Rotarians learn about KLTV 7
By GREG COLLINS for the News Herald

Brad Streit, General Manager of KLTV Channel 7 in Tyler, was the guest speaker for the Kilgore Rotary Club on Wednesday.

He talked about the news that unless people did certain things - buy a new TV set or upgrade the one they currently have with a digital tuner - their television sets would become useless in February of 2009.

Streit gave several examples of how the technology could be upgraded by consumers, all the while detailing history of why the changes were occurring. And, he gave some warnings based on his knowledge of the industry as to how people could avoid problems with the change.

The talk was informative and educational for club members, many of whom had heard the news about the upcoming change and were wondering if they would have to make any changes at their own homes or businesses.

As with any change, he also detailed that the costs will be higher as people either buy new sets or get the technology necessary to make the changes.

He answered questions about his own station and gave some statistics on the coverage area for the station. According to his stats, Channel 7 covers most of East Texas and is the leading news station from Lufkin- Nacogdoches to Tyler- Longview-Kilgore and Texarkana. Stats show that 80 percent of the people who watch the news tune into Channel 7 at 6 and 10 during the week, according to Streit.

He also talked about the recent health issues affecting Mark Scirto, the longtime weatherman for Channel 7, and said the station employee was doing much better after undergoing emergency surgery. In fact, he is already back on the air.

In other Rotary news, Sheri Hendrick from Kilgore Heights was named the Rotary Teacher of the Month. She teaches in the pre-K area and has done a great job, according to Duane Deen, principal, who accompanied her to the luncheon.

About 15 Kilgore Rotary Club members attended the District Assembly on Saturday in Gilmer. This is the meeting where officials began getting ready for the next year. Sammy York will be the Kilgore president, and he led the contingent to Gilmer for the event.

The club's annual Rotary Scholar Athlete Banquet is Thursday. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Meadowbrook Country Club and honor a male and female scholar athlete from KHS, KC and Sabine High School. Bobby Beane, the Kilgore Citizen of the Year, will be the guest speaker.

The Kilgore Rotary Golf Tournament is scheduled for Monday, May 5 at Meadowbrook Country Club. The twoperson team event tees off at noon after lunch at 11. It features six holes of best ball, six holes of alternate shot and six holes of scramble. The fee is $150 per team, and cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in two flights.

There will be no Wednesday meeting this week due to the banquet. The Kilgore Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at noon in the Meadowbrook Country Club Ballroom. Guests are always welcome.