Press Releases

witf garners three National Edward R. Murrow Awards, tops in the country

2013-06-12T15:24:20Z

witf's Multimedia News Department is the Radio Television Digital News Association's (RTDNA) most honored local radio or television station in the nation.

RTDNA has announced witf has received three national Edward R. Murrow awards, for Investigative Reporting, Continuing Coverage and Writing. That's more than any other local radio or television station in RTDNA's small or large market classifications. witf competed against radio stations in markets 51 and smaller. The Denver Post led among online news organizations with three awards. Find the complete list of winners here.

Murrow awards are presented at the regional and national level. witf received six regional Murrow awards this year, which acknowledged work of the highest quality produced by radio, television and online news organizations in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. The three stories receiving national awards competed with entries from 13 regions nationwide. The national awards will be presented in October at the RTDNA Awards Dinner in New York. RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism.

"It's an unbelievable honor to receive a National Murrow. To be recognized with three is something special. Edward R. Murrow represents the ideals all journalists should aspire to, so I'm proud to have our work mentioned in the same breath as his name," witf's Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert said. "But, the bottom line is our goal is to provide our listeners with the best public service possible, especially as the media landscape continues to shift. We have a very high standard at witf and we work to achieve it every day."

"National Edward R. Murrow awards represent journalistic achievement at an elite level. I am most proud of witf’s consistent excellence—9 awards since 2007 and an unprecedented 3 awards this year alone,” said Kathleen Pavelko, witf’s President & CEO. “Tim Lambert as multimedia news director leads a team of creative and energetic journalists who can handle everything from data-driven stories (abandoned wells) to continued coverage of an on-going complex story (Sandusky) to a multi-layered historical piece (Dick Winters in Normandy)."

witf's Multimedia News Department has been honored for Continuing Coverage of the Jerry Sandusky case. Craig Layne, Mary Wilson, Scott LaMar, Lambert, Megan Lello and Scott Detrow all contributed to an entry that followed the twists and turns of the aftermath at Penn State from the death of legendary football coach Joe Paterno to Sandusky's conviction to the punishing sanctions handed down the NCAA.

Lambert, witf’s Multimedia News Director, has been cited for his writing while covering the unveiling of the Major Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument in Normandy, France, in June, 2012. He was the only midstate reporter who traveled overseas to be at the ceremony. It's Lambert's fourth national Murrow since 2007.

StateImpact Pennsylvania, a collaboration among witf, WHYY in Philadelphia and NPR covering the commonwealth's booming energy industry, has been recognized for Audio Investigative Reporting for Detrow's story uncovering the problem of abandoned wells across the state. It's the second National Murrow for Detrow, who is now a reporter at KQED in California.

The award marks the second national honor for StateImpact Pennsylvania in the last six months. In December, the initiative earned the prestigious duPont-Columbia Silver Baton for its reporting on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation.

"The stories honored by RTDNA represent witf's commitment to bringing a wide array of stories to our listeners," Lambert said. "We do our best to provide context, analysis and good, old-fashioned storytelling to our listeners."

"Our newsroom is filled with talented journalists who work hard, in a collaborative and creative manner, and under the tremendous leadership of Tim Lambert," said Cara Williams Fry, witf's Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer. "Considering the size of our news team and the scope of the national organizations that our pieces were competing directly against, this national recognition is truly spectacular."

Last month, witf was honored with the Joe Snyder Award for Outstanding News Service, the premier award given by The Pennsylvania Associated Press, for the second year in a row. It was among 15 PAPBA awards the media organization and its StateImpact Pennsylvania project garnered.

Here are the previous National Murrows witf has garnered since 2007 (along with 30 Regional Murrows since 2006):

2007 Flight 93: Five Years Later (Tim Lambert, Hard News Feature)
2009 Impact of War (Scott Detrow, News series)
2009 Luis Ramirez Beating Death (Tim Lambert, Hard News Feature)
2011 Beep Baseball (Scott Gilbert, Sports Reporting)
2012 Hope in Handball (Tim Lambert, Sports Reporting)
2012 Facing Cancer Together (Megan Lello, Craig Layne, Tim Lambert, News Series)

witf honored by Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association with 13 awards for excellence in broadcast journalism

2013-05-22T15:57:20Z

Photo by Fred Vigeant

witf's Multimedia News Department and witf TV were honored by the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association (PAPBA) with 13 awards for excellence in broadcast journalism. PAPBA groups witf in the Medium Market Radio and Medium Market Television Categories. Judging was conducted by the North Carolina Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

witf's initiative StateImpact PA was entered into Major Market and garnered two awards

witf's news department won the Joe Snyder Award for Outstanding News Service, the premier award given by The Pennsylvania Associated Press, for the second year in a row. It's named in memory of the late Joe Snyder, longtime bureau chief of the Pennsylvania AP who was instrumental in founding the PAPBA. It is the third time since 2008 that witf has been recognized with the Joe Snyder Award.

"To be honored for the second year in a row with the Joe Snyder Award for Outstanding News Service is tremendous recognition of the efforts put in by witf's journalists each and every day. I'm proud of their work and committment to ensuring we meet our responsibilities in serving the public," Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert said. "On a personal note, I'm thrilled our special coverage of the Major Richard Winters Leadership Statue in Normandy, France, last June, was recognized in the Feature and Series categories. Thanks to Ephrata National Bank, witf was the only midstate media organization to cover the event from Europe. I hope the stories we produced did justice to the legacy of Major Winters."

The winning entries:

REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

1st Place - witf (Harrisburg)

Radio Smart Talk: Hurricane Sandy - Scott LaMar, Megan Lello, Craig Layne

Judges’ Comments: Spot on questions, clear, concise soundbites.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM

TV STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

2nd Place – witf TV (Harrisburg)

Smart Talk - Nell McCormack Abom, Heather Woolridge, Cara Fry, Mitch Mathias, Al Bonilla, Mike Gardner

Judges’ Comments: Talking-head shows live or die by their hosts, and Nell Abom is wonderful at guiding and focusing the discussion on very important issues.

RADIO SOUND

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

2nd Place – witf (Harrisburg)

Walking through the Pennsylvania Farm Show - Mary Wilson

SPORTS FEATURE

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

3rd Place – witf (Harrisburg)

Penn State students honor Joe Paterno with candlelight vigil - Scott Detrow

1st Place - witf (Harrisburg)

Penn State's world turned upside down - Tim Lambert

FEATURE

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

2nd Place – witf (Harrisburg)

Living Simply - Joe Ulrich

Judges’ Comments: Opens with the sound of the zipper of the tent where this couple has lived the past year. Such a lifestyle opens itself to all kinds of questions _ all of which are answered in the reporting. Even the steps are heard as the reporter and the couple head for the farm fields.

1st Place - witf (Harrisburg)

Hang Tough: Dick Winters in Normandy - Tim Lambert

Judges’ Comments: Opens with sound but reporter paints word pictures throughout as well. Good storytelling about a Pennsylvania hero.

CONTINUING COVERAGE

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

3rd Place – witf (Harrisburg)

Aftershocks of the Sandusky Scandal - Scott Detrow, Mary Wilson, Tim Lambert, Craig Layne, Megan Lello, Scott Lamar

Judges’ Comments: Not much separated this well edited entry from the top two. Just not quite as complete and concise.

CONTINUING COVERAGE

RADIO STATIONS – MAJOR MARKET

2nd Place – StateImpact PA (Harrisburg)

Energy, Jobs and Tax Breaks - Scott Detrow, Susan Phillips

Judges’ Comments: Great job covering all aspects of the story. All the reporters involved thoroughly covered their individual pieces of the greater story.

SERIES

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

1st Place - witf (Harrisburg)

Hang Tough: Dick Winters in Normandy - Tim Lambert

SERIES

RADIO STATIONS – MAJOR MARKET

1st Place - StateImpact PA (Harrisburg)

Drilling's Impact - Susan Phillips, Scott Detrow

Judges’ Comments: Excellent use of nat sound off the top. Reporter took me right onto the front lines of the issue and made me care to listen. Each story felt far shorter than its 7 minutes and left me wanting to hear more. Great job!

ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING

RADIO STATIONS – MEDIUM MARKET

2nd Place – witf (Harrisburg)

Considering Their Options - Craig Layne

Judges’ Comments: Having to pay for police protection in a state capital. Good analysis of the dilemma. Good use of sound.

witf honored with six Edward R. Murrow 2013 Regional Awards

2013-04-18T19:30:49Z

From left to right, Scott Detrow, Joe Ulrich, Tim Lambert, Craig Layne, Megan Lello, Scott LaMar, Mary Wilson

For the third consecutive year, witf has been honored with six Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The awards acknowledge work of the highest quality produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world. RTDNA groups witf in a region that includes all of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. witf competed against all radio stations in markets 51 and smaller in the three state region.

From the aftermath of the Sandusky case to the impact of natural gas drilling to honoring Dick Winters, witf’s Multimedia News Department work has been recognized, once again, as among the best in broadcast and digital journalism.

“As the media landscape continues to shift, witf remains committed to providing the best public service to our audience. It’s a tremendous honor to have our reporters’ efforts recognized by RTDNA on this scale,” witf’s Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert said.

Among the categories and stories recognized are:

Audio Feature Reporting category: Living Simply, Arts and Culture story, reporting by Joe Ulrich
Audio Continuing Coverage category: The Aftershocks of the Jerry Sandusky Case, team reporting by Craig Layne, Megan Lello, Mary Wilson, Scott LaMar and Scott Detrow on the aftermath of the Sandusky case. The team is recognized for its second straight year in continuing coverage of this story.
Audio Sports Reporting category: for a continuing coverage story about Penn State – Aftershocks eight months after Sandusky, reporting by Tim Lambert.
Audio Writing category: Hang Tough: Dick Winters in Normandy, reporting by Tim Lambert.
Audio Investigative Reporting – StateImpact Pennsylvania Perilous Pathways, and
Audio News Series – StateImpact Pennsylvania: Impact of PA Natural Gas Boom (The two StateImpact Pennsylvania stories were reported by Scott Detrow, currently Sacramento Bureau Chief for KQED in California. StateImpact Pennsylvania is a major collaboration among witf, NPR and WHYY in Philadelphia to cover energy issues.)

“From providing context to issues as complicated as the Sandusky case and the impact of natural gas drilling to telling the stories of a couple living off the grid and an effort to honor American hero, we work every day to live up to the ideals and responsibilities of the highest quality of journalism. I couldn’t be more proud of witf’s team,” Lambert said.

"Congratulations to the entire 89.5 team and to our News Director Tim Lambert - Tim leads by example every single day.I’m honored to work alongside this dedicated group of journalists every single day. witf is a trusted media organization because of our on-going dedication, hard work and creativity. Great job to the news team and we appreciate the support and teamwork from everyone at witf," said witf's Senior Vice President & Chief Content Officer Cara Williams Fry.

Winners of the RTDNA regional awards are automatically entered in the national Edward R. Murrow Awards competition, which will be judged during the summer. National awards will be presented at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City on October 14.

About witf:

From 2006-2013, witf has been honored with 30 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association -- the most of any media organization in central Pennsylvania.

In the last three years, witf has garnered 18 regional Murrows – among the tops not only in its region, but also the country in Markets 51 and smaller. Additionally, witf has been awarded six National RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards since 2007.

witf has been honored:

The last five years in the Audio News Series category
The last three years in the Audio Sports Reporting category, Audio Feature (four of last five) and Audio Continuing Coverage categories
The last two years in the Audio Writing

witf is a valued source of educational, inspiring and creative content for adults and children in every community in Central Pennsylvania. witf’s programs and services reach nearly two million citizens in 19 counties throughout the region. witf is comprised of public broadcasting stations witf TV, witf 89.5 & 93.3, witf.org and many educational services as well as regional magazine Central PA (published by The Patriot-News in an association with witf). The organization also includes the news networks RadioPA and Pennsylvania Public Radio, as well as Media Solutions and Top Flight Media.

About RTDNA:
RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow’s pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow set as a standard for the profession of electronic journalism.

Insider Newsletter - May/June 2013

2013-04-17T17:17:47Z

This is the May/June 2013 issue of witf's donor newsletter, witf Insider. The witf Insider publishes 6 times a year.

Right click on the images below to see the full pages.

Marie Cusick to join witf as StateImpact Pennsylvania Reporter

2013-02-13T18:20:13Z

Marie Cusick

witf is pleased to announce that as of February 20, Marie Cusick will join the organization as its Multimedia StateImpact Pennsylvania reporter. Marie has spent nearly two years covering technology, the economy, politics and Marcellus Shale drilling for the Innovation Trail in Albany, New York at WMHT. Her reports have been aired throughout New York and nationally on All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Weekend Edition.

Cusick grew up in Lancaster and is a graduate of Manheim Township High School and Lebanon Valley College. Prior to moving to New York, she worked as a general assignment reporter with Blue Ridge News 11 in Ephrata.

She replaces Scott Detrow, who recently relocated to San Francisco to work as the Sacramento Bureau Chief for public radio station KQED.

About StateImpact Pennsylvania
StateImpact Pennsylvania is a collaboration of witf, Harrisburg, and WHYY, Philadelphia. Through an award-winning website and regular radio features, a reporter from each station covers the economic and environmental impact of the state’s energy sector, especially Marcellus Shale gas boom. Recently witf, along with WHYY (Philadelphia) and NPR, received its first-ever Silver Baton from duPont-Columbia for Excellence in Multimedia Reporting on Natural Gas Drilling.

Slideshow: witf receives Silver Baton at duPont Awards ceremony

2013-01-24T19:21:41Z

On January 22, 2013 at Columbia University’s Low Library, the Silver Baton was awarded to witf/Harrisburg, WHYY/Philadelphia and NPR for their joint reporting project called StateImpact Pennsylvania.

The duPonts are the Pulitzers of broadcasting and digital journalism (also awarded by Columbia University). The winning stories are selected for the “strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest.”

The award citation notes that StateImpact Pennsylvania “showed the significant impact of natural gas drilling on Pennsylvania residents, and is an important model for reporting on local issues. Reporters Susan Phillips (WHYY) and Scott Detrow (witf) covered the public policy, fiscal and environmental impact of the state’s booming energy economy, with a focus on Marcellus Shale drilling.”

Below are photos from the award ceremony at Columbia University’s Low Library.

Stream duPont Awards live and watch witf receive first-ever Silver Baton

2013-01-22T12:23:17Z

witf is a proud recipient of one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for broadcast reporting, the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton. The duPonts are the Pulitzers of broadcasting and digital journalism (also awarded by Columbia University). The winning stories are selected for the “strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest.”

The Silver Baton was awarded to witf/Harrisburg, WHYY/Philadelphia and NPR for their joint reporting project called StateImpact Pennsylvania. The citation notes that StateImpact Pennsylvania “showed the significant impact of natural gas drilling on Pennsylvania residents, and is an important model for reporting on local issues. Reporters Susan Phillips (WHYY) and Scott Detrow (witf) covered the public policy, fiscal and environmental impact of the state’s booming energy economy, with a focus on Marcellus Shale drilling.”

The award will be presented at Columbia University’s Low Library on January 22, 2013 at 8 p.m. at an event hosted by Amanpour and Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent for the CBS Evening News. Representatives from witf and StateImpact PA will be present at the event to receive the award.

Watch the award being presented to our team in a live stream of the award ceremony below.

You can also join in the conversation about the award by using the hashtag #duPont2013 on Twitter.

Insider Newsletter - January/February 2013

2013-01-18T21:45:41Z

This is the January/February 2013 issue of witf's donor newsletter, witf Insider. The witf Insider publishes 6 times a year.

Right click on the images below to see the full pages.

witf receives its first-ever Silver Baton from duPont-Columbia for Excellence in Multimedia Reporting on Natural Gas Drilling

2012-12-19T15:43:11Z

witf, central Pennsylvania’s Public Media Center, has received one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for broadcast reporting, the duPont-Columbia Silver Baton. The award was announced by CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour at the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards Center today. The award will be presented at Columbia University’s Low Library on January 22, 2013 at an event hosted by Amanpour and Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent for the CBS Evening News. The duPonts are the Pulitzers of broadcasting and digital journalism (also awarded by Columbia University). The winning stories are selected for the “strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest.”

The Silver Baton, the first in witf’s history, is the third major national award for witf in 2012. The central Pennsylvania Public Media Center also received two Edward R. Murrow Awards from RTDNA (Radio-Television Digital News Association) for reporting on cancer in the Facing Cancer Together project and for a “Hope and Handball” feature on witf 89.5. “It’s been an extraordinary year for witf’s journalists and, by extension, for our listeners, viewers and readers,” said Kathleen Pavelko, witf’s President and CEO. “I could not be prouder of our entire team in earning these recognitions, unique in witf’s history.”

The Silver Baton-winning reports were heard on public radio stations across Pennsylvania and on a dedicated web site featuring multimedia, data-driven stories. The StateImpact Pennsylvania reports revealed previously unreported aspects of a new gas drilling law, including a provision that would require health professionals to sign confidentiality agreements in order to get access to chemical exposure information and developments in the state’s efforts to establish a natural gas impact fee.

"It's a tremendous honor and we're proud to see the hard work of Scott, Susan and the entire StateImpact Pennsylvania team recognized on a national level,” said Tim Lambert, witf’s Multimedia News Director and StateImpact Pennsylvania project manager. “In less than two years, StateImpact Pennsylvania has established itself as a go-to resource for people following the state's energy boom. This type of data-driven, multimedia approach is unique to our region and sets a journalistic standard that witf strives to reach in all of our work."

Scott Detrow, witf’s reporter/producer/photographer, said “I'm honored by this award. But it wouldn't have happened without the resources--and more importantly the time--that witf, WHYY and NPR gave Susan and me to report on these important stories that are changing Pennsylvania's landscape.”

The journalistic team recognized with the award included: Susan Phillips (WHYY) and Scott Detrow (witf), as reporters, producers, photographers; Chris Satullo (WHYY), Vikki Valentine (NPR) and Ken Rudin (NPR), as editors; Tim Lambert (witf), StateImpact Pennsylvania’s project manager/editor; Chris Amico, Danny DeBelius, Elise Hu, Matt Stiles, NPR StateImpact data/web team and Lynette Clemetson (NPR), StateImpact Director.

About the du-Post-Columbia University Awards
The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards Center, which administers the The Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Awards, is dedicated to upholding the highest standards in journalism by Honoring the best in broadcast and digital reporting, informing the public about the contributions news organizations and journalists make to their communities and to the world, supporting journalism education and innovation, and cultivating a collective spirit for the profession.

Every year about a dozen news stories are honored by the duPont-Columbia University Awards for the strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest. The winning pieces are selected by the duPont jury from hundreds of entries vetted by a board of screeners. Winners receive a silver baton, or a gold baton for truly outstanding reporting, which is inscribed with the famous observation about the power of television by the late Edward R. Murrow in his address to the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Chicago, October 15, 1958: "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."

witf combats hunger with partners Salvation Army and Wegmans

2012-11-14T15:15:14Z

witf listeners and supporters stepped up to the plate on Thursday, November 8 when asked to make a pledge to combat hunger in Central Pa. As they have done for the past two years, Wegmans agreed to donate one pound of food to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank for every dollar pledged to witf. Last year the Food Bank received 10 tons of food and an additional $5,000 thanks to generous gifts made by witf radio donors. This year, witf set a goal to raise $20,000 and that goal was met and surpassed in under three hours.

Highlights:

24,000 pounds of food delivered to
the Central Pa Food Bank
25 food baskets assembled for the
Salvation Army
$24,000+ raised

Every year more than 50 million Americans struggle to put food on the table. More than 17 million children experience food insecurity, which leads to difficulty focusing at school and many other social challenges. The partnership between Wegmans, witf, and the Central Pa Food Bank has provided approximately 270,000 meals in the past two years alone.

To further combat hunger in our region, witf staff members offered to assemble food baskets for the Salvation Army to ensure that local families were able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this holiday. The baskets included all of the necessary items needed to prepare a Thanksgiving meal, from stuffing and cranberry sauce to ingredients for holiday pies. witf employees donated the items and volunteered to assemble the baskets, load them onto the truck and deliver them to the local Salvation Army. Additionally, from November 15 through January 4, witf will compete to raise money through the Christmas Red Kettle Campaign to benefit The Salvation Army Harrisburg.

“We are honored to participate in activities that allow us to give back to our community and to make a difference for our neighbors this holiday season,” said Kathleen Pavelko, witf’s President and CEO. “As a non-profit ourselves, we are committed to supporting our mission of making our community a better place.”

Watch the food being delivered to Central Pa. Food Bank below.

witf's Craig Layne, witf's Mark Duncan, Central Pa. Food Bank's Executive Director Joe Arthur, witf's Kerry Wevodau, and witf's Fred Vigeant visit Central Pa. Food Bank to drop off the food.

witf 89.5's Fall Fundraising Drive Exceeds Goal

2012-10-26T17:19:06Z

$137,000 Contributed for Quality Radio and New Format: NPR News and All Things Regional

Donors to the fall fundraising campaign for witf 89.5 & 93.3 contributed more than $137,000 for the news and information programming last week. The overwhelming response of listeners helped witf surpass a fundraising goal of $131,000. The contributions support witf 89.5’s coverage of regional and state issues and NPR programming such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

The success comes after a major format change to a news and information service. In June 2012, witf focused its daytime FM programing from classical music to news and information programs from NPR and Public Radio International (PRI), including The Diane Rehm Show, Here and Now, and the Story.

“We deeply appreciate the support we’ve received from listeners in the FM pledge drive,” said Kathleen Pavelko, witf’s President and CEO. “Listener contributions on Friday broke all records for funds raised on the final day of a drive and indicated strong support for the new NPR News and All Things Regional format.

Mark Duncan, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer for witf, said “a number of the donors said they have listened before, but have never given, until now." While Duncan says it's too soon to gauge the impact the format change on fundraising overall, Duncan says “this could be an indication of things to come."

witf 89.5 and 93.3 can be heard in 19 counties across central Pennsylvania. The largest source of witf’s revenue is from local support: In FY12, 40% of the budget came from individual contributions, business support and program production. Federal funding represents 10% of the budget, with the remainder coming from endowment and earned revenues. There has been no state support for public broadcasting since 2010. In short, the public in public broadcasting is you!

Below is a thank you video to everyone who made a pledge during the drive.

Insider Newsletter - November/December 2012

2012-10-26T17:09:30Z

This is the November/December 2012 issue of witf's donor newsletter, witf Insider. The witf Insider publishes 6 times a year.

Right click on the images below to see the full pages.

Transforming Health: New effort continues witf's focus on care

2012-10-24T19:17:24Z

Since April 2011, witf has worked with three health systems in presenting a broad-based, multimedia exploration of cancer called “Facing Cancer Together.” With the support and counsel of nonprofits, PinnacleHealth, Well-Span Health and Lancaster General Health, Facing Cancer Together produced 419 media pieces, plus live events and social media posts.

Now witf and its Facing Cancer Together partners have agreed to continue the project with a new focus. Now called “Transforming Health,” the new effort will launch on Nov. 12 and be followed with a “Transforming Health” Community Forum on “Smart Talk TV” at 8 p.m. Nov. 15.

“Transforming Health” will be a broadbased, multimedia project. Our goal is to present the policy and personal choices Americans face as the nation’s health care system shifts direction toward one in which partnerships are established to manage overall well-being.

Help inform this new project:

What health topics concern you? Which ones would you like to know more about?

While the Affordable Care Act will be part of the focus, the project also will explore changes in how health care is organized and delivered. These changes are the result of a decade-long effort by health care professionals, insurers and policymakers to improve the health of individuals and communities. To do so, they have studied health care results data, created incentives for efficiency, placed penalties for hospital readmissions and sought better coordination of care.

“Transforming Health” will present a picture of a revolution as it is happening — as medical professionals grapple with the challenge to bring quality up and costs down while improving the experience of health care for patients and their families. You’ll find out what it means for a hospital or health system to become an “accountable care organization” and what your responsibilities will be as a citizen and a patient. And we’ll talk with elected city and county officials about how the right decisions on zoning, transportation and schools can improve health quality for every resident.

As we gear up to launch this new initiative, we'd like to hear from you about what health topics concern you or which ones you'd like to know more about. Please take a moment to fill out this short query. Your responses will help direct our coverage.

PBS KIDS educational programming tops September ratings with 6 highest-ranked kids shows for ages 2-5

2012-10-24T13:59:46Z

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

PBS KIDS today announced stellar ratings for the month of September 2012. PBS KIDS preschool programs took the top six spots for kids ages 2 to 5 according to Nielsen NPower national program ratings, the organization’s strongest ratings in ten years. CURIOUS GEORGE was number one for the ninth consecutive month. THOMAS & FRIENDS, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, SUPER WHY!, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and DINOSAUR TRAIN rounded out the top 6 honors of most viewed programming.

"September's strong ratings show that PBS KIDS programming is more valuable to America's families than ever with a growing number of children choosing PBS programs as their favorites,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. "Moms* also showed their appreciation for our content by selecting five PBS shows in their top six series.”

Visit our TV schedule to find out when these shows air on witf.

Having premiered in September, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD is the newest addition to the PBS KIDS lineup and has quickly proven to be a favorite with young children. In addition to ranking #5 among kids 2-5 last month, the series was PBS KIDS’ top program streamed online and on mobile. Focused on addressing the social and emotional needs of kids ages 2-4, the program continues the important legacy of Fred Rogers, one of early pioneers for free, educational public media for children.

Dinosaur Train

In addition to on-air content, PBS KIDS continues to play a leadership role in the development of educational digital content for kids. TIME Magazine recently named PBSKIDS.org one of the “50 Best Websites 2012.” And with 22 mobile apps currently available, PBS KIDS consistently earns accolades for its quality digital resources. Most recently, the free PBS KIDS Video App was included on Babble.com’s list of 50 Best Apps for Parents 2012 and TIME.com included the SUPER WHY! app in its Top 25 iPad Apps for Kids roundup in September.

As high ratings, online and mobile content usage demonstrate, PBS KIDS is increasingly serving children wherever they live, learn, and play – on TV, online, through mobile devices, and in the classroom.

*PBS KIDS was number one among moms ages 18-49 with children under the age of 3 in September 2012. CURIOUS GEORGE, SUPER WHY! and DINOSAUR TRAIN took the top three slots; THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, THOMAS & FRIENDS and SESAME STREET rounded out slots five, six and seven.

Ratings source: Program Ratings are Live+7 AA 8/27/2012 – 9/30/2012; Nielsen NPower

State Ethics Commission issues penalty against witf for failing to file timely expense report

2012-10-18T17:13:01Z

(Harrisburg) -- The State Ethics Commission has issued a $3,920 penalty against witf for failing to file a timely expense report for the fourth quarter of 2011.

The issuance of the Ethics Commission report indicates the case related to witf is now closed and resolved.

The violation was caused by an oversight -- a failure to file a report on time regarding lobbying activities on state funding.

witf President Kathleen Pavelko was responsible for filing the reports. "I believed that all reports had been filed promptly, but the complexities of the website procedures led me to an incorrect conclusion," she says. "I apologize for my error. "

"We have paid the fine associated with the violation. witf no longer has a lobbyist working on its behalf," she adds