Welcome to the 2008 Going Green section of WTOV9.com. We at WTOV9 are happy and proud to be pioneering such an important effort in the Ohio Valley. WTOV9 is leading the way in not only providing valuable information in a major on-air and Internet campaign but also in its own efforts to recycle and conserve.

The “Going Green” campaign includes on-air “Going Green” public service announcements that will educate our viewers on the importance of protecting our environment and educate the viewers on ways they can conserve. In addition, we will showcase and honor local people, businesses, and schools and their efforts to conserve and recycle.

“Going Green” isn’t a new concept at WTOV. Many of the recycling and conservation practices have been under way here for years. Over the past few years WTOV has made a significant effort to increase these practices.

WTOV9 has replaced high-voltage quartz lights in all of their studios (Steubenville, Wheeling and Belmont County) with low-power fluorescent fixtures. Field production crews have also switched to similar more efficient lights.

WTOV9 is in the process of converting all of our station’s news vehicles to fuel-saving hybrids. So far, we have replaced 40 percent of our vehicles with hybrids and more are on the way. Other company vehicles also have been replaced with automobiles that get in excess of 32 miles per gallon. WTOV9 recycles all aluminum cans and all paper products are recycled. Our paper materials are taken to an area business, Valley Converting in Toronto, Ohio, for recycling. We have replaced all bathroom toilets with low water usage units.

In the spring of 2008, WTOV9, in conjunction with Waste Technology Management will be conducting a “Green Day” where viewers will be able to take their waste material, such as old paint cans and other house waste materials, to Waste Technology Industries located in East Liverpool, Ohio, to have these products incinerated in a professional and environmentally safe manner.

In February 2009, all broadcast television stations around the county will discontinue their analog broadcast signals. To this effort, WTOV9 will reduce its electrical power use for producing its current broadcast signal. It is estimated that WTOV9 will save approximately 750,000 kilowatts a year for its power requirements.

During the month of October, WTOV9 met and began a partnership with the Solid Waste District of both Jefferson and Belmont County, Ohio. This government agency works and educates both local school systems and municipalities to recycle and conserve. We are working with this agency to create a broader awareness of their work and to create new ideas to enhance the education of our viewers to conserve and recycle.

The television station also took part in an awards ceremony for local schools that finished in the top 50 schools in the nation for recycling. We had seven local schools finishing in the top 50 in 2007. These schools were given cash awards from the agency and recycled plastic book bags that were made from recycled plastic bottles.

Sharing this valuable information with viewers and throughout the world over the Internet is paramount in 2008 and beyond. Please join us to help make sure that the entire Ohio Valley is “Going Green.”