Hours before the community begins observing Rosh Hashanah, Shalom TV will ring in a new name, transforming into the Jewish Broadcasting Service.
The Jewish Broadcasting Service rebrand on Sept. 24 reflects Shalom TV's expanding role on the world Jewish scene as the channel said it is making efforts to become the global English-language Jewish channel.
Shalom TV proffers an array of public affairs programming, major event coverage, twice-daily educational children's programming, plus Jewish studies programs that enable viewers to learn to read Hebrew and study the Talmud.
JBS will also continue to serve as television home of the 92nd Street Y's presentations from the Kaufman Auditorium, deliver a Jewish Film Festival with multiple movies each week, and remain the only channel on American television that televises live Friday evening Shabbat services for those unable to attend synagogue in person.
After bowing as video on demand service with Comcast in 2006, Shalom TV over the years gained a VOD foothold across the nation with on-demand deals with providers, reaching more than 40 million households.
The service in 2012 gained its first linear berth on Cablevision systems serving the New York DMA. It also has carriage with RCN in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Maryland and Virginia; in Miami Beach via Atlantic Broadband; Metrocast in Maine and New Hampshire; Service Electric in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, Penn. and Hunterdon, NJ; Hot Wire Communications in Miami, Manhattan and New Jersey; Blue Ridge Communications in Penn.; and Google Fiber in Kansas City, Provo, Utah, plus an upcoming launch in Austin, Tex. The service also has a Roku channel, can be streamed on the JBS website www.jbstv.org, and heard on Tune In Radio.
"From the moment we premiered as a 24/7 channel, our viewership skyrocketed," said Mark Golub, president and executive producer, in a statement. "Our daily news from Israel, and our extensive coverage of events in Israel, has established Shalom TV as a 'go to' channel throughout the Jewish community."
Golub said Shalom TV distinguished itself this summer among Jewish leaders and Jewish and non-Jewish viewers as the only channel on American television to concentrate on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on a daily basis. A wide array of outstanding Jewish and non-Jewish figures, reflecting the entire political spectrum, participated in Shalom TV's ongoing series, Israel In Turmoil.
"The interest in our channel has also continued to grow among television providers both in America and in foreign markets,” he said. “A number of television providers plan to add JBS in the coming months and at the start of the 2015 season."
