Growing PBS finds new ways to draw viewers

PBS chief Paula Kerger is proud that the public broadcaster is more popular: It ranked sixth among all networks in prime time last May, up from ninth in 2013 and 12th in 2012. Like its competitors, one way to extend its reach is on-demand viewing, and its online audience (average age: 40) is much younger than its typical crowd.

Hit dramas like Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Call the Midwife have helped expand its reach by drawing in new viewers. So in an experiment, Ken Burns' latest project, 14-hour series The Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor) will be offered in its entirety for online streaming a day after the first installment airs Sept 14, airing for seven consecutive nights in 2-hour blocks.