03 May 2010

WQPT ANNOUNCES 2010 PBS KIDS GO WRITING CONTEST WINNERS

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT is excited to announce the winners of the 16th Annual PBS Kids Go Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, formerly known as the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. 357 local children entered the contest and WQPT and judges from our sponsoring organizations chose the sixteen local winners (first, second, third and honorable mention) from kindergarten through third grade. The winners will be honored and awarded prizes at Deere-Wiman House on Sunday, May 16 at 3:00 pm.  First place winners will compete for prizes in the national PBS Kids Go competition. The winners will be announced in July. Last year Jayda Brunkan from Eldridge was a national first place winner for First Grade.

"The contest was particularly competitive this year. There were many, many stories that we creative, poetic or funny. It was difficult for the judges to pick their favorites," said WQPT Education Outreach Director, Ana Kehoe. Children could write fact or fiction and had to provide at least five illustrations to go along with their story.

Sponsors for the contest were Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Family Museum, Figge Art Museum and WQPT, Quad Cities PBS. Winning stories will be on display May 16 - 28 at the Butterworth Center in Moline, Illinois, June 2 to 15 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa and June 17 to 30 at the Family Museum in Bettendorf, Iowa.

WQPT is a broadcast service of Western Illinois University - Quad Cities located in Moline, Illinois.

PBS KIDS GO YOUNG WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS WINNERS 2010

KINDERGARTEN

First Place

Annabella Wooten, Winola Elementary, Viola, IL

Second Place

Logan Thurman, Winola Elementary, Viola, IL

Third Place

Riley Packer, Erie Elementary, Erie, IL

Honorable Mention

Olivia Switzer, Winola Elementary, Viola, IL

 

FIRST GRADE

First Place

Kyle Skinner, Alan Shepard Elementary, Long Grove, IA

Second Place

Alexander Xiao, Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf, IA

Third Place

Victoria DeClercq, Home-schooled, Moline, IL

Honorable Mention

Baylor Verbrugge, Edward White Elementary, Eldridge, IA.

 

SECOND GRADE

First Place

Jayda Brunkan, Ed White Elementary, Eldridge, IA.

Second Place

Kadin Kruse, Morningstar Academy, Bettendorf, IA

Third Place

Ever Jens, McKinley Elementary, Davenport, IA.

Honorable Mention

Blake Hasson, Alwood Elementary, Alpha, IL.

 

THIRD GRADE

First Place

Eunice Yoon, Prophetstown Elementary, Prophetstown, IL.

Second Place

Courtney DeClercq, Home-schooled, Moline, IL

Third Place

Alannah Skinner, Alan Shepard Elementary, Long Grove, IA

Honorable Mention

Micah Poole, Paul Norton School, Bettendorf, IA.

04 Feb 2010

WQPT HIRES NEW CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, the area's regional public television broadcaster welcomes Jamie Lange as the new Chief Development Officer for the station. Ms. Lange comes to WQPT from the American Red Cross of Quad Cities Area where she served as the Financial Development Coordinator. A graduate of Pleasant Valley High School and Iowa State University, Ms. Lange began her career in the Quad Cities as the Fund Development Manager for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.  She was honored as one of the Leaders Under 40 in 2005 and she serves on the Leadership Council of The Network: Young Professionals of the Quad Cities. Additionally, she is President for Association of Fundraising Professionals Quad Cities chapter.

"As WQPT prepares to transfer its license from Black Hawk College to Western Illinois University, the station wanted to implement a part of the strategic plan, which was to bring on a full-time development professional, whose duties were focused entirely on fundraising," said WQPT General Manager, Rick Best.  "We are very excited to have Jamie Lange join WQPT as we head into a new chapter in the history of the station." Mr. Best added that Lora Adams, who served as Chief Development Officer, will become the Director of Marketing and Local Content, retaining her duties regarding marketing and as producer of WQPT pledge drives. Her new duties will also include the creation and production of new local programming.

WQPT is located in Moline, Illinois on the campus of Black Hawk College.

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04 Feb 2010

WQPT ANNOUNCES NEW PBS GO WRITERS CONTEST

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS announces the new PBS Kids Go Writing Contest, which takes the place of the annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. "This new contest builds on the foundation laid by Reading Rainbow and encourages young writers to communicate more effectively through the development of early writing skills" said WQPT Educational Outreach Director, Ana Kehoe.

The contest is open to students in Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade.  Every entrant will receive a Certificate of Achievement.  Stories must be the original work of the child. They may write fact or fiction, prose or poetry. All entries must be postmarked by Tuesday, April 6, 2010 and mailed to WQPT, 6600 34th Avenue, Moline, Illinois 61265 or delivered to WQPT in Building 2 at Black Hawk College in Moline. Sixteen winners (four selected from each grade) will receive local recognition on WQPT and win special prizes.  First place winners will compete for national prizes. Winning stories will be displayed at the Butterworth Center in Moline, Illinois, the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa and the Family Museum in Bettendorf, Iowa. Winners will be notified in late April and a reception will be held to honor the winning stories.

For the last two years Jayda Brunkan of the Ed White School has gone on to win a national prize. As a kindergartener she was a 3rd place finisher in the national competition and last year she was a first place winner. There were 45,000 contest entrants nationwide and Jayda was one of only 12 national winners.

The sponsors are also hosting workshops to help Kindergarten through 3rd grade students with their writing and illustrating skills. Participants are not required to enter the contest. Parents are also invited to learn how to assist children with writing and editing stories.  These workshops are free and will be held at:

° Sat., Feb. 13, 10 am - 11:30 am: The Bettendorf Library, 563-344-4178

° Sat., Feb. 27, 10 am - 11 am: The Moline Library, 309-736-5742

° Mon., March 8, 3:30 pm-5:00 pm: The Family Museum, 563-344-4170

Please contact the museum and libraries to sign up for the workshop.

To find out more about entering the contest log on to www.wqpt.org.

Funding and support for the project has been provided in part by the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Figge Art Museum and Family Museum.

WQPT is located on the campus of Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

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23 Sep 2009

BEST BREW WINNERS NAMED AT BREW HA HA

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLNIOIS - The sun was shining. Minus Six was performing. The Iowa game was on the big screen television, and 1,800 people tasted a variety of beers and cheeses at the 10th Annual WQPT Brew Ha Ha on Saturday, September 19th.

At the end of the day, once the ballots had been tallied, Bend River Brewing Company and Blue Cat Brew Pub took home the trophies for Best Brews at Brew Ha Ha 2009..

First Place went to Bent River Brewing Co. for their brew, Uncommon Stout. They also won Second Place with Dry Hopped Ale and their trophies were picked up by Steve Ratcliff. Third Place went to Tucks Tenacious Trippel from Blue Cat Brew Pub with Melissa Wileke picking up the award.

WQPT's Brew Ha Ha was sponsored by Old Chicago Bettendorf, Rock 104-9 and Cumulus Broadcasting, Rhythm City Casino, River Cities' Reader, KWQC, Mediacom, Pratt Audio Visual & Video Corp., Penguin's Comedy Club, Dimitri Wine & Spirits, Inc., Glazer's Distributors of Iowa, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Cabot Cheese, Downtown Partnership, City of Davenport, Hawkeye Ice, Iowa American Water, Midwest Originals Booking, Millennium Waste, Quad City Golf Cars, and Sunbelt Rentals.

WQPT is the Quad Cities local public television station located on the campus of Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

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09 Sep 2009

WQPT LAUNCHES MHz WORLDVIEW ON CHANNEL 24.2

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS & FALLS CHURCH, VA - WQPT launches MHz Worldview as the 24th nationwide affiliate.

MHz Worldview will be available initially to over-the-air viewers from 7 am - 11 pm, on channel 24.2. Area cable systems will be adding the service within the next few weeks. A complete program schedule can be found on www.wqpt.org or at www.mhznetworks.org/mhzworldview/.

Known for its 'Programming for globally-minded people,' MHz Worldview serves as a liaison in bringing programs and understanding from around the world to American audiences.  MHz Worldview watchers will see a variety of news, public affairs and entertainment programming from around the world. News programs include "Euro News", "France 24 News", "RT News" from Russia and "Al Jazeera English News".  Sports fans can watch Australian Rules football. Entertainment programs include "BB's Presents: Best of the Blues", "Asian Variety Show", and "Bollywood Unlimited". Drama fans will see series such as the police/crime drama "The Octopus" and the French detective series "Maigret".

WQPT General Manager, Rick Best says, "The international scope of MHz Worldview will provide our globally-minded viewers with a wide array of new programs to supplement the programs from PBS and other public television sources that they are accustomed to watching on WQPT's main channel."

MHz Networks CEO, Frederick Thomas says, "WQPT brings the mission of global understanding to their viewers with the launch of MHz Worldview and we know the Quad Cities and surrounding areas will appreciate WQPT's addition of the globally-minded content."

WQPT is located on the campus of Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

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MHz Networks is an independent, non-commercial television broadcaster delivering international educational and arts programming and providing diverse cultural perspectives for a globally-minded audience.

MHz Worldview, MHz Networks flagship channel, brings programming to globally-minded audiences in the US though affiliates, including cable, satellite and online. A division of Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation headquartered in Richmond, VA, MHz Networks is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. MHz has studio facilities in Falls Church, VA and at Washington, DC's Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Contact for MHz Networks: Stephanie Misar, 8101 A Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA 22042, 703-770-7100.

09 Sep 2009

Brew Ha Ha Tickets Available

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - Tickets for WQPT's 10th Annual Brew Ha Ha are available at a variety of locations, however, early bird ticket sales will end online at wqpt.org on Monday, September 14th at 11:00 a.m. Ticket sales will end at the WQPT offices on Friday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. Other locations for ticket sales include Old Chicago in Bettendorf and Co-Op Records in Moline and Davenport. Tickets purchased prior to the event are $20 and $25 on the day of the event at LeClaire Park. Tickets sales at the gate are cash only. No checks or credit cards will be accepted.

WQPT Special Events Coordinator, Bea Brasel said that a number of changes for ticket sales have been implemented including an earlier cut off for web sales and the elimination of the Will Call line at the event. "There will not be a "Will Call" lane this year. Tickets will need to be purchased and picked up in advance or purchased at the gate," said Brasel.

Brew Ha Ha is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and will feature tastings, music by Minus Six and comedy by Dwayne Clark provided by Penguin's Comedy Club.

Sponsors for the event include Old Chicago, Rock 104.9, Rhythm City Casino, River Cities' Reader, Dimitri Wine & Spirits, Glazer's of Iowa, Wolfe Beverage, Vanguard Distributing, KWQC, Pratt Audio Visual & Video Corporation, Mediacom, Cabot Cheese, City of Davenport, Downtown Partnership, Hawkeye Ice, Iowa American Water, Midwest Originals Booking, Millennium Waste, Penguin's Comedy Club, Quad City Golf Cars, and Sunbelt Rentals.

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17 Jul 2009

READING RAINBOW NATIONAL YOUNG WRITERS & ILLUSTRATIORS CONTEST HONORS ELDRIDGE STUDENT

By Lora Adams

Annual PBS KIDS Event Fosters Reading, Writing and Creativity.

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT is pleased to announce that the 15th Annual READING RAINBOW Young Writers & Illustrators Contest has awarded Jayda Brunkan, a first grader from Eldridge, Iowa, a national First Place in the first grade level for her story. The Contest encourages children to use their imagination to author and illustrate their own "book." Jayda is one of only 12 authors selected from more than 35,000 Contest entrants nationwide. This is the second year in a row that Jayda has been a national winner. As a kindergartener at Ed White Elementary she was a Third Place national winner.

For her original story, Jayda wrote, and drew pictures for "Gus and the Garbage Mountain," the tale of a mouse named Gus and his friend, Cuddles who recycle, reduce, reuse and repair in order to save the planet.

"We are thrilled that Jayda has once again placed as a national winner," said WQPT Educational Outreach Director, Ana Kehoe.

Conducted by the acclaimed PBS KIDS television children's series READING RAINBOW with funding from presenting sponsor Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Inc. and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the national Contest is produced by WNED-TV/Buffalo and Smarterville Productions LLC. The Contest is public television's longest running and most successful outreach effort.

WQPT was one of 95 public television stations participating in this year's Contest, with support from the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Figge Art Museum and Family Museum.

Contest entries from Kindergarteners through third graders are first judged at the local level, with local winners advancing to the national competition. There were two rounds of national judging culminating in a final judging by a distinguished panel that included representatives of children's television programming, educators, a literacy expert, a librarian and university professor.

This year's national Grand Prize Contest winners were given flat-panel TVs with DVD players. Each also receives three READING RAINBOW library sets (DVDs and books) for their home, school and library.

The illustrated stories of national Contest winners can be found at pbskids.org/readingrainbow. In mid August, the newest winners will be posted. The website also features fun, engaging activities and games for kids and information about READING RAINBOW for parents and teachers.

Just as READING RAINBOW generates excitement about reading, the Contest engages children in the process of creating stories that are uniquely their own," said Donald K. Boswell, WNED's President and CEO. "Every child who participates learns what it is like to be an author."

READING RAINBOW airs on WQPT on Saturdays at 10 am and Sundays at 9:30 am. Designed to encourage children to develop a love of reading and books, the series is now in its 26th season, making it the second-longest running PBS KIDS series still in production. The series has been honored with 26 Emmy Awards, including two in 2007 for "Outstanding Children's Series "and "Outstanding Writing In A Children's Series."

WQPT has been the local PBS station for 25 years located in Moline, Illinois.

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12 Jun 2009

WQPT INTRODUCES 2009 AMBASSADORS

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS announces their 2009 WQPT/PBS Ambassadors.

The WQPT/PBS Ambassador program is in its fifth year and provides an opportunity for college students to represent their local public television station at a variety of events throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois. "Ambassadors are a highly trained extension of our volunteer team," said WQPT Special Projects Coordinator, Bea Brasel. This year WQPT/PBS Ambassadors come from Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University, University of Iowa, and Illinois College.

The 2009 Ambassadors are Daniel Brasel, Joan Frank, Troy Keegan, Alan Morris, Koko Nicoue and Stephanie Reagan.

"We are particularly happy to have a number of students return as Ambassadors because they found the experience so rewarding," said Ms. Brasel.

WQPT has been the local public television station serving western Illinois and eastern Iowa since 1983.

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06 May 2009

WQPT to Air Special WorldFocus Report on the H1N1 Virus

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT will air WorldFocus: Outbreak - A Special Report, a timely special on the Influenza A (H1N1) virus on Wednesday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m.   It has been the lead news story around the world for the past two weeks. Misinformation and rumors abound, Global experts will tell you what you need to know today to protect yourself from this virulent flu.  Panelists on the program include :

Dr. Stephen Morse, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health; Founding Director & Senior Res. Scientist, Center for Public Health Preparedness: Author Emerging Viruses.

Laurie Garret, Senior Fellow for Global Health, Council on Foreign Relations

Simon Tay Fellow, Asia Society Chairman; Singapore Institute of International Relations

Christopher Sabatin, Senior Director of Policy, Council of the Americas

While the infection rate seems to be subsiding in Mexico for now, many other countries are preparing for potential outbreaks, either now or later in the year when the typical flu season begins again in the northern hemisphere.

The special will be hosted by Martin Savidge and Daljit Dhaliwal.

WQPT airs WorldFocus Monday through Friday at 6:30 p.m.

28 Apr 2009

WQPT Announces 2009 Broadcast Scholarship

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is pleased to announce that Adam Schmidt, a broadcast student at Western Illinois University is the recipient of the WQPT 2009 Broadcast Scholarship. The $500 award can be applied to tuition, books and fees.

"Receiving this scholarship is an honor and will help me fulfill my dreams in the field of broadcasting," said Adam Schmidt upon learning of the award. WQPT General Manager, Rick Best said "It is always exciting to be able to help a local student. This is the third year we have offered the scholarship and all of the past recipients are busy pursuing their broadcast careers."

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