WQED Debuts Statewide Broadcast on Investment Fraud

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 16, 2012

CONTACT:  George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366 ghaziman@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459 mpisano@wqed.org

STATEWIDE BROADCAST TO ADDRESS INVESTMENT FRAUD ISSUES IN PENNSYLVANIA

“Fighting Fraud in Pennsylvania: A Statewide Initiative” LIVE from 8-8:30 p.m. on WQED-TV
followed by “Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud” 8:30-9:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

PITTSBURGH—On Thursday, April 26 join WQED along with four other Pennsylvania public television stations (WQLN, WPSU, WVIA & WITF) for Fighting Fraud in Pennsylvania: A Statewide Initiative, a special panel discussion at 8 p.m., followed by the documentary Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud at 8:30 p.m.

Presented by WQED with funding from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation, Fighting Fraud in Pennsylvania: A Statewide Initiative is a LIVE half-hour panel discussion from WQED’s historic Fred Rogers Studio. Hosted by WQED’s Emmy® Award-winning Michael Bartley, the discussion will examine investment fraud in Pennsylvania—who it affects, current trends, and where viewers can get help. The panel will include Steve Irwin, Pennsylvania Securities Commissioner; Lori Schock, Director of the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy for the US Securities and Exchange Commission; and Gerri Walsh, President of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

At 8:30 p.m., immediately following the panel discussion, WQED-TV will air the FINRA Foundation’s documentary Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud.

Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud opens up the con criminal playbook and shows viewers how it’s done. Featuring profiles of convicted criminals, fraud victims, academic experts, and securities regulators the documentary unravels the mysteries of investment fraud to reveal how these fraudsters psychologically manipulate their victims. The program is presented by WQED Pittsburgh and distributed to public television stations nationwide by Boston-based American Public Television.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high- definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the largest foundation in the United States dedicated to investor education. Its mission is to provide investors with high-quality, easily accessible information and tools to better understand the markets and the basic principles of saving and investing. The FINRA Foundation’s Investor Protection Campaign, online at SaveAndInvest.org, is a targeted effort to reduce the incidence of investment fraud among investors by teaching the tactics most commonly used by fraudsters and the simple steps every investor can take to reduce their risk.

American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. Since 2004, APT has distributed approximately half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Midsomer Murders, Moyers & Company, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, BBC World News, The Rat Pack: Live and Swingin', Johnny Mathis: Wonderful, Wonderful! and Nightly Business Report. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched and nationally distributed Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit  APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.
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