'Penn College & You' to Begin Ninth Season Sept. 2

A wide range of topics and additional affiliates highlight the new season of Pennsylvania College of Technology's award-winning television series, "Penn College & You."

From "Sustainable Agriculture" to "Toolmaking Technology" to the "Science of Spaceflight," "Penn College & You" will continue its tradition of offering College expertise on timely, interesting subjects. Other topics for the show's ninth season include "Diversity of Life," "From the Forest to the Home," "Flexography," "Computer-Aided Drafting Technology," "Entrepreneurship" and "Living in the Middle East."

"We are quite proud to extend the resources of Penn College to local, regional and national viewers through this award-winning series," said Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour, College president. "We are fortunate that our faculty and staff have such an outlet to share their expertise and many talents. The series has proven to be an effective means of offering educational outreach to local communities and to people across the nation who might not otherwise connect with Penn College."

With coverage via the DISH Network satellite system, 31 cable affiliates in 11 states and broadcast station WFMZ in Allentown, the ninth season of "Penn College & You" will be distributed to more than 12.6 million television homes. New affiliates include cable outlets in Houston; Pomona, N.J.; Aurora, Ill.; and Coon Rapids, Minn.

"It's hard to believe that we now serve over 12 million homes, considering when we began the series in 1995, only about 20,000 homes in the immediate Williamsport area had access to the show," said Tom Speicher, broadcast media specialist at the College and host/executive producer of "Penn College & You."

Once a 60-minute, studio-based program featuring viewer phone calls, "Penn College & You" has evolved into a fast-paced, half-hour show taped entirely on location at College campus sites and the surrounding Williamsport region.

"Viewers have embraced our format and the variety of subjects we cover," Speicher said. "Thanks to the vast faculty and staff expertise that we have access to, it's always a pleasure devising show ideas for our 10 episodes each season. We don't have to worry about running out of topics."

The new season of "Penn College & You" begins on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. on local cable provider SusCom Williamsport's Channel 2. Dr. Gene L. Haupt and Ronald E. Kodish, assistant professors for the College's Physical Fitness Specialist major, will discuss the "Fitter Principles" while showcasing fundamentals of cardiovascular exercise and strength training.

"Penn College & You" airs every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on SusCom Channel 2. A new episode premieres the first Tuesday of every month between September and June.

The series is a joint production between the College and SusCom Williamsport. The College works with a small group of SusCom professionals, led by Michael G. Strunk, production manager, to tape and edit each episode. Christopher J. Leigh, digital media developer at the College, creates the digital elements for "Penn College & You."

The past two seasons, "Penn College & You" has won Telly Awards for informational programming. Other honors throughout the years include Gold, Silver and Merit Awards from "Admissions Marketing Report," Silver and Bronze Paragon Awards for Best College Video Program and an APEX Award of Excellence.

For the fourth straight year, satellite television viewers throughout the nation subscribing to the DISH Network can watch "Penn College & You" the last Saturday and Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. EST after Oct. 25) on Universityhouse Channel 9411.

"Penn College & You's" ninth season also will air for 10 consecutive weeks on WFMZ-TV in Allentown, beginning in May.

All other affiliates for "Penn College & You's" new season are cable outlets, including Pennsylvania systems in Altoona, Erie, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Lehighton, Mansfield/Wellsboro, Reading, Wilkes-Barre, York and Danville/Lewisburg/Milton/Watsontown.

New York affiliates include Chappaqua, Lockport, Long Island, Rochester and Westfield. New Jersey (Pomona and Toms River), Maryland (College Park and Salisbury) and Ohio (Cincinnati and Owensville) provide two outlets each.

Minnesota boasts four affiliates: Coon Rapids, Inver Grove Heights, St. Peter and Stillwater. "Penn College & You's" ninth season also can be seen in East Haven, Conn.; Rockford, Mich.; St. Louis; Aurora, Ill.; and Houston.