PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff visited Orlando to welcome WUCF TV to the PBS family — and she left very impressed with the channel and the University of Central Florida.<\/p>\n
Woodruff spoke at a President\u2019s Focus on Excellence breakfast in downtown Orlando and also visited the Center for Emerging Media.<\/p>\n
In a post on PBS\u2019 \u201cRundown\u201d blog, Woodruff called UCF a \u201cstunning success story.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith a philosophy that encourages entrepreneurship, UCF has helped students launch their own businesses immediately upon graduation, as well as partnered with industries to find jobs,\u201d she wrote. \u201cIts president, Dr. John Hitt, believes in taking risks when he thinks they’re warranted: \u2018I hire smart people and let them come to me with their ideas,\u2019 he said. His decision to aim for state approval to launch the medical center and to take over a public television \u2026 operation — with very little turnaround time or funding — are just two examples.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woodruff also noted some of the challenges that the university faces, including state budget cuts for UCF and public television.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut meeting the leaders at this extraordinary school and seeing their “can-do” spirit up close gives one hope that not only will things eventually turn around, but that young people are developing the skills to see them through.\u201d<\/p>\n
WUCF TV, a partnership between UCF and Brevard Community College, broadcasts popular PBS programs and high-quality local shows to more than 3.5 million viewers. The station began broadcasting on July 1, just three months after WMFE announced it was ending its affiliation with PBS.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud to say this community did not miss one second of PBS programming during the transition,\u201d Grant J. Heston, UCF\u2019s associate vice president for Communications and Public Affairs, said at the Focus on Excellence breakfast last week.<\/p>\n