Sesame Workshop facts for kids
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| Founded | May 20, 1968 |
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| Founders | Joan Ganz Cooney Lloyd Morrisett |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | 1 Lincoln Plaza |
| Location |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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President
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Sherrie Westin |
| Sherrie Westin | |
| Subsidiaries | Sesame Street Inc Sesame Workshop Communications Inc Sesame Workshop Initiatives India PLC SS Brand Management Shanghai |
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Revenue (2014)
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US$104,728,963 |
| Expenses (2014) | US$111,255,622 |
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Employees (2013)
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813 |
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Formerly called
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Children's Television Workshop (CTW) (1968–2000) |
Sesame Workshop, Inc. (SW) is a non-profit organization from the United States. It was first known as the Children's Television Workshop, Inc. (CTW). This organization creates educational TV shows for children. Its most famous show is Sesame Street. This show and others have been shown all over the world.
Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and foundation leader Lloyd Morrisett came up with the idea for this group. They wanted to make Sesame Street to help kids, especially those from families with less money, get ready for school. They spent two years, from 1966 to 1968, doing research, planning, and getting money for the show. Joan Ganz Cooney became the first head of the Workshop. People called her appointment "one of the most important television developments of the decade."
Sesame Street first aired in the U.S. on November 10, 1969, on National Educational Television (NET). It later moved to PBS in 1970. The Workshop officially became a company in 1970. Gerald S. Lesser and Edward L. Palmer did research for the show. They created a special way of planning, making, and checking the shows. This way of working together, between TV makers and teachers, was called the "CTW model." The CTW used this model for other shows too, like The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact.
The early 1980s were a bit tough for the Workshop. It was hard to find audiences for their other shows. Some bad investments also caused problems. But by 1985, deals to license their characters helped make their money stable again. After Sesame Street became a hit, the CTW tried other things. This included publishing books and music. They also made versions of their shows with other countries.
In 1999, the CTW worked with MTV Networks to start an educational TV channel called Noggin. The Workshop made many new shows for Noggin. These included The Upside Down Show, Sponk!, and Out There. On June 5, 2000, the CTW changed its name to Sesame Workshop. This new name showed that they did more than just TV. By 2005, money from international versions of Sesame Street was $96 million. By 2008, the Sesame Street Muppets brought in $15–17 million each year from licensing. As of 2021, Sherrie Rollins Westin is the president of the Workshop.
Contents
How Sesame Workshop Started
Getting Ready for School
In the late 1960s, almost all American homes had a TV. Young children watched about 27 hours of TV every week. Studies showed that kids who were ready for school did better. They got better grades and learned more easily. But children from families with less money often had fewer ways to get ready for school. Research showed these kids often scored lower on school skills. They continued to have learning gaps throughout school. During this time, experts learned that early education could help kids' brains grow.
In 1966, Joan Ganz Cooney had a dinner party. She was a producer of documentary films. Lloyd Morrisett worked for the Carnegie Corporation. He gave money for educational research. Cooney wanted to use TV to help society. Morrisett wanted to use TV to "reach greater numbers of needy kids." At the party, they talked about using TV to teach young children. A week later, they met to plan a study. Cooney was chosen to do this study.
In 1967, Cooney took time off from her job. With money from the Carnegie Corporation, she traveled around the U.S. and Canada. She talked to experts in child development, education, and television. She wrote a report called "The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education." This report described what the new show, Sesame Street, would be like. It also suggested creating a company to make the show. This company became the Children's Television Workshop (CTW).
Building the Workshop
For the next two years, Cooney and Morrisett planned the new show. They raised $8 million for Sesame Street. They also set up the CTW. Cooney thought the show should be on PBS. Morrisett was open to commercial stations, but all major networks said no. Morrisett was very good at getting money. He got large grants from the U.S. government and other groups. The Carnegie Corporation gave the first $1 million. The U.S. Department of Education promised $4 million. This money helped protect them from money problems that commercial networks had.
Cooney wanted to do research while making the show. This research would help improve the show. They also wanted to test if the show helped kids learn. In 1967, Morrisett asked Gerald S. Lesser to help lead the Workshop's research. Lesser also led the Workshop's advisory board. This board helped design the show. About 8–10% of the Workshop's first budget was spent on research.
The Workshop's first research director was Edward L. Palmer. He helped create learning goals for the show. Lesser and Palmer were the only scientists studying how children and TV worked together. They created the "CTW model." This model involved planning, making, and checking the shows. It also meant TV producers and teachers worked together as equals.
The CTW spent 8% of its first budget on telling people about the show. They wanted to reach teachers, the TV industry, and families in cities. They hired Evelyn Payne Davis to manage community relations. Bob Hatch helped tell the media about Sesame Street.
Even though Cooney helped with the early research, some people questioned if she could lead the CTW. They worried about her lack of experience in managing money or children's TV. Some also wondered if a woman could lead such a big project. But her husband and Morrisett helped her. The investors realized they needed her. She was named executive director in February 1968. Her appointment was called "one of the most important television developments of the decade." The Children's Television Workshop was announced on May 20, 1968.
After her appointment, Cooney hired Bob Davidson to help her. He made deals with about 180 public TV stations to show the new series. She also hired a team of producers: Jon Stone, David Connell, and Samuel Gibbon. They had worked on Captain Kangaroo together. Cooney later said the original team was "a genius." Sesame Street first aired on November 10, 1969. The CTW officially became a company in 1970. Morrisett was the first chairman of the CTW's board for 28 years.
Early Years of Growth
During the second season of Sesame Street, the Workshop created its second show, The Electric Company, in 1971. Morrisett used the same ways to get money for this show. The Electric Company stopped making new episodes in 1977. But it was shown again until 1985. It became one of the most used TV shows in American classrooms. It was even brought back in 2009.
In the early 1970s, the Workshop tried making shows for adults. But it was hard to make these shows for everyone. In 1971, they made a medical show called Feelin' Good. It was on TV until 1974. It did not have a clear direction and did not find many viewers. In 1977, the Workshop showed an adult drama called Best of Families. It only lasted for a few episodes. This helped the Workshop decide to focus only on children's shows.
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Throughout the 1970s, the CTW focused on making educational materials for preschools. They used mobile viewing units to show Sesame Street in different communities. In the early 1980s, the CTW created the Preschool Education Program (PEP). This program helped preschools use Sesame Street as a learning tool. They combined TV watching, books, and hands-on activities. The Workshop also made materials for children and adults who did not speak English. Starting in 2006, the Workshop made PBS specials and DVDs. These often focused on how military families are affected when soldiers are away. Other efforts included helping families of prisoners, health, and safety.
The 1980s were a tough time for the Workshop. Some bad investments in video games, movies, and theme parks hurt them financially. But by 1986, money from licensing deals helped them recover. Even with money problems, the Workshop kept making new shows. 3-2-1 Contact started in 1980 and ran for seven seasons. It was easy to find money for this show and other science shows like Square One Television. This was because groups like the National Science Foundation wanted to fund science education.
Recent Years and New Ideas
Joan Ganz Cooney stepped down as head of the CTW in 1990. David Britt took her place. Britt had worked for her since 1975. Cooney then focused more on the creative side of the organization. In 1998, for the first time, they accepted money from companies for Sesame Street. Some people, like consumer advocate Ralph Nader, criticized this. But the Workshop said it helped make up for less money from the government.
Also in 1998, the CTW put money into an educational cable channel called Noggin. Noggin was a partnership between the CTW and MTV Networks. It started on February 2, 1999. Creating a new channel helped the CTW make sure their shows reached more people. Noggin first showed older CTW shows. Later, the Workshop made many new shows for Noggin.
In 2000, money from the Noggin deal helped the CTW buy the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets from The Jim Henson Company. This was a big deal. It meant the Workshop now owned the characters. This helped protect Sesame Street and allowed it to grow internationally.
The CTW changed its name to Sesame Workshop in June 2000. This was to show that they did more than just TV. Gary Knell became the new president and CEO in 2000. Under his leadership, Sesame Workshop made many new shows for Noggin. These included Sponk!, an interactive game show. They also made Play with Me Sesame, a Sesame Street spin-off. In 2002, Noggin started a block of shows for teenagers called The N. Sesame Workshop created its first teen drama, Out There, for The N.
In 2002, Sesame Workshop sold its share of Noggin. This helped them pay off debt. But Sesame Workshop still worked with Noggin. They continued to make shows for the channel. The last show they worked on together was The Upside Down Show, which started in 2006.
Knell also helped create the cable channel Sprout in 2005. Sprout was a partnership between the Workshop, Comcast, PBS, and HIT Entertainment. They all shared older shows from their libraries. After seven years, the Workshop sold its part of Sprout in 2012.
In 2007, the Sesame Workshop started The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. This group studies how to use digital technology to help children learn better. Just like they did when creating Sesame Street.
The economic downturn in 2008–2009 affected the organization. In 2009, they had to let go of 20% of their staff. Even though they earned a lot of money in 2012, their total income was down. Their operating loss doubled. In 2013, they let go of 10% more staff. They said it was to "strategically focus" their resources in a fast-changing digital world. In 2011, Knell left Sesame Workshop. H. Melvin Ming became his replacement. In 2014, Jeffery D. Dunn took over. In 2021, Dunn retired, and Sherrie Rollins Westin became president.
In 2019, reports showed that Sesame Workshop's operating income was about $1.6 million. Most of their money went back into making content. Their total operating costs were over $100 million per year. This included salaries, rent for offices, and making shows for YouTube. The organization had about 400 employees. Money from licensing and distribution was their biggest source of income. Donations also brought in a lot of money. Licensing from games, toys, and clothes earned them millions.
How Sesame Workshop Gets Money
After Sesame Street became a hit, the CTW thought about how to keep going. Their first money sources were groups that started projects, but did not always keep funding them. The U.S. government was sometimes against funding public television. But the Workshop used Joan Ganz Cooney's fame to keep getting money. By 2019, the U.S. government gave about four percent of the Workshop's budget.
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For the first time, a public TV show could make a lot of money. Marketers noticed Sesame Street right away. So the Workshop looked into licensing deals, publishing, and selling shows internationally. It became a "multiple media institution." Licensing became a big way to fund the organization. Muppet creator Jim Henson owned the rights to the Muppet characters. He did not want to market them at first. But he agreed when the CTW promised that all profits from toys, books, and other products would go to funding the CTW. The producers wanted to control all products. Any product linked to the show had to be educational, cheap, and not advertised during Sesame Street.
In the early 1970s, the CTW worked with Random House to create a division for non-TV materials. They hired Christopher Cerf to help publish books and other materials. By 2019, Sesame Workshop had over 500 licensing agreements. Its total revenue from this in 2018 was $35 million. Millions of children play with Sesame Street toys every day.
Soon after Sesame Street started, people from other countries asked for their own versions of the show. CBS executive Michael Dann joined the CTW as Cooney's assistant. Dann started making international versions of Sesame Street. These were called "co-productions." They were independent shows with their own sets, characters, and learning goals. By 2009, Sesame Street was in 140 countries. In 2005, income from international co-productions was $96 million. By 2008, the Sesame Street Muppets brought in $15 million to $17 million each year from licensing.
In 2018, the Workshop made a deal with Apple. They would create new shows for Apple's streaming service. In 2019, Parade Magazine reported that the organization received two $100 million grants. These were from the MacArthur Foundation and the LEGO Foundation. The money was used to help refugee children and families.
Books and Magazines
In 1970, the CTW started a department for "nonbroadcast" materials based on Sesame Street. The Workshop wanted all licensed materials to support the show's learning goals. For example, coloring books were not allowed. The Workshop felt they would limit children's imaginations. The CTW published Sesame Street Magazine in 1970. It included the show's learning goals in a magazine. Research was done for the magazine, just like for the show.
The CTW hired Christopher Cerf to manage Sesame Streets book publishing. In the first year, Cerf earned $900,000 for the CTW. He later left to write music for the show. Bill Whaley eventually replaced him. Whaley helped expand licensing to other products. He also created a licensing model used by other children's shows. As of 2019, the Workshop had published over 6,500 book titles. The books have been a lasting part of Sesame Streets history. For example, the death of Mr. Hooper was shown in a book called I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper. This book came out after the show featured it in 1983. In 2019, Parade Magazine reported that 20 million copies of The Monster at the End of the Book and Another Monster at the End of this Book had been sold. These were the top two best-selling e-books. The Workshop's YouTube channel had almost 5 million subscribers.
Music That Teaches
The music of Sesame Street was different from other children's shows. For the first time, the songs had a special purpose. They were linked to the show's learning goals. Joan Ganz Cooney noticed that children liked "commercial jingles." So many of the show's songs were like TV ads.
To get the best composers and lyricists, the CTW let songwriters keep the rights to their songs. This meant writers could earn good money. This helped the show keep public interest high. Scriptwriters often wrote their own song lyrics. Famous songwriters included Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Christopher Cerf, Tony Geiss, and Norman Stiles. Many Sesame Street songs became "timeless classics." These included "Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?", "I Love Trash", "Rubber Duckie", "Bein' Green", and "Sing". Many Sesame Street songs were recorded by famous artists. By 2019, 180 albums of Sesame Street music had been made.
The show's first album, Sesame Street Book & Record, was a big hit in 1970. It won a Grammy Award. Parade Magazine reported in 2019 that the show's music had won 11 children's Grammys. Joe Raposo won three Emmys and four Grammys for his work on the show.
Global Sesame Street Shows
Soon after Sesame Street started in the U.S., producers from other countries asked to make their own versions. Joan Ganz Cooney was surprised. She thought they were making a very American show. But the Muppets turned out to be popular everywhere. She hired Mike Dann to manage these international offers. By summer 1970, Dann had made the first international deals. These were called "co-productions."
The first international versions were simple. They just dubbed the show with local languages. But later, a version of the CTW model was used. This helped create independent preschool TV shows in other countries. By 2006, there were twenty co-productions. In 2001, over 120 million people watched international versions of Sesame Street. By the show's 50th anniversary in 2019, 190 million children watched over 160 versions in 70 languages. In 2005, income from co-productions and international licensing was $96 million. Experts said that the Children's Television Workshop was the biggest informal educator of young children in the world.
Learning with Technology
Ten years after Sesame Street started, the CTW began trying new technologies. In 1979, they planned a theme park, Sesame Place. It opened in 1980 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Three international parks were built later. One part of the park was a computer gallery. It had 55 computer programs. This team later became the Interactive Technologies division of the CTW. The CTW uses computer games to help children learn. These games are based on the TV show's content and learning goals.
In 2008, the Sesame Workshop started offering clips and full episodes online. You could find them on Hulu, YouTube, and iTunes. The "Word on the Street" parts became very popular online. Sesame Workshop won an award in 2009 for its website, sesamestreet.org. In 2010, the Workshop started offering over 100 eBooks for a fee.
See also
In Spanish: Sesame Workshop para niños
- List of Sesame Workshop productions
- Avenue Q
- Higher Ground Productions
- The Muppets Studio
