Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today announced that it has been selected by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, which produces "PBS NewsHour" and PBS Convention coverage, to provide live, high-definition (HD) video feeds of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Using Level 3's Vyvx Solutions, MacNeil/Lehrer will produce and deliver video coverage of each of the four-day events to PBS' large viewerbase.
"For more than 35 years, millions of viewers have turned to 'PBS NewsHour' as a reliable and trustworthy source for news and information," said Annette Miller, vice president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. "The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are two of the most important and most watched events in U.S. politics. Level 3's Vyvx Solutions will allow us to bring our signature brand of information and analysis to viewers as the news happens."
Award-winning political journalists Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill will co-anchor broadcast coverage of the conventions and NewsHour Correspondent Hari Sreenivasan will extend the coverage online via the NewsHour's interactive digital map center and "NewsHour All Hours" — a 24-hour livestream on multiple channels that offers viewers an "all-access pass" to the conventions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Level 3 is providing MacNeil/Lehrer with broadcast services for each multi-day event, with digital connections in Washington, D.C. and to the respective convention venues. Each connection will offer Vyvx encoding, decoding, transmission and local access.
"Level 3's Vyvx Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of advanced broadcast capabilities that enable us to support some of the most prominent events around the world," said Mark Taylor, Level 3's vice president of Media and IP services. "MacNeil/Lehrer and PBS have a distinguished history of enabling Americans all over the U.S. to actively engage in informative television broadcasts and online content, and we are delighted to work them to connect their broad audience base with the events of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions."
"PBS NewsHour" is a program designed to offer informative news reporting and analysis and is available via broadcast television, public and satellite radio, video-on-demand, online streaming video and podcast.
The Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa, Fla. from Aug. 27-30, and the Democratic National Convention will be held inCharlotte, N.C. from Sept. 3-6.
For more information on Level 3's Vyvx Solutions, visit http://www.level3.com/en/products-and-services/video/vyvx/.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3's comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 450 markets in 45 countries over a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com
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About MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
MacNeil/Lehrer Productions produces the PBS NewsHour, which airs weeknights on more than 300 local PBS stations, as well as other programs for public, commercial and cable television. MLP also produced complete broadcast coverage of the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions for PBS. Other recent television programs produced by MLP include: Debating our Destiny, a critically acclaimed two part series during which Jim Lehrer interviews former presidential and vice-presidential candidates about their debate triumphs and failures; Generation Next, Judy Woodruff's travels across the country to explore the unique perspectives of Americans ages 16 — 25; the award-winning Do You Speak American?, Robert MacNeil's cross country trek to discover why American's speak the way we do;The First Lady: Public Expectations, Private Lives, a look at the expectations of the role of the modern first lady; Betty Ford: The Real Dealand LadyBird, a profile of former First Lady, LadyBird Johnson. MLP is also the leading force behind the By the People: America in the Worldcivic engagement project.
About PBS NewsHour
PBS NewsHour is seen by over 5 million weekly viewers and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced in association with WETA Washington, D.C., and WNET in New York. Major funding for the PBS NewsHour is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers. www.pbs.org/newshour
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The information under the captions "About MacNeil/Lehrer Productions" and "About PBS Newshour" are provided by those organizations, which are solely responsible for its content.