large by refining and adding relevant instructional and life skills programming that fosters and encourages student learning and achievement, as well as, promotes community wellness.

"We're very pleased to be part of this unique partnership that will provide world-class learning opportunities for the District's children," said State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia Kerri L. Briggs.

"District Knowledge Network's new name and logo represents a significant milestone in the television station's history and further signifies OCT's commitment to providing the highest quality television programming and services to the District and its residents," said OCT Director Eric E. Richardson.

New Programming to Premier on DKN will include:

" TV-411: This award-winning series focuses on increasing adult literacy through reading comprehension, writing and math. The program also offers useful tips on parenting, health and personal finance.

" CRAFTS FOR KIDS: Based on the philosophy that all children are creative, this program focuses on crafts projects for pre-school and kindergarten children. Children are taught to explore and celebrate various cultures, nature, folklore and other themes by creating craft projects using materials commonly found around the house.

" GED CONNECTION: This comprehensive multimedia series is designed to help learners prepare for the GED exam. Areas of concentration include reading, writing, social studies, science and math.

" WORKPLACE ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Designed to help adults navigate thought the workplace, this award-winning series employs companion workbooks and concentrates on four instructional strands: employment, communication and writing, reading and math.

" GREEN MATTERS: According to this program it's easy being green. By exploring examples from across the world on what measures are being taken to create a healthier planet, viewers learn what they can do to reduce their own carbon footprint.

" ITS PROGRAMMING: From biographies of prominent African-Americans, to social studies, professional development, history, literature and art, this series explores critical social and economic issues affecting the world today.

" REMODELING TODAY: Nationally syndicated home improvement expert, Danny Lipford, offers the most realistic, practical and useful home improvement information for the novelist or the seasoned do-it-yourselfer.

DKN staff will continue to develop, shoot and edit pertinent education programs in conjunction with DCPS and the community at-large and highlight programming produced by DCPS students. The network will also continue to air monthly State Board of Education (SBOE) board meetings and monthly OSSE policy forums.

OCT is the District Government Agency responsible for regulating cable television in the District, as well as the administration of the District's Government Access Channels TV-16 and TV-13 and the District's Education Access Channel DKN. The mission of the Office of Cable Television (OCT) is to: (1) regulate the provision of "cable service" in the District of Columbia (as that term is defined by the District's cable television laws); (2) protect and advance the cable service-related interests of the District and its residents; and (3) produce and cablecast live and recorded video and other programming by way of the District's public, educational and government (PEG) cable channels.

For more information regarding OCT, please visit the agency’s website:
http://www.oct.dc.gov