Urge UNC-TV to carry national LGBT newsmagazine on its statewide programming

In the Life (ITL), (www.itl.tv) a national LGBT television newsmagazine syndicated to PBS stations across the country is slowly making its debut in North Carolina.

Last month, ITL debuted on UNC-TV’s channel 4 (serving Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham areas). UNC-TV has yet to put ITL on all of its transmitters and translators which send UNC-TV programming across the State of North Carolina and into parts of Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina.

ITL’s program this month will focus on June, Pride Month.

It is kind of upsetting, really. I wish UNC-TV would put the show on all of its network programming. I live in the Triad and according to UNC-TV, our transmitter is WUNL-TV-26.

A year ago or so I emailed UNC-TV requesting that ITL be acquired as a syndicated PBS show on their programming. I guess they finally did it, just only on one station.

If you have the time, please copy and then paste following letter to UNC-TV at their contact page: http://www.unctv.org/aboutus/contactus.html. Urge them to carry ITL on all of their channels across the state:

Letter to UNC-TV, urging the inclusion of ITL in their state-wide programming

Dear UNC-TV:

With the inclusion of many available and worthwhile programs, it is no wonder this station over the years has gained much respect in our local community. Knowing that you rely on the support and recommendations from all of your viewers, I would like to take this opportunity to point out a very admirable and educational program that has not been one of your regularly scheduled
programs.

“In the Life,” the television newsmagazine on gay and lesbian America, has been an available program on the public broadcasting service since 1992, and is a remarkable news and social issues production. Not regularly found on network or public television, the “In the Life” program is an essential resource for dispelling homophobia and imparting to its viewers vital information about the ever-growing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) presence in our nation.

Unfortunately, “In the Life” does not find a spot in your regular, state-wide program schedule, as it only appears on the WUNC 4, the transmitter for the Triangle area. I am confident that I am not the only viewer who would be very excited and appreciate knowing that the monthly series, “In the Life,” would have a permanent position in this station’s state-wide programming schedule.

I hope that my request affirms your knowing that “In the Life” has a desirable audience and reinforces your knowledge that it can make an equally powerful positive impact in our community.

Thank you.

UPDATE and CORRECTION from an IntersateQ.com reader:

I popped onto your blog and read your post about contacting UNC-TV about airing ITL. I applaud your efforts, but thought I’d just clarify a wee bit. ITL does not air on UNC-TV proper (the network available to 99% of North Carolinians and lots of folks in VA, TN, SC and GA. Instead it airs on UNC-TV digital channel UNC-ED, available to persons with digital sets and the digital tier from Time Warner and other cable companies in our state. So folks should be able to get it all across NC, etc., assuming they have digital cable (or hdtv/dtv).

Either way, as I told the reader (who so kindly emailed to give me the correction), I think ITL should be available to ALL UNC-TV viewers. I assumed that when ITL said UNC-TV Chapel Hill it mean the Chapel Hill transmitter. I was wrong and I stand corrected. Thanks!

Posted in Chapel Hill, LGBT, Media, North Carolina, United States |