WDBJ 7 morning news for 07/22/04

[PKG-911-Report]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=911]
[ENG#=1]

In just a few hours, the American public will see for themselves the evidence collected by the panel investigating the 9-11 attacks.
It calls for a major intelligence overhaul to help avoid a repeat.
Brian Andrews has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC; :08]
[SUPER=01-Rep. Nancy Pelosi/(D) California; 1:05]
[SUPER=01-Brian Andrews/CBS News; 1:22]
[RUNS=1:32]
[OUT Q=Andrews, CBS News, Washington.]
(( THIS 575 PAGE REPORT ROLLING OFF THE PRESSES.. WAS 20 MONTHS IN THE MAKING. A BIPARTISAN PANEL OF 10 COMMISSIONERS REVIEWED MILLIONS OF DOCUMENTS.. CONDUCTED A DOZEN PUBLIC HEARINGS.. AND INTERVIEWED A VIRTUAL WHOS WHO OF CURRENT AND FORMER ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.
THEIR WORK CULMINATES TODAY WITH THE RELEASE OF A REPORT OFFERING AN AUTHORITATIVE ACCOUNT OF THE DEADLIEST TERROR ATTACK IN U-S HISTORY.
THOSE WHOVE GOTTEN A PREVIEW.. SAY THE COMMISSION CONCLUDES THE 9/11 HIJACKERS EXPLOITED DEEP INSTITUTIONAL FAILINGS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT. THE REPORT DESCRIBES HOW AL-QAIDA FOUND WEAKNESSES IN AIRLINE AND BORDER SECURITY PROCEDURES.
THIS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO.. RELEASED YESTERDAY.. SHOWS THE HIJACKERS OF AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77.. GETTING STOPPED AT AIRPORT METAL DETECTORS.. THEN BEING ALLOWED TO GO TO THEIR GATE.
THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT IS SHARPLY CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT INTELLIGENCE GATHERING... BUT IT DOES NOT SAY PRESIDENT BUSH OR FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON ARE TO BLAME.

BUSH SOT: we're looking forward to the report. They've done a lot of
good work and it's going to be very useful for the country to listen to what they have to say."

PELOSI SOT: 12:57:14 it is not about assigning blame it is about
preventing future acts of terror on our country
THE COMMISSION HAS DEVELOPED RECOMENDATIONS FOR GUARDING AGAINST NEW ATTACKS.. BUT IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR EXACTLY HOW RECEPTIVE CONGRESS OR THE PRESIDENT WILL BE IN AN ELECTION YEAR.
STAND_UP CLOSE: THE COMMISSIONERS PRESENT THEIR FINDING AT A MID-MORNING NEWS CONFERENCE.. AROUND THAT TIME THE REPORT WILL HIT THE INTERNET AND BE AVAILABLE ON BOOKSTORE SHELVES. BRIAN ANDREWS, CBS NEWS, WASHINGTON.
))

[11Drug-Bust]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-34 TC03:50]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]

Local and federal agents raided a home in the Hardy Road Trailer Park last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.]

Officers say they were looking for drugs and guns.
At least two people were taken into custody, though there's no information on the exact charges yet.
(------------)

[11Henry-Body]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-23 TC45:02]
[GRAPHIC=Body Found]
[ENG#=3]

Authorities have identied the man found murdered alongside a Henry County road.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.]

Deputies now say the man found shot in the back along Route 622 in Sandy Level is 42 year old Jerry Wayne Weadon. He was from Eden, North Carolina.
Officers say his wife last saw him at their home early yesterday morning- at about 12:30 am.
Authorities are now asking anyone who may have seen him between 12:30 and 5:30 yesterday morning to call them.
A burned out car was also found about three miles away on the same road. No word yet if that's related to the case.
(------------)

[Missing-Jogger]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=4]

The search continues for a pregnant jogger who's been missing since Monday in Salt Lake City.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salt Lake City, UT;]

Police report no suspects yet in the disappearance of 27- year- old Lori Hacking.
She is five weeks' pregnant, and vanished Monday after reportedly going on a morning run.
Meanwhile, relatives say her husband, Mark Hacking, deceived them about the couple's plans to move to North Carolina next week so that he could attend medical school.
Records show that he hasn't graduated from college, and is not enrolled in medical school.
(------------)

[6-React-Express]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=04-20 TC1:24:26]
[GRAPHIC=Express Folding]
[ENG#=1]

Roanoke Express fans who bought season tickets for the upcoming year will get refunds.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Season;]
The E-C-H-L terminated the Roanoke Express' membership in the league Tuesday. Yesterday, the recent owners said refunds to season ticket holders will go out no later than August 16th.
[SUPER=04-August 1996; ]
Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Express during the 90's says the league has simply grown too much for Roanoke to afford.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 12:44]
[IN Q=We need to find a league...]
((PIERRE PAIEMENT/FORMER EXPRESS GENERAL MANAGER; WE NEED TO FIND A LEAGUE WHERE THE BUDGET WOULD BE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS, WHERE THE TICKETS WOULD BE AFFORDABLE FOR A FAMILY IN ROANOKE, AND TO GO BACK WHAT IT WAS IN THE MID 90'S. ))
[SUPER=01-Pierre Paiement/Former Express General Manager; ]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=what it was in the mid 90's.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Paiement (PAY-mont) says 11 years ago, the operating budget for an E-C-H-L team was less than one million dollars a year. That has grown to almost 2 million today.
(------------)

[6-Winn-Dixie]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-17 TC1:21:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
Local Winn Dixie's are closing their doors for the last time, and customers say they're losing more than just a grocery store.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Troutville]
The company announced in April it was closing its stores in Virginia. Winn Dixie has been a fixture in Troutville for 20-years, but closed its doors for good at 11 o'clock last night. The store has slashed prices, and yesterday morning workers started removing machines and displays. The manager says a number of the 43 employees have taken jobs at other stores or have taken other positions with the company outside the state. The remaining Virginia Winn Dixie's are set to close between now and next April.
(------------)

[11Clay-Aiken]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-24 TC50:16]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]

He may have only been a runner-up on American Idol...
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

but Clay Aiken was number one in the hearts of thousands of fans last night.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NAT MUSIC]
((NAT MUSIC))
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=NAT MUSIC]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Aiken performed for more than three thousand fans at the Roanoke Civic Center.
(------------)

[Marketwatch]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]
[ENG#=1]

In business news, Coca Cola and McDonald's are among the companies set to release their earnings reports today. And Dreamworks has filed to go public.
Marcella Palmer has those stories and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Marcella Palmer/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:09]
[OUT Q=in New York, I'm MP.]
((THURSDAY... THE EARNINGS PARADE CONTINUES... ONES TO WATCH.... AIG, CATERPILLAR, SOFT DRINK COMPANY COCA COLA AND FAST FOOD GIANT MICKY DEE'S.
STOCKS CLOSED DOWN WEDNESDAY... BLUE CHIPS AT A YEAR LOW AT 102...
THE NASDAQ DOWN AS WELL AT 42.

E-BAY SAID LATE WEDNESDAY SECOND QUARTER PROFITS MORE THAN DOUBLED AS STRONG VOLUME IN ASIAN MARKETS HELPED IT GROW INTERNATIONAL SALES BY 76-PERCENT... BUT ALONG WITH ITS SECOND QUARTER UPSIDE, E-BAY ISSUED A LOWER THAN EXPECTED NEW THIRD QUARTER AND FULL YEAR OUTLOOK.

MICROSOFT OFFERED THE DOW A BOOST ON WEDNESDAY WITH A 75-BILLION DOLLAR SHAREHOLDER PAYOUT, AND SOME SOLID COMPONENT COMPANY EARNINGS.

AND SPORTING GIANTS REEBOK AND FOOT LOCKER MIGHT NOT BE MOVING FAST ENOUGH WHEN IT COMES TO EARNINGS... WEDNESDAY BOTH WERE DOWNGRADED FROM BUY TO NEUTRAL AFTER THE RELEASE OF A LOWER SECOND QUARTER SALES AND EARNINGS OUTLOOK.

AND DREAM WORKS... THE STUDIO BEHIND THE ANIMATED HIT FILM SHRECK FILED TO GO PUBLIC LATE TUESDAY... THE DEAL WOULD RAISE UP TO 650-MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE COMPANY. GOLDMAN SACHS AND JP MORGAN ARE LISTED AS LEAD UNDERWRITERS OF THE IPO FOR THE STUDIO.

GET UP TO DATE ON ALL THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS. LOG ON TO OUR WEBSITE AT CBS DOT MARKETWATCH DOT COM.
IN NEW YORK, I'M MARCELLA PALMER.))
(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [COMM]

[Iraq]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=1]

The U-S military says fierce fighting in Iraq has killed more than two dozen insurgents and 14 American troops.
The clashes happened yesterday in Ramadi.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

In other news, militants have threatened to kill more foreign hostages unless the countries pull out of Iraq.
The latest kidnapping involves six truck drivers from India, Egypt, and Kenya.
The captors have vowed to behead one man ever 72 hours unless their company stops doing work in Iraq.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the U-S and its partners will NOT be deterred.
(------------)

[6-Ethan-Allen]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-28 TC34:07]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
[ENG#=2]
Fire forced employees to evacuate the Ethan Allen Furniture plant in Dublin yesterday morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Dublin;]
Investigators believe a cloth with a flammable material on it, got on a conveyor belt, and ended up in an oven, starting the fire. No one was injuried and there was NO major damage. Employees were allowed back into the building after about an hour.
(------------)

[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[6-Dublin-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-22 TC1:05:48]
[GRAPHIC=wipe]

[ENG#=3]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Dublin/July 9;]
Investigators say an EARLIER fire at another Dublin plant was an accident. This one happened two weeks ago at the Electroplate Rite Plant. Investigators say a door was left open on a boiler, and the wooden walls caught fire. Damage is estimated at half a million dollars. Company officials say ALL employees are back to work and the plant is running at about 75-percent capacity.
(------------)

[11Hollins]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=lfe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hollins University has a new leader.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE APRISA FULL]
The women's college announced yesterday that Nancy Oliver Gray will be its eleventh president.
Gray is currently president of Converse College, a liberal arts college for women in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

She will officially take office at Hollins in January.
(------------)

[11Stu-Israel]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=04-32 TC13:29]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=4]
Many people recognize him as the man behind Roanoke's Festival in the Park.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
But, at the end of the month, Event Zone executive director Stu Israel will resign. During his three-year tenure, Israel helped produce several events, including the Charlie Daniels Band concert, which attracted 30-thousand people. Israel says he's ready for a change though. He's working to to start up his own event promotion company, Sky's the Limit.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1141]
[IN Q=i've been contacted]
((STU ISRAEL/EVENT ZONE/EVENT ZONE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; I'VE BEEN CONTACTED OVER THE YEARS, WHO NEED MY HELP, BUT JUST COULDN'T DO B/C IT WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.I THINK THERE'S FERTILE GROUND OUT THERE FOR THIS BUSINESS.))
[SUPER=01-Stu Israel/Event Zone Executive Director;]
[RUNS=09]
[OUT Q=for this business]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Israel has been working in the non-profit industry for 17-years. He previously served as Executive Director at TRUST and also worked for Virginia Amateur Sports and Good Samaritan Hospice.
(------------)
(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP] [COMM]

[11Fiddlefest-Radio]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-31 TC08:12]
[GRAPHIC=Fiddlefest]
[ENG#=1]

Roanoke's Fiddlefest celebrates the region's musical heritage. Today, the role of radio will be in the spotlight as the festival gets under way at Hollins Univeristy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

From 1924, when WDBJ went on the air, until the early 50s, live performances were a staple on the Roanoke airwaves.
And many of the best in bluegrass and early country music came through the local studios.
The list included Don Reno and Red Smiley, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Mac Wiseman and many others.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 57:20]
[IN Q=And the funny thing is]
((CURTIS DOWNEY/FORMER WDBJ PRODUCER DIRECTOR; AND THE FUNNY THING IS NONE OF THE BANDS GOT PAID ANYTHING. THEY JUST DID THE SHOWS FOR THE RIGHT TO PROMOTE THEIR SHOW DATES.))
[SUPER=01-Curtis Downey/Former WDBJ Producer Director;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=the right to promote their show dates.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

This afternoon, longtime WDBJ employee Curtis Downey will lead a roundtable discussion on early country radio, and the television shows that followed.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Fiddlefest]

Fiddlefest will continue through Saturday night on the Hollins campus, with a full schedule of concerts workshops, and competition.

[6-NS-Jamestown]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=04-30 TC07:50]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=2]

Virginia is on track with plans for commemorating the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
And Norfolk Southern is one of the first companies on board.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

The Virginia-based business is giving three million dollars to Jamestown 2007, becoming the first major corporate sponsor.
Organizers hope to raise over 22 million dollars for the state-wide, year-and- a-half long celebration.
Governor Warner says Norfolk Southern's contribution is a strong start.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:25:26]
[IN Q=WE BELIEVE THEY WILL SERVE]
((GOVERNOR MARK WARNER: WE BELIEVE THEY WILL SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER MAJOR CORPORATE SPONSORS WHO WILL STEP IN THIS PREMIER ROLE TO SPONSOR THIS EVENT.))
[SUPER=@MarkWarner]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=ROLE TO SPONSOR THIS EVENT.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Jamestown commemorations have been held every 50 years since 1807.
The last celebration, held in 1957, attracted more than one million visitors to the state, including Queen Elizabeth.
(------------)
(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP] [COMM] [Trigger]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=D1]

[Roll Out of Break]

(//////SOT/////)

[RE-OPEN NEXT]

[Biz-Brief]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]
[ENG#=2]

In business news, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was back on Capitol Hill yesterday. and Clear Channel has filed a countersuit against Howard Stern and his distributor. Stan Case has more in today's business brief.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Stan Case/Reporting; :]
[RUNS=1:13]
[OUT Q=I'm Stan Case.]
((AN EARLY RALLY ON WALL STREET FIZZLED... AND STOCKS ENDED BROADLY LOWER.
THE DOW INDUSTRIALS LOST 102-POINTS...
AND THE NASDAQ DROPPED 42.

FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN ALAN GREENSPAN GAVE HIS TAKE ON THE ECONOMY ON CAPITOL HILL FOR A SECOND DAY IN A ROW.
HE REMAINED UPBEAT, SAYING AGAIN THAT THE ECONOMY IS IN A SELF-SUSTAINING EXPANSION.
HE ALSO SAID INFLATIONARY PRICE INCREASES GENERATED IN THE ECONOMY ARE NOT GREAT ENOUGH TO THREATEN IT.

GENERAL MOTORS POSTED SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS OF ONE-POINT-THREE BILLION DOLLARS.... UP 49 PERCENT FROM A YEAR AGO.
THAT'S ABOVE WALL STREET EXPECTATIONS.
THE STRONG QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE WAS HELPED BY RECORD RESULTS AT G-M'S FINANCE UNIT.

AND CLEAR CHANNEL FILED A THREE-MILLION DOLLAR COUNTERSUIT AGAINST HOWARD STERN AND HIS DISTRIBUTOR, INFINITY BROADCASTING -- A UNIT OF VIACOM.
CLEAR CHANNEL CLAIMS STERN BREACHED HIS CONTRACT BY AIRING INDECENT PROGRAMS.
THE COUNTERSUIT IS IN RESPONSE TO A 10-MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT BY STERN'S COMPANY AND INFINITY.
STERN'S SUIT CLAIMS CLEAR CHANNEL BROKE HIS CONTRACT BY DROPPING HIS SHOW IN SIX RADIO MARKETS EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING F-C-C FINES AGAINST STERN.

WITH THE BUSINESS BRIEF... I'M STAN CASE.))

[TAPE TOSS TO STOCKS] [STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [COMM]

[PKGGas-Grills]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=04-27 34:33]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]

Steaks, hamburgers, and hotdogs.
They're all things we like to barbecue, but sometimes it's more than the food that ends up getting cooked.
Justin McLeod has one local woman's frightening experience.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NAT SOUND OF GRILLING]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Susie Freeman/Botetourt Co. Resident; :23]
[SUPER=01-Gary Huffman/Roanoke Co. Fire Inspector; 1:15]
[SUPER=@justin1; 1:44]
[RUNS=1:50]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7]

((((NAT SOUND OF GRILLING ON TAPE 1 AT 14:05:27))
There's nothing like firing up the grill and cooking outside.
Most of the time everything goes just fine, but sometimes problems can happen just ask Susie Freeman.
[SOT 22:26:11]
[IN Q=I never assumed]
((SUSIE FREEMAN/BOTETOURT COUNTY RESIDENT: I NEVER ASSUMED IT WOULD HAPPEN.)) [Runs02]
[OUT Q=it would happen]

It did happen last week at her Botetourt County home.
The problem began when she tried to light the grill but the ignitor failed to work.
[SOT 22:24:13]
[IN Q=My son came up]
((SUSIE FREEMAN: MY SON CAME UP AND HE SAID MOM I THINK YOU NEED TO WAIT FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU TRY THAT AGAIN AND I SAID OK.)) [Runs06]
[OUT Q=AND I SAID OK]

So she waited but apparently not long enough.
She also made the mistake of covering the grill with foil, trapping the gas, so when the grill finally ignited, it caused an explosion.
[SOT 22:24:39]
[IN Q=It just came up]
((SUSIE FREEMAN: IT JUST CAME UP SO QUICKLY I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ALL I SAW WAS A RED BALL OF FIRE AT MY FACE.)) [Runs06]
[OUT Q=at my face]

Susie thought she was ok but her daughter who was watering the plants nearby knew differently.
[SOT 22:30:27]
[IN Q=I didn't realize]
((SUSIE FREEMAN: I DIDN'T REALIZE ANYTHING WAS ON FIRE UNTIL MY DAUGHTER SAID YOUR HAIR IS ON FIRE AND I SAID PLEASE SPRAY ME.)) [Runs09]
[OUT Q=PLEASE SPRAY ME]

Luckily, she escaped with just minor injuries.
Not everyone is so fortunate. It is estimated barbecue grills of all kinds are involved in more 6-thousand fires and explosions in an average year.
[SOT 10:03:43]
[IN Q=What most people]
((GARY HUFFMAN/ROANOKE CO. FIRE INSPECTOR: WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT THE GAS IS HEAVIER THAN AIR AND YOU SHOULD LIGHT IT FROM THE BOTTOM AND NOT IN THE TOP SO A LOT OF GAS WILL PULL UP BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY LIT AND YOU'LL THAT FLASH THAT WOOF TYPE OF SOUND.)) [Runs10]
[OUT Q=woof type of sound]

Firefighters suggest you also maintain your grill by checking the hose and fittings.
The best advice though is to use common sense something Susie Freeman now realizes is a must.
[SOT 22:27:48]
[IN Q=Just be careful]
((SUSIE FREEMAN: JUST BE CAREFUL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND IT IS SAFE. I WILL USE THE GRILL AGAIN.)) [Runs04]
[OUT Q=i will use the grill again]
[SOT ]
[IN Q=Another tip for you]
((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: ANOTHER TIP FOR YOU IT IS OK TO USE FOIL ON THE GRILL, BUT YOU MUST FIRST LIGHT THE GRILL. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7.))))
(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP] [COMM]

[2-11Fiddlefest-Radio]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-31 TC08:12]
[GRAPHIC=Fiddlefest]
[ENG#=3]

Roanoke's Fiddlefest celebrates the region's musical heritage. Today, the role of radio will be in the spotlight as the festival gets under way at Hollins Univeristy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

From 1924, when WDBJ went on the air, until the early 50s, live performances were a staple on the Roanoke airwaves.
And many of the best in bluegrass and early country music came through the local studios.
The list included Don Reno and Red Smiley, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Mac Wiseman and many others.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 57:20]
[IN Q=And the funny thing is]
((CURTIS DOWNEY/FORMER WDBJ PRODUCER DIRECTOR; AND THE FUNNY THING IS NONE OF THE BANDS GOT PAID ANYTHING. THEY JUST DID THE SHOWS FOR THE RIGHT TO PROMOTE THEIR SHOW DATES.))
[SUPER=01-Curtis Downey/Former WDBJ Producer Director;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=the right to promote their show dates.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

This afternoon, longtime WDBJ employee Curtis Downey will lead a roundtable discussion on early country radio, and the television shows that followed.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Fiddlefest]

Fiddlefest will continue through Saturday night on the Hollins campus, with a full schedule of concerts workshops, and competition.
(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP] [COMM]