“The messages were originally conceived as part of our March pledge drive, to be interspersed with live pledge hosting and to give our viewers a sense of just how large and diverse our viewing area is,” said Neal, who came to BRPTV in November from public television WCNY in Syracuse, New York. “They turned out to be very popular with our viewers. They served not only to get our pledge breaks ‘out of the studio,’ but also to bridge the geographic gaps in our coverage area. We plan to continue airing these spots, and to add to them as we travel around the region. As a newcomer to this area, I’ve been amazed by some of the places we have been—the rich history, the unique culture, the beautiful landscape—it’s been a great way for me to get to know my new home.”
Blue Ridge Public Television is comprised of WBRA in Roanoke, WSBN in Norton, and WMSY in Marion. BRPTV serves 29 counties in Virginia, 6 in Kentucky, 4 in Tennessee, 4 in West Virginia, and 2 in North Carolina—in all, covering nearly 14-thousand square miles. Total population for BRPTV’s coverage area is 2,032,215, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, year 1999.
“We wanted to bring the message to our viewers that Blue Ridge Public Television is not just a Roanoke station,” said Gray. “Carol Jennings’ extensive knowledge of this region, as well as her acknowledged talent as a broadcast producer, really made this idea come alive.” The March pledge drive, during which the “On the Road” spots premiered, was the most successful in the station’s 34 year history, and BRPTV has received hundreds of suggestions on where “On the Road” should go next.
New “On the Road” Spots will include the Explore Park, Natural Bridge, the Mill Mountain Star, the Mill Mountain Zoo, and the Virginia Transportation Museum, the National D-Day Memorial, Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, the Anne Spenser House, and Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg.
Nationally, there were 2,413 entries from across the U.S. and several foreign countries in the 2001 Videographer Awards competition. The Videographer Awards are given by a national awards organization that helps set the standards for the video production industry. They are designed to identify communications professionals who are raising the standards of the industry and to give winners the recognition that their work is highly regarded by their peers. Entries are judged against a high standard of excellence rather than against each other.
