MOLINE, IL - WQPT's local public affairs program, "The Cities with Jim Mertens," will move to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning Oct. 1.

"We are delighted to give the program a prime time slot as we get ready to celebrate the beginning of our sixth season of 'The Cities' in November," said WQPT General Manager Mary Pruess.

Oct. 1 guests include Davenport Mayoral Candidates David Hereid, Frank Klipsch and Dean Weber. Current Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba was a guest on last week's episode.

Rounding out the hour of local programming is "The Whitney Reynolds Show," which features a local segment hosted by Lora Adams.

"The Cities," which debuted Nov. 25, 2010, will continue to be re-aired on WVIK/NPR at 7 p.m. on Fridays and at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.

WQPT, Quad Cities PBS, is a media service of Western Illinois University.

KWQC-TV6, the top-rated NBC affiliate in Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois, is producing three "Decision 2014" debates for critical races in Iowa.  Each debate will air during network prime time.

·         Saturday, September 20th, from 7-8pm: Iowa Gubernatorial candidates Gov. Terry Branstad (R) and State Sen. Jack Hatch (D) debate live from Edward Stone Middle School in Burlington, IA.  Topics of discussion include economic prosperity and job creation.  The debate is presented in partnership with the Burlington Hawk Eye newspaper and Greater Burlington Partnership.  In addition to broadcasting on KWQC-TV 6.1, the debate will be simulcast on kwqc.com, thehawkeye.com and C-Span.

·         Saturday, October 11th, from 7-8pm:  U.S Senate candidates Rep. Bruce Braley (D) and State Sen. Joni Ernst (R).  Live from The Galvin Fine Arts Center in Davenport, hosted by St. Ambrose University and in partnership with The Quad-City Times, this debate has taken on national importance as the outcome may very well decide control of the U.S. Senate.  The debates will stream on kwqc.com and qctimes.com.  KWQC-TV6 is also providing a live feed to Waterloo station KWWL, which will also carry the live broadcast.

·         Saturday, October 11th, from 4-5pm (airing from 8-9pm): The 2nd Congressional District debate between Rep. Dave Loebsack (D) and Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) will be recorded live at 4pm from the Galvin Fine Arts Center in Davenport and air at 8 p.m. on KWQC-TV6, following that evening's Senate debate.  The Congressional debate, produced by KWQC-TV6, is also hosted by St. Ambrose University, in partnership with The Quad-City Times.

KWQC-TV6 anchor Gary Metivier will moderate each debate and lead a panel of political experts in asking questions on key issues impacting Eastern Iowa, the state, and the country.

"KWQC is proud and honored to present the candidates in a live forum so close to Election Day," said KWQC-TV6 VP/General Manager Ken Freedman.  "Giving our communities the chance to hear directly from the candidates, addressing issues affecting them in a format other than thirty-second political ads will help create a more informed electorate," Freedman said.

KWQC-TV6 News Director Rich Kurz said, "KWQC covers the issues that affect our region better that anyone and we're pleased the candidates accepted our offer of a prime time forum to speak directly to each other and address the critical issues of our time."

About Media General
Media General, Inc. is a leading local television broadcasting and digital media company, providing top-rated news, information and entertainment in strong markets across the U.S. The company owns or operates 31 network-affiliated broadcast television stations and their associated digital media and mobile platforms, in 28 markets. These stations reach 16.5 million, or 14%, of U.S. TV households. Their network affiliations include CBS (12), NBC (9), ABC (7), Fox (1), MyNetwork TV (1) and CW (1). Sixteen of the 31 stations are located in the top 75 designated market areas. Media General first entered the local television business in 1955 when it launched WFLA in Tampa, Florida as an NBC affiliate. The company subsequently expanded its station portfolio through acquisition. In November of 2013, Media General and Young Broadcasting merged, combining Media General's 18 stations and Young's 13 stations into the 31-member group that exists today. Five of the stations have been on the air since 1949: WCMH in Columbus, Ohio; WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama; WJAR in Providence, Rhode, Island; KWQC in Davenport, Iowa; and KRON in San Francisco.

Steps Make it Easier and Faster to Transport Heating Fuels from Other States to Address Shortages in Illinois

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced emergency actions to alleviate the short supply and high prices of liquefied propane gas and heating oil in Illinois. The actions make it quicker and easier to transport these fuels from other states into Illinois. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to ensure the safety of people in every community across Illinois.

"When cold temperatures force energy supplies to go down and prices to go up, it leaves consumers in a bind," Governor Quinn said. "These actions will quickly bring more propane and heating oil into Illinois to help make sure families can safely and affordably heat their homes during this historic cold stretch."

Governor Quinn has issued a disaster proclamation to allow Illinois licensed truckers to travel through other states to obtain these fuels and deliver them to Illinois without applying for additional licenses. The declaration also allows drivers to remain behind the wheel longer in order to retrieve heating fuel from other states and bring it back to Illinois. These actions increase the number of drivers available to bring propane into Illinois from other states.

In addition, the tax for out-of-state trucks that use Illinois roads is being temporarily suspended by the Illinois Department of Revenue for trucks that are delivering heating fuels to Illinois. The U.S. Department of Transportation has also issued an emergency declaration that also provides for federal regulatory relief for motor vehicles delivering LP gas and heating fuels to affected areas.

A higher than usual nationwide demand for the fuels is being caused by a much colder than normal winter that is gripping large parts of the nation, including areas that don't normally experience extreme cold. This is compounded by a wet harvest season that required an unusually heavy use of propane gas to dry grain.

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On Tuesday, May 1st at 12:00pm Occupy Quad Cities will hold a rally in support of International Workers Day in LeClaire park in Davenport IA

Occupy Quad Cities, in solidarity with global calls for a general strike, will hold an International Workers Day Rally at LeClaire park in Davenport IA on May 1st. All are welcome to join us and demand justice for workers everywhere.

There will be speakers on workers rights after which we will convene the Occupy Quad Cities General Assembly to make decisions regarding our planning of upcoming actions, organizing outreach and the promotion of global calls for workers of the world to join the general strike. All are welcome to attend.
On Tuesday, May 1st at 12:00pm Occupy Quad Cities will hold a rally in support of International Workers Day in LeClaire park in Davenport IA

Occupy Quad Cities, in solidarity with global calls for a general strike, will hold an International Workers Day Rally at LeClaire park in Davenport IA on May 1st. All are welcome to join us and demand justice for workers everywhere.

There will be speakers on workers rights after which we will convene the Occupy Quad Cities General Assembly to make decisions regarding our planning of upcoming actions, organizing outreach and the promotion of global calls for workers of the world to join the general strike. All are welcome to attend.

www.occupyquadcities.com

WHO-TV's Dave Price Moderates One-on-One Conversations with the Candidates on the Economic and Health Issues 

 

Nov. 11, 2011- Des Moines, Iowa - AARP and Mediacom today announce broadcast of the AARP 2012 GOP Presidential candidates Video Voters' Guide featuring Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Congressman Ron Paul and Governor Rick Perry in one-on-one, unedited conversations with WHO-TV13 political reporter Dave Price on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. on MC22.  The program will be rebroadcast on MC22 at 2 pm on Monday, Nov. 14, and will be available at www.aarp.org/YouEarnedIt and on Mediacom On Demand regularly until the Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 3.

"AARP is pleased to bring a focus on these issues critical to Iowa caucus goers," said AARP Iowa State Director Kent Sovern.  "We appreciate the candidates' attention to ensuring that concerns of older Iowans around the economy and jobs, retirement security, Medicare and Social Security are addressed during this Presidential campaign season."

"We're proud to use our Mediacom network to provide information that is timely and relevant, particularly as Iowans evaluate candidates and issues that affect policies in our state and nation," said Mediacom Senior Vice President Ed Pardini.  "The caucuses give Iowans a unique role, and voters who want to be better informed can watch these interviews to gain a valuable perspective."

Participating candidates met a 5 percent or higher polling threshold as of the invitation date.  Candidates Governor Mitt Romney and former CEO Herman Cain were invited but declined to participate.

The interviews lead off with on the top issue on the minds of Republican caucus and primary voters - jobs and the economy.  Each candidate addresses what will they do to put Americans back to work; how they will make retirement more secure; what they will do to ensure that the Social Security and Medicare benefits Americans have earned remain strong, and finally, if elected President, what will be their top priority?

The live-to-tape candidate conversations were recorded at Mediacom studios in Des Moines on Friday, Nov. 4.  In addition to weekly telecasts on MC22, digital cable users can tune-in and view the Video Voters' Guide at any time using Mediacom's OnDemand content.  The free program can be found at Channel 1 (OnDemand) in the "My Government" section.  Viewers can fast-forward, rewind or pause to focus attention on specific candidates or the topics each addresses during his or her segment.

For more than 25 years, AARP has been engaged in non-partisan voter education activities. AARP does not have a political action committee and does not endorse candidates or contribute to their campaigns.  AARP's voter education activities are designed to encourage members and the general public to exercise their constitutional right to vote and to highlight the issues that affect Americans age 50+ and their families with the Presidential candidates and their campaigns.

For more information on AARP voter education activities and to view AARP's 2012 GOP Presidential candidates Video Voters' Guide 24-7, visit www.aarp.org/youearnedit.

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About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Talk radio is one of the few places in American broadcast media that give voice to "regular people." But because local programs have largely been replaced by nationally syndicated hosts, the format rarely provides insights into the thoughts, concerns, and opinions of a local area.

Perhaps this is what makes Jim Fisher, talk-show host for WOC 1420AM for more than three decades, such a valued contributor to the genre. Whether you agree with him or not, he is one of us.

The Jim Fisher Show, heard Mondays through Fridays from 2 to 5:30 p.m., is a rarity. Not only has he maintained his program for 31 years and counting, but his show continues to be a commercial success. Clients get on waiting lists to be endorsed by Fisher, who has final say on which local advertisers he will pitch for. And his show consistently generates local advertising revenues that compete with nationally syndicated heavy-hitters such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, who also air on WOC.

In an interview with this Quad Cities icon, Jim was charmingly frank in his assessment of his own success: "I have been blessed or cursed with a certain voice. I have never applied for a job. The Armed Forces Radio & Television Service asked me to work a volunteer shift while I was enlisted in the military in Asia. I ended up taking the licensing test here in the U.S. in the 1960s for commercial broadcasting."

In episode 72 of Gilligan's Island, Hollywood director Harold Hecuba pays a visit and the castaways stage a musical version of Hamlet to try to impress him. For Michael King, who has watched all 98 episodes of the show multiple times, that plotline is a metaphor.
ANNOUNCER (over John Philip Sousa medley): "John Smith is running for office. Which one? John Smith is going to let the people decide that. Because John Smith is more than just a politician. "Yes, much more.
"Got a second, Brad?" "Sure, Biff." "Step into my cubicle. And say hello to our new senior vice president, Buzz Brindle." "Hello, Buzz." "What's up, Brad? I like your glasses.

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