[bloodtrails]

MEDIA RELEASE

NJN Public Television and Radio



DATE: July 7, 2005

CONTACT: Aimee Fisher (609) 777-5058; [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Program and Panel Discussion on Bears in NJ on NJN Public Television

Monday, July 25, at 9 pm


STATEWIDE – On Monday, July 25, at 9 pm, NJN Public Television will present two programs that take a look at the growing bear population in New Jersey. First up, an independently produced documentary titled Bears: Too Close for Comfort. Immediately following the program at 9:30 pm will be The Bear Facts: What We Should Know, a special NJN 30-minute panel discussion on bears in New Jersey, hosted by noted attorney Raymond Brown of NJN’s award-winning Due Process. The Bear Facts focuses on the issues that arise when humans and bears live in close proximity to each other. Brown moderates the panel of guests that includes Eric Bunk, northern New Jersey director, Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America; Bradley Campbell, commissioner, NJ Department of Environmental Protection; Stu Chaifetz, director, Animal Protection PAC; John Rogalo, north vice-president, State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs; and Lynda Smith, founder and director, The Bear Education and Resource Group.

The panel discussion will provide viewers with the opportunity to learn about the current situation and hear what panel members think should be done. The Bear Facts: What We Should Know will be web cast on the NJN web site at njn.net and can be seen on NJN’s digital station and on Time Warner cable on channel 750 in New York.

Bears: Too Close for Comfort at 9 pm is an independent production by director/producer Tom Phillips. In 2003, an unprecedented number of human and black bear encounters took place in New Jersey. Biologists attribute these escalating encounters to what may be the most successful comeback of bears anywhere in the United States. Bears are becoming more commonplace in the mostly densely populated state in the country. Phillips presents some of the events surrounding the controversial bear hunt of 2003 in this Omni award-winning documentary.



NJN Public Television & Radio provides access to award-winning programs and services that serve the informational, cultural and educational needs of New Jersey residents. NJN is available in high definition and on Time Warner cable in New York. NJN’s programs are web cast on www.njn.net.

NJN – Uniquely New Jersey

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[Geneo]

Thanks for the heads up [up][up][up]

 

[msmorris]

The panel should be very entertaining with Stu and Lynda on it.

 

[bloodtrails]

I happen to have come across the opening transcripts to the bear panel show....

"Good evening, my name is Raymond Brown and I will be moderating this panel on the topic “Bear facts”. We have with us tonight to my right John Rogalo, president of the Morris county Federation. Mr. Rogalo also has a background in Wildlife biology. With him is Eric Bunk, Northern NJ Director of Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America. Eric is a lifelong hunter, fisherman, trapper and conservationist.

To my left we have Lynda Smith, single mother and founder of the BEAR Group. We also have Stu Chaifetz, Stu is ah, well (waves over and whispers to assistant), we’re not exactly sure why Stu is here.

And currently standing directly behind me is DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell. We, like most citizens of NJ cannot be sure which side Commissioner Campbell is going to be on today so we provided him a seat at both tables.

In the interest of time, we have not turned Ms. Smith, Mr. Chaifetz’s, and Commissioner Campbell’s microphones on. This program is, after all titled “Bear Facts”.