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WRAListens Tour Goes To Johnston County |
WRAL taped the 45-minute discussion to edit for a half-hour program to air on April 17th. |
WRAL-TV continued its current WRAListens tour with a stop in Johnston County on Wednesday, March 17, 2004. A diverse group of eight Johnston County residents joined WRAL-TV staffers for an afternoon of discussion about issues important to their county.
The Johnston County citizens included School Superintendent Dr. Anthony Parker, Planning Board Chairman Jim Jenkins, Chair of the Hispanic Coalition Rosie Riollano-Stumps, as well as representatives for farmers, hospitals, economic development and other educators.
WRAL’s Loretta Harper-Arnold (left) talks with Johnston County press about the event. |
Participants give their views on issues facing Johnston County. |
The panel of Johnston County residents discusses their views with WRAL-TV’s David Crabtree (right). |
The event began with a lunch where the participants chatted with WRAL-TV Anchors David Crabtree and Pam Saulsby, Community Relations Director Loretta Harper-Arnold, News Director John Harris, Senior Director/Producer Leesa-Moore Craigie, Creative Services Director Cindy Sink and CBC VP of Community Relations Paul Pope.
Then the group moved to the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield for the informal town meeting. Crabtree & Saulsby facilitated the discussion on topics from how growth affects schools to national and state issues such as unemployment.
WRAL taped the 45-minute group discussion and will air an edited version as a half-hour program on April 17th at 7pm.
WRAL Director/Producer Clarence Williams is directing the WRAListens tours, with Moore-Craigie managing the project. Harper-Arnold finds the slate of participants, making sure they represent a broad cross-section of the community.
The WRAListens Tour is a series of town meeting throughout/covering the WRAL viewing area to discuss community issues and how WRAL can address these issues in daily newscasts and public affairs programming.
Thanks to CBC’s Paul Pope for these capcom photos.
