'Penn College & You' to Reach Viewers Nationwide in Sixth Season

More households can benefit from the expertise of Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty and staff thanks to the expansion of the College's award-winning public affairs television series, "Penn College & You."

In addition to its core base of cable affiliates that serve about 2 million homes in Pennsylvania and New York, "Penn College & You" will air in its sixth season on the Universityhouse Channel (channel 9411), available nationwide to all of the approximately 4.5 million DISH Network direct-broadcast satellite subscribers. The College also plans to place "Penn College & You" on WFMZ-TV (Allentown) in June 2001. WFMZ, which serves the Lehigh Valley and the Philadelphia market, would air all of the season's episodes for at least 10 consecutive weeks.

"We are very pleased to increase the number of potential viewers for 'Penn College & You,'" said Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour, College president. "The series is a key form of outreach for the College. Through 'Penn College & You,' our faculty and staff can share their valuable insights and expertise with more people than we can fit in a laboratory or a classroom. Our wide variety of majors and areas of excellence on our campuses enable 'Penn College & You' to offer useful information on a variety of topics important to people."

Since it premiered on local cable in the Williamsport area in 1995, the monthly, hourl ong series has explored topics such as nutrition, money matters, kindergarten preparation, stress management, information technology, the Internet, mediation, job search skills, construction, kitchen technology, dental health, insects, buying a house, decorating and car care.

"We joked about it when we began in 1995, but it's still very true today, we never have to worry about running out of story ideas with this television series," said Tom Speicher, broadcast media specialist at Penn College and the series' host and executive producer. "As always, we are very excited about the subjects that we plan to feature during our new season."

The tentative subject list includes presidential elections and the media, auto restoration, child development, personal legal matters, home-repair tips and gardening. The season-premiere episode of "Penn College & You," which is airing Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Susquehanna Communications' Channel 2 throughout September, features functional training.

"Penn College & You" will begin airing on the DISH Network via the Universityhouse Channel on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. The episode will be replayed on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m.

"The expansion of the series is a reflection of the quality faculty and staff members at Penn College who are willing to share their expertise outside of the classroom," Speicher said. "We are talking about very busy people, and each one of our guests doesn't hesitate to commit considerable time to prepare and execute the show's content to the best of his or her abilities."

"Penn College & You," which Penn College produces with Susquehanna Communications in Williamsport, has been honored for its content and presentation with Gold, Silver and Merit Awards from "Admissions Marketing Report," as well as an APEX Award of Excellence and a Silver Paragon Award.

Besides Susquehanna Communications Channel 2 in Williamsport and new additions the Universityhouse Channel and WFMZ-TV, "Penn College & You" will continue to air in the following areas on local cable during the 2000-01 season: Watsontown, Milton, Lewisburg, Danville, Mansfield, Wellsboro, State College, Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg, York, Altoona, Hazleton, Lehighton, Erie and Reading. In New York, the show will air in Rochester, Lockport and Long Island.