The Vision - A Network Begins - The Modern Era - The Digital Future - UNC-TV's Mission - Timeline

UNC-TV 's benefactor Joseph Bryan

A highlight in UNC-TV’s history occurred in 1989 with the opening of the Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Communications Center in Research Triangle Park. Within its gleaming white tile walls the University finally realized the dream of centralizing the network’s studio operations in a single location for the first time.

Here again an old friend, Joseph Bryan, helped out with a gift of $1 million dollars to encourage the General Assembly to come up with the needed money for the $8.3 million facility.

The move to RTP signaled UNC-TV’s transition into the modern era of broadcasting. The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters acknowledged the significance of this step forward when it elected Jake Dunlop to its Hall of Fame in 2000.

UNC-TV Director John W. Dunlop.

From its humble beginnings UNC-TV had transformed into a major media presence in North Carolina, serving one of the largest audiences in all of public television. The educational station with a single transmitter had grown up into a major state resource that was ready to be taken to the next level. In 1986, when C. D. Spangler succeeded William Friday as president of the University of North Carolina system he decided to place a new emphasis on University communications by hiring as Vice President for Communications Wyndham Robertson, formerly an editor with Fortune magazine, to oversee University communications activities, including UNC-TV. With a keen eye for quality and highly developed journalistic instincts and skills, Roberts on devoted herself to improving UNC-TV’s programs. When Jake Dunlop retired she decided the .

Tom Howe, UNC-TV's director and general manager

highest priority in his replacement would be finding someone with expertise in, and a commitment to programming excellence. Spangler and Robertson agreed that it was time to refine the vision for UNC-TVwith greater focus on producing original programs that would serve the needs and interests of NorthCarolinians

'North Carolina Now' hosts shannon Vickery and Mitch Lewis

To execute this mandate they hired Tom Howe as UNC-TV’s Director and General Manager in 1992. Howe brought vast experience to the position with a background as a station manager, production executive, programmer, producer, and director. With the support of the University, Howe set about increasing the quality and quantity of original programming and local services.

A major milestone occurred on January 17, 1994 when North Carolina Now made its debut. The ambitious goal for the weeknightly series was to become the most important source of information about the state for North Carolinians. More than a decade later, the program is still going strong.

To bring more depth to UNC-TV’s coverage of the state legislature, Legislative Week in Review was introduced in June 1994. A new emphasis on original programming about North Carolina was taking shape.

Howe, a believer in strategic planning, developed a rolling five-year plan with UNC-TV’s management team and board of trustees, spelling out the commitment to local service. This increased emphasis on planning has produced measurable results. For example, member support now provides UNC-TV with approximately one-third of its annual budget, student enrollment in distance learning telecourses has grown to nearly 20,000, and original production of North Carolina programming has increased from 183 hours in 1992 to more than 400 hours today.

In 1996, the eleventh and final station in the network, WUNU, Channel 31 in Lumberton, was dedicated, making public television available for close to 100 percent of the state.