| 2007 - 2008 Operating Highlights
UNC-TV, North Carolina’s statewide public television network, celebrated 53 years of service by concluding another successful fiscal year June 30, 2008. During FY2007/08:
• UNC-TV raised $11,572,256 from individuals, corporations, and foundations, as well as through partnerships with state agencies and with cultural and educational institutions. This exceeded the stated goal of $10,432,500 by more than $1.1 million, or 11 percent, and exceeded the amount raised last year by over $800,000.
• UNC-TV invited all major Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates to participate in a series of single-topic forums scheduled in January, February, and April. The 60-minute forums were held at UNC-TV in Research Triangle Park and televised on UNC-TV and on digital channel UNC-NC. In addition, UNC-TV, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, invited the Republican and Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor to participate in a single 90-minute forum broadcast in April.
• UNC-TV mounted an aggressive campaign to promote public awareness of the impending shutoff of analog television broadcast signals in February 2009, as mandated by Congress. The effort includes on-air spots, print marketing messages, online content, outreach and handout materials, employee education, customer care communications, and targeted communications to UNC-TV members, including through CenterPiece and direct mail communications.
• UNC-TV’s Production Division also made it a priority to ensure that UNC-TV’s viewers are informed about the final step in the digital conversion. North Carolina Now produced an entire program dedicated to the analog shutoff deadline in February 2009, as well as an ongoing series of stories giving viewers current information about the DTV transition. In addition, UNC-TV launched a new monthly program series called Digital TV: Are You Getting It? This interactive program allows viewers to call in or e-mail their questions regarding the DTV transition to be answered by UNC-TV staff members. UNC-TV broadcast the first program on June 3 and will continue to produce the program monthly through February 2009.
• UNC-TV and its partners developed and produced 404 hours of programming for and about North Carolina. This included taking important steps to use emerging technologies to distribute original programs. UNC-TV produced and distributed 10.5 hours of programs exclusively on UNC-NC, the digital multicast channel devoted to programming for and about North Carolina. UNC-TV also distributed 135.4 hours of original programming by Web streaming on the UNC-TV Web site.
• In total, UNC-TV provided 43,800 hours of programming over its one analog and five digital channels. Programming highlights for the year included Ken Burns’ THE WAR, Masterpiece Classics’ Jane Austen series, the second season of African American Lives, and the documentary series CARRIER.
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