2005 news article: New PBS Kids Net Sprouts Up

Here is a Ryan Ball article about the channel from September 26, 2005. This was the channel's launch day.

PBS KIDS Sprout, a new 24/7 preschool television network and web destination, debuts today on digital cable and satellite. The outlet is going out to more than 16 million subscribers with such program offerings as Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Barney & Friends, Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat, Caillou, The Berenstain Bears, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Teletubbies, Dragon Tales, Pingu and Noddy.
Diana Kerekes, the acting GM for PBS KIDS Sprout, comments, “Building on the remarkable success of our video-on-demand service, we’re very excited to be launching our digital cable channel and website today–making Sprout truly a multi-platform destination for preschoolers and their caregivers. Not only does Sprout offer programming that is trusted, we’re also able to provide such programs after 6 p.m., when other preschool channels just aren’t available."
PBS KIDS Sprout also offers a complete video-on-demand (VOD) service featuring 50 hours of content every day. Offerings include Plaza Sesamo, the Spanish-language adaptation of Sesame Street, as well as Spanish-language versions of Barney & Friends, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina and more.
Created through a partnership between Comcast Corp., PBS, HIT Ent. and Sesame Workshop, Sprout features thematic programming blocks uniquely scheduled to follow a typical preschooler’s day as hosts Kevin and Melanie provide fun and learning from breakfast to bedtime.
Kids and their caregivers can play original games, view a programming schedule and interact with their favorite characters at the PBS KIDS Sprout website, www.sproutletsgrow.com. Contact your local cable company about availability of PBS KIDS Sprout in your neighborhood.

Here are some facts about the article:

• The channel's only two presenters at the time were Kevin Yamada and Melanie Martinez, who hosted The Birthday Show and The Good Night Show respectively.
• Sprout also hosted Spanish programming on-demand. One of which included Plaza Sesamo, the Spanish co-production of Sesame Street.
•  Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Teletubbies, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat, Dragon Tales, and Pingu all aired on the channel at that time.
• The channel's official website at the time was Sproutletsgrow.com, which launched on the day the article was published alongside the channel. It became Sproutonline.com in December 2006.