WKNO has launched a multi-media outreach campaign to help the Mid-South community in the midst of one of the worst housing crises in recent history. The campaign includes a Web site, on-air tips, news reports, and a one-hour televised panel discussion – “It Matters: Facing the Mortgage Crisis” – set to premiere on July 29.

One out of every 118 homes in the Memphis area is facing a foreclosure.

WKNO is one of 32 PBS stations participating in a national public education initiative, Facing the Mortgage Crisis, originated by KETC in St. Louis. Identified as one of the top 32 foreclosure markets in the country, Memphis and the Mid-South has many families at risk. WKNO has assembled a community advisory panel and will be providing local viewers with information and resources to help them weather the economic downturn.

WKNO is working closely with the Memphis Public Library and Information Center’s LINC 2-1-1 department, funded by the United Way of the Mid-South. People with housing questions are encouraged to dial 2-1-1 to be connected with resources that can help.

During “It Matters: Facing the Mortgage Crisis,” WKNO will explore the scope of the mortgage crisis in Memphis and Shelby County. The one-hour panel discussion, which premieres Wednesday, July 29 at 9 p.m., will feature community leaders, industry experts, housing counselors, and representatives from area non-profit agencies discussing how we arrived at this point, where one can go for help if facing a foreclosure, what can be done to protect an investment in one’s home, and what the community must do to stabilize neighborhoods.

“It Matters” will repeat Friday, July 31 at 8 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10. It will also air Thursday, July 30 at 9:00 p.m. on WKNO2.

 Additional information about the mortgage crisis will air on this month’s “The Best Times,” when Cris Hardaway focuses on topics of special concern to people age 50+. “The Best Times” airs Friday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 18 at 8:30 a.m.; and Sunday, July 19, at noon on WKNO/Channel 10. It also airs on Saturday, July 18 at 8:30 p.m. on WKNO2.

WKNO-FM 91.1 will also be airing a series of reports about Memphis and the mortgage crisis.

People looking for information and help will be able to go online at wkno.org and find a directory of organizations that can provide personal consulting and assistance to those in danger of losing their homes. A series of public service spots will air on WKNO/Channel 10 throughout July and August outlining some basic concepts and terminology people need to know, and point them to community resources.

Facing the Mortgage Crisis is part of CPB’s Public Service Media Economic Response Initiative and is locally sponsored by the Memphis Daily News.