Monday, April 21, 2003

Wilmington, NC – Programming for the week of April 28 for The University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s UNCW Community Link, a new interactive, public affairs television show, features NC State Ports’ Maritime Day, PAWS for Reading, and city and county officials discussing consolidation.

This week Betty Ann Sanders talks with Karen Fox, who tells viewers about the N. C. State Ports’ Maritime Day, and promises “free, family activities and entertainment for all ages, rain or shine.”

Ric Hairston and Robin Newlin share the successes of PAWS for Reading, an innovative program that utilizes service dogs in elementary schools to encourage reading. Ric Hairston, executive director of Carolina Canines, said “The kids receive positive reinforcement by reading to the dogs and as they build relationships with the dogs, their reading levels have skyrocketed.”

Robin Newlin, a librarian at Alderman Elementary School, said “After the dogs began coming to the school to read, the children have been so excited that they have checked out all of the books relating to animals in the library.”

Also this week H. E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. discusses issues of consolidation with Allen O’Neal, county manager, Sterling Cheatham, city manager, and Milan Dluhy, chair of UNCW’s Political Science Department.

The program reaches beyond the television studio to allow citizens to sound off on compelling issues facing Southeastern North Carolina. Hosts Betty Ann Sanders and H. E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. engage and challenge the region’s newsmakers and opinion-shapers and then ask viewers to voice their opinions. Through collaboration with the Southeast Public Interest Network of North Carolina (www.SpinNC.org), citizens can use the latest Internet technologies to continue the dialog on show topics and community ideas.

UNCW-TV has won four Awards of Excellence from the Alliance for Community Media.

Tune into UNCW Community Link

Wilmington & Brunswick County 7:30 p.m. Mondays

4:30 p.m. Wednesdays

1:30 p.m. Thursdays

The Learning Network on Time Warner Ch 5 and Charter Communications Ch 12

Pender County 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Government Channel

Carteret County/Havelock 8 p.m. Thursdays

Channel 10

Jacksonville 7 p.m. Thursdays

Channel 10