WTVC-TV NewsChannel 9 announced on Thursday it will host a town hall meeting on the topic of youth violence, Monday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in its studio. The town hall will air live on the station’s digital channel 9.2 from 7-8:30 p.m. and will be streamed at newschannel9.com. It will also be rebroadcast on Saturday, March 7, at 1 p.m. on NewsChannel 9.
“Violence in general and youth violence in particular is an important issue for our community,” said WTVC General Manager Mike Costa, “As Chattanooga’s lead broadcast news provider, it’s a priority for WTVC NewsChannel 9 to help the community learn more about the complexities that surround this issue. These town halls are a great way to foster conversation so Chattanooga can begin to address the problems more effectively.”
The meeting will feature a panel of four community leaders discussing various aspects of youth violence – Chattanooga police chief Fred Fletcher, Hamilton County criminal court judge Gary Starnes, Chattanooga NAACP president Dr. Elenora Woods, and Kevin Adams, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church.
The moderator of the event will be Mark Hyman, nationally-recognized broadcast journalist and host of “Behind the Headlines.”
Panelists will also answer questions from the studio audience. Viewers at home can participate via social media. Other participants will include survivors of youth violence, representatives of the Chattanooga Housing Authority, and community leaders involved in programs aimed at bringing the violence under control.
Those wishing to be part of the studio audience can register at NewsChannel9.com/townhall.
For more information and additional interview quotes, contact Mike Costa at 423 757-7313 or by email at mcosta@newschannel9.com.