May 2, 2003

HEALTH DEPARTMENT BRINGS SPANISH-LANGUAGE PROGRAM TO COMMERCIAL AIRWAVES

Charlotte, NC - In an effort to address the specific health concerns of the fastest-growing segment of our population, the Mecklenburg County Health Department is putting its Spanish-language health program Salud y Vida on commercial television.

Salud y Vida will debut on WWWB 55 at 7:30am on Monday, May 5th.  It will air again on Friday morning at 7:00.  The Monday and Friday schedule will continue for five weeks through June 6th.   Running the show on WWWB will allow Salud y Vida to be seen on cable, on satellite or over the air with an antenna. 

Gina Esquivel, president of the Latin American Council of Charlotte, hosts the 30-minute program. 

The Latin American Council was instrumental in helping the Health Department identify health and lifestyle issues that were specific to the Spanish-speaking community in Mecklenburg County. 

"With the talents and capabilities we have in health communications, it was natural for the Health Department to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community with these prevention messages," says Mecklenburg County Health Director Peter Safir.

It is the Spanish-speaking community that will, in part, decide the future of Salud y Vida.  During the show, a number will run at the bottom of the screen encouraging viewers to call if they would like to see additional programming like Salud y Vida.  The Health Department hopes to use this data to show potential sponsors that there is a market for the program to help offset the costs of its production. 

The Health Department also produces the award-winning television program Healthy Connections, ABLE! All Bodies Like Exercise and other television and video special projects as well as a Spanish-language safe food handling video and public service announcements on carbon monoxide (CO) and mammography.  Along with Healthy Connections, Salud y Vida also runs on the Government Channel which is channel 16 on Time-Warner Cable and 232 on Time-Warner Digital Cable. 

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Media Contact: D.C. Lucchesi at 704-432-0344 or lucchdc@co.mecklenburg.nc.us