This Week At WTVI

Ed Driggs Elected To National Board

WTVI Board Member Ed Driggs was elected to the national board for the Association for Public Television Stations (APTS).

APTS is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1980 to support the continued growth and development of a strong and financially sound noncommercial television service for the American public. APTS provides advocacy for public television interests at the national level, as well as consistent leadership and information in marshaling support for its members: the nation's public television stations. APTS' affiliated organization, APTS Action, Inc., provides legislative advocacy and seeks grassroots and congressional support.

Driggs, a retired stock analyst and banker, has served on the WTVI Board since 2006, serving as Chairman of the Board for two years during this time. In his new role with APTS Driggs will be responsible for representing the viewpoint of local stations to the national organization and vice versa.

"The Association for Public Television Stations is one of the nation's most prestigious national boards," said WTVI President & CEO Elsie Garner. "We are delighted that Ed was elected and we know he will do a good job."

Maya and Miguel Selected For National Ad Campaign

Maya

PBS' dynamic twin duo Maya and Miguel will encourage kids to "Take the Maya and Miguel Challenge" as a way to get more physically active and eat healthy during an upcoming PSA campaign. Maya and Miguel were selected by the Ad Council, on behalf of the US Department of Health and Human Services, to be a part of a national PSA campaign. The public service campaign was highlighted in last week's announcement about First Lady Michelle Obama's brand new Let's Move initiatiave, which is designed to address childhood obesity. The new PSAs will air on WTVI beginning in March.

Maya and Miguel airs daily at 3 p.m. on WTVI.

Writer’s Contest Targets Kids in Grades K-3

Contest designed to enhance children’s reading skills

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WTVI is hosting the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a national competition designed to promote the advancement of children's reading skills through hands-on, active learning.

The effort encourages children in grades K-3 in Charlotte and communities across the country, to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their own original stories and illustrations. Applications and details are available by logging on to http://wtvi.org/readingcontest.cfm.

For more information, contact Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI's Director of Community Engagement at bds@wtvi.org.

Dance to win $1000 and support public television

WTVI will host our first 10-hour dance marathon Saturday, March 6, 2010, in our studio. We will broadcast the dancers live from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can participate! So, come, burn up the floor, and learn some new steps, too.

Some of Charlotte’s finest dance studios and schools are already signed up, but you don’t have to be with an organized dance group. All happy feet are welcome. Just get a partner and sign up. Then, start signing up your sponsors - relatives, friends, and businesses. A sponsor’s pledge is the amount pledged per hour for the total length of time you dance.

Registration is free. More information, rules, and registration.

It’s all to raise money for your community television station - WTVI. Plus, there’s a $1000 prize for the couple that brings in the most pledge money. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded. Enjoy free food and beverages throughout the Dance-a-thon.

WTVI and Bank of America provide financial education to women in need

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) initiated a national financial education campaign in 2001 by launching Money Smart, a comprehensive financial education curriculum designed to help individuals outside the financial mainstream build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively. Far exceeded its original commitment to reach one million consumers, the FDIC is working diligently to form alliances with other major entities, including financial institutions, national non-profit organizations, community- and consumer-based groups, and federal, state and local agencies to promote financial education.

WTVI and Bank of America are two such organizations making classes possible in our region. The first ten-week class was at Charlotte's Salvation Army Center of Hope.

"WTVI is excited to play a part in helping people learn how to save money, buy homes, and meet other financial goals," says Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI's Director of Community Engagement.

PBSKIDS.ORG Launches New Video Player

PBSKIDS.org has launched the newly expanded PBS KIDS video player giving free, online access to hundreds of streaming, full-length episodes and video clips from some of the most popular PBS KIDS programs shown on WTVI and other PBS stations -- at PBSKIDS.org/video . Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the player will premiere two exclusive music videos from DINOSAUR TRAIN, the new hit series from The Jim Henson Company that celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills.

The PBS KIDS video player initially showcases content from 14 different series including, CURIOUS GEORGE, SUPER WHY, DINOSAUR TRAIN, SID THE SCIENCE KID, SESAME STREET, ARTHUR, MARTHA SPEAKS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, DRAGON TALES, BETWEEN THE LIONS, MAMA MIRABELLE’S HOME MOVIES, MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, WORD WORLD and LOMAX, THE HOUND OF MUSIC.

“As the #1 educational media brand and most trusted by parents, PBS KIDS is now providing greater access for families to its world-renowned library of educational preschool content,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children’s Media, PBS. “PBS children’s media invites children to explore new worlds and broaden their horizons, no matter where they are, and leverages new technology and platforms to create learning opportunities anywhere, anytime.” PBSKIDS.org is one of the most popular online destinations for children as they begin to explore technology, and is often parents’ first stop when their children are ready to experience the Web.

PBS KIDS conducted extensive research to understand how to guide preschoolers’ learning journeys in the most engaging way. The player helps parents and caregivers navigate video by subjects and curriculum to optimize their children’s experience. Features for parents include: educational summary of the goals of each show, links to relevant PBS Parents Web sites (PBSPARENTS.org ), a Share-this-Clip feature, and the ability to browse clips by educational/themed-based topics. A rotating, consistently-updated set of featured clips changes based on new shows and episodes. Seasonal and thematic clip channels based on children’s interests will also be featured. For example, Winter Holidays will be the theme in December. Beginning in January, features will change every week. Themes will include: Family, Eating Right, Team Work, Friends, Sports, Reading, Outdoors, Pets, Exercise, Exploring, and Vacation.

Available on both Macs and PCs, the PBS KIDS video player offers closed captioning on selected clips and episodes.

WTVI receives eight Emmy nominations

The Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominations for the 24th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy® Awards at a reception November 20 at BMI headquarters on Music Row.The Midsouth Emmy Awards will be handed out January 30, 2010 in Nashville at The Schmerhorn Symphony Center. Darrell Waltrip will host the event.


WTVI received eight nominations:

Documentary- Cultural

• Hometown Stories: The Greek Americans of Charlotte, Linda Midgett Otzenberger


• Footprints of a King, Steve Crump

Documentary- Topical

• Sudan: Suffering and Survival, Steve Crump

Promotional Spot- Programs

• Analog Shut Off, Brent Kennedy, Jere S. Thomas, Onur Tukel

Promotional Campaign- Programs

• The Big Read, Onur Tukel

Lighting

• Crossroads Charlotte, Randy Fulp, Brett Ray (Emulsion Arts and WTVI)

Music Composer/Arranger

• Hometown Stories: The Greek-Americans of Charlotte, Fred Story Concentrix Music

Writer- Programs

• Footprints of a King, Steve Crump

WTVI also participated in the production of:

Interactivity

Crossroads Charlotte: Fortress, Robin Grey, Joanne Hock, Kay Thompson, Tracy Russ, Karen Collins, Emulsion Arts

View all Midsouth Emmy nominations.

WTVI invites members to film premiere of "Our Vanishing Americana"

WTVI members and their friends and families are invited to the free premiere of the new film Our Vanishing Americana.

Our Vanishing Americana is a new documentary that tells the stories of people who work diligently to preserve Main Street America. Using North Carolina small towns as a backdrop, the program reconnects you to the shopkeepers, barbers, grocers, patrons and neighbors at the heart of hometowns we all remember.

View clips from the film.

The story is based on the book Our Vanishing Americana by Mike Lassiter and Lee Grant. Lassiter spent six years traveling the state to preserve images of small towns. Last year, Lassiter returned to several locations with a film crew that included Emmy-winning producer Scott Galloway (A Man Named Pearl) and Emmy-winning WTVI photographer Randy Fulp.

The result is a warm, funny, nostalgic story of vanishing connections between our friends, our ancestors, and our sense of home. With general stores and hardware shops, corner drug stores with soda fountains, mom’n’pop grocery stores, hot dog stands, filling stations, barber shops, and single screen theaters... You'll be reminded of a way of life vanishing from our landscape.

Places featured include:

• Dees Drug Store, Burgaw


• Davis General Store, Croft


• Dick’s Hot Dog Stand, Wilson


• Todd’s Country Store, Buffalo Cove


• Burgaw Antique Place, Burgaw


• Snappy Lunch, Mt. Airy


• Graham Barber Shop, Graham


• D.E. Turner Hardware, Mooresville


• Conrad & Hinkle Food Market, Lexington


• Pioneer Theater, Manteo


• Sutton’s Drug Store, Chapel Hill

Admission is free for friends and family of WTVI members.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, 5-6 p.m.
Where: The historic Gem Theatre
111 West 1st Street
Kannapolis, NC 28081 (directions)

Reception to follow at the nearby Forty Six restaurant, on the North Carolina Research Campus.

WTVI congratulates Sesame Street on its 40th birthday

SESAME STREET, the world’s largest informal children’s educator, celebrates its 40th birthday on PBS KIDS on November 10, 2009, the exact day the series debuted on television four decades ago, with everything you love about SESAME STREET and more: new block format, new show open, new nature curriculum and our new First Lady Michelle Obama! While maintaining an emphasis on the importance of literacy and numeracy, the new season kicks-off “My World is Green & Growing,” a two-year science initiative designed to increase positive attitudes towards nature, deepen children’s knowledge about the natural world and encourage behavior that shows respect and care for the environment. First Lady Michelle Obama appears in the first episode of SESAME STREET’s 40th season and teaches “the street’s” residents about the many benefits of planting a garden and healthy eating as part of SESAME STREET’s ongoing “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative.
Sesame Street airs weekdays at 10 a.m. on WTVI Charlotte.