January 17, 2006

Purdue TV production resumes with 13 shows in early 2006

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's weekly news and feature magazine television program will return to the airwaves and cable systems for its 2006 season.

The "Discover Purdue" show is a half-hour program with 13 installments intended for statewide distribution. Each program will include campus news, feature segments and at least two studio interviews. Current and previous show segments also can be seen on the Web.

Presented jointly by Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP) and the Office of University Relations, the program is scheduled to air weekly beginning Jan. 29 through the end of April.

Studio host for the fifth straight year is Mike Piggott, Purdue's director of community relations and a former news anchor, news director and general manager at WLFI-TV in West Lafayette. His co-host again is Tangra (Riggle) Broge, Miss Indiana of 2003 who finishing her communications degree in Purdue's College of Liberal Arts. Jim Vruggink, director of special projects in University Relations, serves as the show's producer along with Ed Dunn, producer/director for ITaP.

Vruggink said the start of production for the 2006 season marks the15th year of the program's current half-hour format. It was launched in 1989 as a one-hour, live call-in show. The format was revised to its current length and content in 1991.

"'Discover Purdue' is geared toward a general audience but focuses on the university's missions of learning, discovery and engagement," Vruggink said.

Guests on the first three programs include Discovery Park manager George Adams the first week, Purdue President Martin C. Jischke the first and second week, and supplier diversity development manager Jesse Moore and volleyball coach Dave Shondell in the third program.

In Lafayette and West Lafayette, starting Jan. 31, the program can be seen every Tuesday at 11 a.m. and every Saturday at 7 p.m. on Insight Communications Cable (Channel 13). On Purdue's West Lafayette campus, the program will start Jan. 30 and air Monday through Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Insight Communications' Purdue Channel (Channel 5) and the University Residences Television Antenna System (Channel 15).

Outside the Lafayette-West Lafayette area, the program can be seen as follows:

• Indianapolis area and on many cable systems statewide on WFYI-TV (Channel 20) each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., beginning Feb. 1.

• Northwest Indiana and Chicago area on WYIN-TV (Channel 56) Sundays at 8 a.m. (CST), beginning Jan. 29.

• Evansville area on WNIN-TV (Channel 9) every Sunday at 8 a.m. (CST), beginning Jan. 29.

• Fort Wayne area on WFWA-TV (Channel 39) each Sunday at 6:30 a.m., beginning Jan. 29.

Source: Jim Vruggink, (765) 494-2086, jvruggink@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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