FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: George Hazimanolis January 18, 2016 412-622-1366 [email protected]

WQED’s Return to Downtown Produced by Premieres January 28

Newest Documentary in WQED’s Pittsburgh History Series Funded by PNC and the Buhl Foundation

PITTSBURGH -- What makes the fountain flow at the Point? Which new office tower has windows that automatically open for fresh air? And where do Pittsburghers go to get a real Chicago-style hot dog? In Return to , WQED’s Emmy Award-winning producer Rick Sebak and his crew revisit the heart of this wonderful city to find the answers. Return to Downtown Pittsburgh premieres January 28 at 8 p.m. on WQED- TV and is funded by PNC and the Buhl Foundation, with additional funding from the EQT Foundation, Point Park University and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

The original documentary Downtown Pittsburgh premiered in 1992 and became one of the most popular programs in WQED’s Pittsburgh History Series. In Return to Downtown Pittsburgh, Rick takes viewers on a tour of a twenty-first century Pittsburgh that’s changed with the times yet kept a lot of its old-fashioned charm.

“We’ll check out some cool new businesses, revisit some old favorites, and take a brand new look at the good old Golden Triangle,” said Sebak. “It’s a new show about one of Pittsburgh’s oldest neighborhoods, and we try to document some of the quirky charms, old and new buildings, and unforgettable people who help make this such an exciting place to be.”

“PNC has been headquartered in Pittsburgh for 164 years and has played a major role in the city’s evolution,” says Donna Peterman, PNC executive vice president and chief communications officer. “We recognize the value in chronicling Pittsburgh’s extraordinary growth and are pleased to support Return to Downtown Pittsburgh.”

On the night before the premiere, the public is invited to a roundtable discussion on the transformation of downtown Pittsburgh that is FREE and open to the public:

PNC Presents: Transforming Pittsburgh, Again In Partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette January 27, 2016, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Heinz History Center

The roundtable will be moderated by John Allison, associate editor, Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, with welcoming remarks by Deborah L. Acklin, president and chief executive officer, WQED Multimedia.

Guest panelists include:  Mayor Bill Peduto  Rick Sebak, WQED Multimedia  Melanie Harrington, CEO, Vibrant Pittsburgh  Vivian Li, CEO, Riverlife  Chris Ivey, documentary filmmaker

About WQED

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 151 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including three Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community- supported broadcaster. WQED changes lives by creating and sharing outstanding public media that educates, entertains, and inspires. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED World; WQED Create; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3- 2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and iQ: smartmedia, WQED’s Educational initiative (www.wqed.org/edu).

About PNC

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

About the Pittsburgh History Series

The unusual documentaries that make up WQED's Pittsburgh History Series are among the most popular, most imitated, and most critically acclaimed television programs ever produced in western . Twenty-three of the 24 documentaries in the Pittsburgh History Series have been produced and written by Rick Sebak, although Wiley Avenue Days (1991) was produced by Christopher Moore and Doug Bolin. Pittsburgh History Series programs are available through Shop WQED.

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