The Penguin Group is phasing out Penguin Television, less than two years after it launched the division. The unit will complete work on projects already under development, but is not beginning any new programs, said Joanna Prior, director of communications for Penguin Group UK. Prior said Penguin expects the division, which has 14 U.K.—based employees, to be closed by the middle of 2005.
Penguin Television grew out of Pearson Broadband, which was formed by Penguin's parent company, Pearson, to develop programs for the educational market. Last year, Pearson Broadband was renamed Knowledge Box, and Pearson established Penguin Television to create programs for the consumer market that would draw on material from Penguin and DK.
Prior said that after evaluating the television unit's performance, executives determined that there was not enough volume to justify the need for a permanent production staff. Penguin and DK will return to "a more traditional publishing model" in which the company sells television rights to third parties, Prior said. Pearson had hoped that there would be sufficient material from Penguin and DK (which owns most of its rights) to develop an ongoing television business developing documentaries and children's series.
Although the division is based in the U.K., the programs were slated to run in markets around the world. BackyardScience has already aired in the U.S., and My Shakespeare and Destination America are still scheduled to air here.
