History Channel teams with Library of Congress

By Kimberly Nordyke

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A&E Television Networks' History brands, which include the History channel and its Web site, have teamed up with the Library of Congress on a multimedia partnership that will encompass on-air and online content.

The goal of the partnership -- which also reaches across History International, History en Espanol and Military History Channel -- is to bring the Library of Congress' collections to the "next generations of users" on the platform of their choice, be it mobile, broadband or in high-definition on History HD.

The partnership includes co-branded content on History.com as well as original specials and short- and longform historical documentary programming on the History channel. History also will produce a short film and new content for the new Library of Congress Experience, which opened April 12 in the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building and online at myLOC.gov.

In addition, the partnership will bring historical content to 200,000 teachers nationwide that use History's branded educational materials in their classrooms.

"With more than 138 million items in our collections, there are millions of stories waiting to be told," Librarian of Congress James Billington said.

Abbe Raven, president and CEO of A&E Television Networks, added that the partnership "will result in millions of Americans having better access and knowledge of history by utilizing the collections of one of the nation's greatest institutions."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter