The College will play host to the WMUR Channel 9 news crew tomorrow for a day of live news broadcasts from Tuck Mall -- part of a week-long series of live broadcasts from around New Hampshire.
WMUR, the Granite State's largest television station will broadcast parts of its 5 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts and the entire 6 p.m. program from Dartmouth, using Baker Library as its backdrop.
Because of the broadcasts and the crew's preparations, Tuck Mall will be closed to motor vehicles from Main Street to Tuck Drive, between Russell Sage and Hitchcock dormitories, from 10 p.m. today until 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Director of Promotions for WMUR Scott Olsen told The Dartmouth the station selected the College because of its prominence in N.H. "Being an Ivy League school, it has a big draw."
Olsen said Dartmouth was also selected because of the station's new relationship with the College broadcasting "multitudes of Dartmouth sporting events."
Channel 9 videotaped several stories in Hanover within the last few weeks on college life which feature both students and faculty, Olsen said.
Students and community members are also invited to watch the broadcasts in person. "We're encouraging people to meet the news team," Olsen said. "They'll be talking to whoever's around."
Associate Director of Public Affairs Roland Adams said the College has been working with WMUR since late August, preparing for the broadcasts.
Baker Library was selected as the background for the newscasts because of the public's widespread association between the building and the College, Olsen said.
"We worked with the station on various possible locations," Adams said. "It was really a mutual decision."
Adams said he believes this is the first time Channel 9 has ever broadcast an entire news program from the College.
WMUR News Director Karen Brown as well as anchors Tom Griffith, Charlie Sherman and Mike Haddad are the traveling team who will be at the College tomorrow.
Olsen said he hopes the week-long trip will allow communities from across the state to see the Channel 9 operation and WMUR to feature some of the areas to which it broadcasts.