UNC-TV Launches Web Site Redesign August 1

UNC-TV's Web site is shedding its old look to don a whole new design.

On Sunday, August 1, UNC-TV launches a newly-redesigned Web site, spurred on by a 2002 survey conducted by PBS to determine what public television users wanted from their station Web sites.

The result: a more interactive, friendly face with direct access to nearly every section of the Web site. On the main page, clickable icons take users to pages about educational services such as its teacher workshops, GED programs and telecourses. In addition, program icons that tout the evening's programs and promote future shows and events take the guesswork out of what to watch.

In February 2003, UNC-TV entered into a unique partnership with Blast, Inc., a Web site design company in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Over the next ten months, designers from Blast worked with staff from UNC-TV to develop a blueprint based on the PBS survey results and UNC-TV's own statistics of the most popular pages.

"We wanted to make our website more member focused and to let people know about all the things UNC-TV does besides producing great local programs," said James McGurk, UNC-TV promotions manager. "We always listen to feedback from our members, and we combined this information with research from PBS to create what you see today."

In addition to the easily navigable main page, the Web site promotes and enhances some of its educational services. Early childhood teachers have easy access to workshop descriptions and dates, along with added Web resources. An added parents section contains content and links targeted to parents' needs. Adults interested in UNC-TV's basic skills programs or college credit telecourses can more quickly navigate to their page of interest.

The redesigned site combines easy navigation to many of UNC-TV's present Web content with a few new features:

• The home page features billboards highlighting the evening's programs and future specials.
• Direct links to UNC-TV's most accessed Web pages from each main page make finding information on educational and member services even easier than before.
• UNC-TV's educational services section emphasizes program broadcasts and educational content from both UNC-TV's and PBS's Web sites.
• A new mini-site for parents contains resources to support parent-child communication and allow easy access to Web sites with helpful information for adults raising children.
• A new "watch and listen" section allows users a unique place to watch online videos of some of UNC-TV's local series and programs, including Folkways, Biographical Conversations, Education Forum and North Carolina Bookwatch.

UNC-TV is North Carolina's only statewide broadcasting system, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. UNC-TV's commitment to producing and broadcasting local and national programs about our state resources make it one of the state's most important sources of information. For more information about UNC-TV and its programs, please visit www.unctv.org.

-UNC-TV-