Surviving Tough Economic Times Focus of "Making $ense" Special Airing on NHPTV April 16

Community Stories & Solutions Focus of NH, ME & VT Public Television Program

(DURHAM, April 9, 2009) – How are you and your New England neighbors making it through these tough economic times?  Individuals and businesses across northern New England are adapting, coping and even thriving – and three New England public television stations have collaborated to tell those stories on MAKING $ENSE: THE ECONOMY AND NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND, airing Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 8 p.m. on New Hampshire Public Television, Maine Public Broadcasting Network and Vermont Public Television. 

Additionally, from 8 – 9 p.m., viewers are invited to go to a special online forum to comment on the program, and talk to experts profiled on the program. Online resources are available at http://makingsensene.wordpress.com/. 

Featured stories cover time banks that exchange services instead of money; SCORE, a community-based, volunteer organization of small business owners who counsel other business owners on how to make a small business successful; mortgage deferments; and eating well on a budget. 

Also featured are proponents of the “10% Shift,” a grassroots coalition of businesses, citizens and government agencies that encourage consumers to shift annual spending to local independent businesses. “Logistically, you might be more expensive,” says Andrew Kellar, owner of Simply Green, an independently owned biofuel company in Dover. “But if there’s an awareness of the benefits of buying local then I think consumers will understand they are supporting their neighbor.” 

Hosted by MPBN’s Jennifer Rooks, MAKING $ENSE presents five features stories about grassroots responses and solutions to the economic crisis of Northern New England. 

MAKING $ENSE: THE ECONOMY AND NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND is a special production of Maine Public Broadcasting Network, New Hampshire Public Television and Vermont Public Television. MAKING $ENSE will be rebroadcast on NHPTV 4/17 at 10:30 p.m. and 4/20 at 6 p.m.; other schedule information available at nhptv.org/schedule. MAKING $ENSE also will be available as video-on-demand at nhptv.org.