Monday, December 01, 2003

Wilmington, NC – Programming for the week of December 8, UNCW Community Link, an interactive, public affairs television show speaks with Sgt. Richard Ragland about his years in the military; while Henry Herring, owner of Medical Center Pharmacy and Bonnie Eksten, business editor of the Star-News discuss the rising cost of prescription drugs.

This week H.E. “Hunter” Thompson Jr. hands the ropes over to Dr. Remonda Kleinberg who sits down with Sgt. Richard Ragland to discuss his experiences as a United States Marine in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Ragland was invited to the UNCW campus by the Honors Scholars program and Leadership Wilmington to speak with the many students and teachers that corresponded with him during his time in Iraq.

This week Betty Ann Sanders talks to Bonnie Eksten and Henry Herring about what they think should be done to curb the tremendous costs of prescription drugs. When comparing overall American health and the cost of drugs with the rest of the world’s, the United States ranks number 15. Recent studies have shown that the average price that American senior citizens pay are 81% higher than the average prices that Canadian consumers must pay and 112% higher than the average prices that Mexican consumers must pay. “We can not allow our grandmothers to eat dog food, or go without food, in order to pay for prescriptions any longer,” Sanders said.

N.C House Representative Bonner Stiller delivers an informative editorial on the cost of prescription drugs.

UNCW Community Link reaches beyond the television studio to allow citizens to sound off on compelling issues facing Southeastern North Carolina. Hosts Sanders and Thompson 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 Community Link is brought to you in part by the following sponsors: Time Warner Cable, Wilmington Star-News and WHQR Public Radio.

For more information on today’s topics, please visit the following Websites:

Prescription Drug Pricing Reform

http://bernie.house.gov/prescriptions/highcost.asp

AARP

http://research.aarp.org/health/fyi_cost.html

UNCW News and Events

http://appserv01.uncw.edu/news/article.asp?ID=983&Keyword=ragland

Tune into UNCW Community Link:

Wilmington & Brunswick County can tune in on The Learning Network, Time Warner Ch 5 and Charter Communications Ch 12 at 7 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays

Pender County can tune in on Government Channel 8 at 7 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Carteret County/Havelock can tune in on Time Warner Channel 10 at 7 p.m. on Thursdays

Jacksonville can tune in on Time Warner Channel 10 at 7 p.m. on Thursdays