WVIA’s Broadcast of Pennsylvania’s Congressional District Debate WVIA will broadcast the 2022 8th Congressional District Debate live from the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA on Thursday, October 20th, at 7 p.m. The debate will simulcast live regionally on WVIA-TV, and WNEP TV, statewide on PCN and nationally on C-SPAN. The broadcast can also be heard on WVIA Radio and will livestream on WVIA’s Facebook and YouTube channels as well as at wvia.org. The live debate for the 8th Congressional District will feature incumbent Congressman Matt Cartwright (D) and Jim Bognet (R). Information on Matt Cartwright can be found at https://www.cartwrightcongress.com Information on Jim Bognet can be found at https://www.bognetforcongress.com The producer and moderator of the debate will be WVIA’s Larry Vojtko. Panelists for the debate include Borys Krawczeniuk, Staff Writer of the Times-Tribune, Roger DuPuis, News Editor for the Times Leader, and Lisa Washington, WNEP. On Friday, October 21st, WVIA will broadcast the 2022 9th Congressional District Debate at 7 p.m. live from the WVIA Studios. The debate will feature incumbent Congressman Dan Meuser (R) and Amanda Waldman (D).
WVIA To Broadcast a Mind Over Matter Discussion WVIA will broadcast Mind Over Matter: The State of Mental Health in NEPA live from the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, PA on Thursday, October 27 at 7 p.m. Part of WVIA’s Mind Over Matter mental health initiative, The State of Mental Health in NEPA will feature Moderator Tracey Matisak and a panel of regional mental health experts to discuss the state of mental health in NEPA based on a critical needs assessment. Hear stories from people who are coping with mental health challenges and find out where to get help. Admission is free but limited. Panelists include: Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri, Associate Professor of PsychiatrySarah Wodder, Psy.D., LP, LPC, President, and CEO, Scranton Counseling CenterDawn Zieger, Associate Vice President, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Geisinger Reservations can be made at: wvia.org/mindovermatter
WVIA To Broadcast Pennsylvania’s Congressional District Debate Live WVIA will broadcast the 2022 9th Congressional District Debate live from the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA on Friday, October 21 at 7 p.m. The debate will simulcast live on WVIA-TV and WVIA Radio and will livestream on WVIA’s Facebook and Youtube channels as well as at wvia.org. The live debate for the 9th Congressional District will feature incumbent Congressman Dan Meuser (R) and Amanda Waldman (D). Information on Dan Meuser can be found at https://www.meuserforcongress.com Information on Amanda Waldman can be found at https://waldman4pa.com The producer and moderator of the debate will be WVIA’s Larry Vojtko. Panelists for the debate will be Brian Smith, City Editor of the Pottsville Republican, Francine Schertzer, Sr. Vice President and Chief Content Officer, PCN, and Andy Mehalshick, lead member of the Eyewitness News I-Team, WBRE.
WVIA’s Announces Keystone Edition Business Moderator WVIA, the PBS and NPR affiliate for northeastern and central Pennsylvania, has announced that Steve Stumbris, Director of the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC), will serve as moderator for the next season of Keystone Edition Business. Stumbris takes on the role after local entrepreneur Kristopher B. Jones served as moderator for the first two seasons of the program. “It was an amazing honor to serve as host of Keystone Edition Business for two seasons and work side-by-side with an incredible staff of WVIA producers and media professionals. I’m excited for Steve Stumbris as the new host and know that he will have the requisite support to thrive,” said Jones. “We are so grateful to Kris Jones for building the Keystone Edition Business brand. With his energy and insights, Keystone Edition Business became a must-watch program for the business community and aspiring entrepreneurs,” said WVIA President and CEO Carla McCabe. “We look forward to this new chapter and are thrilled to welcome Steve, whose experience and expertise have helped thousands of Pennsylvania businesses to start and grow.” “I’m excited to be joining WVIA and look forward to sharing the stories of business leaders and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems across Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania as the moderator of Keystone Edition Business,” said Stumbris. “The Commonwealth’s rich history of industry is matched only by the burgeoning new innovations that are driving the economic development of the future.” The next season of Keystone Edition Business will premiere on Monday, October 10th with The State of Business, which will highlight the current statistics and business trends in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. The upcoming season will also cover the topics of inflation/recession, downtown businesses, locally made products, immigrant-led businesses, female founders, youth entrepreneurship, and agricultural businesses. This season will feature the inclusion of live studio audiences and questions for each of the program tapings. Reservations are free but limited and can be made at wvia.org/events.
WVIA Announces Original Documentary Film Chronicling the 2022 Southern Columbia Area High School Football Tigers WVIA has announced its next original documentary film will chronicle the 2022 Southern Columbia Area High School Football Tigers as they chase a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.) record sixth consecutive state championship. Award-winning WVIA filmmaker Alexander Monelli will tell the story of their season from the locker room to practices to the sidelines of the games, giving viewers an up close and never-before-seen look at of one of the top high school football programs in the state. Located in rural Catawissa, Pennsylvania (near the world-renowned Knoebels Amusement Resort), the film aims to discover what makes the small-town team so successful year after year while simultaneously chronicling its great history. The documentary will also delve into some of the history of high school football in northeastern and central Pennsylvania, exploring programs like George Curry’s old Berwick Bulldogs and comparing them to Southern Columbia. The film will feature interviews with the 2022 Southern Columbia football team and its coaches alongside interviews with former NFL players Henry Hynoski (Southern Columbia, New York Giants) and Bo Orlando (Berwick, Houston Oilers), as well as former WNEP sports director Jim Coles, who covered Southern Columbia and regional high school football for 33 years. “We have this incredible story right in our own backyard. The Southern Columbia football program was almost shut down in 1980 because of a 26-game losing streak and poor player turnout. It is now the perennial state champion with the winningest high school football coach in Pennsylvania history,” said filmmaker Alexander Monelli. “Everyone has their theory (good and bad) about how Southern is so dominant every year. I’m looking to answer that question with this film. And the real answer might just surprise you.” “What I hope people will say after this documentary is ‘they do things the right way,” said head coach Jim Roth. “As far as the way we work, the way we treat players, the way we interact, and then the rest takes care of itself and translates into wins.” “Southern Columbia High School football is a unique story, and we are excited to give our viewers an up-close and personal view of this team,” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA Chief Content Officer. “WVIA takes pride in shining a light on the stories of our region and giving them a platform to be shared with the world.”
WVIA Announces Addition to its Board of Directors WVIA, the PBS and NPR affiliate for northeastern and central Pennsylvania, has announced that Jonathan H. Weis will be joining its Board of Directors. Jonathan H. Weis is chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Weis Markets, a Mid-Atlantic food retailer with 198 locations in seven states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia. As president and chief executive officer, Mr. Weis oversees all aspects of Weis Markets’ operations and management. He is a member of the company’s executive committee and board of directors. “It is an honor to have Jonathan join the Board here at WVIA,” said Carla McCabe, WVIA president and CEO. “Jonathan’s experience and expertise will bring valuable insights to the board and the station as a whole.” “We’re pleased to welcome Jonathan as the newest Member of the WVIA Board. Along with the Weis family’s long-standing commitment to the community, he will add perspective through Weis Markets’ presence that is reflective of our diverse, 22-county, Public Media Service Area” said L. Peter Frieder, Chair of the WVIA Board of Directors. Mr. Weis joined the company full-time in 1989. Early in his career, he worked in produce merchandising, grocery procurement and store operations. Mr. Weis subsequently worked in Weis’ real estate department, and in 1996, he became the Company’s vice president of property management and development. In 2004, he became vice chairman and corporate secretary. A graduate of Shikellamy High School in Sunbury, Pa., Mr. Weis holds a B.A. from Yale University. He has served on various boards including Susquehanna University’s Board of Directors.
HNB Supports WVIA with EITC Donation The Honesdale National Bank was once again authorized to make approved contributions under the Commonwealth’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. HNB designated $2,500 of their approved allotment to WVIA Public Media. The funds, donated by HNB, will support educational programming. HNB President & CEO, Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., stated, “The accessibility of public media will continue to be important to our communities.” He said, “We are glad that we are able to continue to serve our area by contributing funding for this program.” Kirsten Smith, Grants & Education Officer at WVIA stated, “Thanks to the HNB’s EITC contributions, WVIA will be visiting many children in our shared region with educational programs to benefit their literacy and STEM needs. I will be certain to inform you of that progress and punctuate how impactful your EITC donations always are in doing wonderful things for children and families in our region.” WVIA-FM is a non-commercial, public FM radio station licensed to serve Scranton, Pennsylvania and is the National Public Radio member station for Northeastern Pennsylvania. The station is owned by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Educational Television Association along with its sister television station, WVIA-TV.
WVIA Announces New Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel WVIA Announces Kristen Mackrell Clark as New Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel WVIA, the PBS and NPR affiliate for northeastern and central Pennsylvania, has announced Kristen Mackrell Clark Esq. as the organization’s new Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel. Kristen comes to WVIA from Myers, Brier, & Kelly, LLP where she served as an attorney representing educational institutions and non-profit organizations. While there she focused on helping clients with corporate governance, business planning, tax planning, and individual and corporate tax audits. Prior to working for Myers, Brier, & Kelly, LLP, Clark worked as a Certified Public Accountant specializing in individual and corporate taxation. Kristen has been honored by her peers every year since 2018 as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star and in 2015, she was recognized as a Top 20 Under 40 Business Professional by the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. She attained her Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law, Master of Accountancy from the George Washington University, and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. “We are extremely fortunate to have a team member with such a unique combination of skills,” said Carla McCabe, WVIA President, and CEO, “Hiring Kristen in this critical leadership role demonstrates our ability to once again attract top talent at WVIA who want to be a part of our exciting future.” “I am thrilled to be joining the dynamic leadership team at WVIA,” Clark said. “I look forward to using my legal and accounting experience to serve in the dual role of Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel. Carla and her team are building something exciting at WVIA, and I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of strengthening this community treasure for our region.”
WVIA Receives Four Awards WVIA receives four 2022 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards WVIA has received four 2022 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB) Awards for programs in three categories. WVIA received two PABs in the Outstanding Radio Feature Story/Report/Series 2022 category for WVIA Keystone Edition: Dushore Resident Marks 9/11 To Remember The Fallen and WVIA Keystone Edition: Kids Count. The Pennsylvania PBS program Battling Opioids: Part Eight, which was produced by WVIA won in the Outstanding Television Public Affairs Program/Program Series 2022 category. WVIA also received a PAB for its co-production with the Scranton Jazz Festival of The Swingin’ Jazz Nutcracker Suite in the Judges’ Merit-TV-2022 category. “WVIA is honored to be recognized for our efforts in both radio and television,” said Carla McCabe, WVIA President, and CEO. “The programs that received awards showcase our continued commitment to providing the highest quality arts, news, and information to the people of northeastern and central Pennsylvania.” “It is always an honor to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for the work that we do,” said Ben Payavis II, Chief Content Officer at WVIA. “I am proud of the work our award-winning team continues to produce for our region.” Listeners can hear the award-winning pieces anytime on-demand at wvia.org. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters, please visit https://pab.org.
Julie Sidoni to Serve as Moderator on WVIA’s Call the Doctor WVIA News Director Julie Sidoni will serve as moderator of the upcoming 34th season of WVIA’s television series Call the Doctor. The season will feature an updated look and presentation when it premieres Wednesday, March 2nd at 7 p.m. on WVIA TV. The new season will feature 16 episodes that will premiere Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. on WVIA TV. “Call The Doctor is a program that viewers have come to rely on for more than 30 years,” said Sidoni. “The newly-formed WVIA News team is ready and excited to report on a number of health and medical topics, contributing to the show in a way that hasn’t been done before.” “We believe having the show premiere in consecutive weeks along with Julie’s experience reporting health issues in our region allows us to better serve our audience and address their medically related questions,” said Carla McCabe, WVIA President, and CEO. “We are excited to premiere a new look and style for this program this season while still presenting the information our viewers look for each week,” said Ben Payavis II, WVIA Chief Content Officer. The new season of Call the Doctor will kick off with “Missed Health Screenings Due to COVID-19” on March 2nd, followed by “Lung Cancer on the Rise: Types and Treatments” on March 9th, “All About Alzheimer’s Disease” on March 16th, and “The Future of Telehealth” on March 23rd. Show topics to be featured later in the season include obesity/bariatric surgery, prostate cancer, breast cancer, COVID-19 side effects, joint replacement, back injuries, arthritis, sleep disorders, and more. More information on the upcoming season can be found at wvia.org/ctd. Watch a preview for the first episode of the season here. Viewers can call in with their questions ahead of time to have them answered on-air by calling 1-833-408-9842.
