North Carolina Now; Episode from 1999-08-06

It's Friday, August 6th, tonight, efforts to preserve a maritime treasure in North Carolina now. Hello, I'm Rita Mitre. Thanks for joining us as we close out the week here at North Carolina now. The program on this Friday evening focuses on the dichotomy of old and new technology here in our state, we'll head to Corolla, where we bring you the story of the Curetuck Lighthouse and how preservationists have saved that historic beacon, which in its day was state-of-the-art technology. The latest innovation in broadcasting is digital television. Later in the program, we'll examine what the DTV revolution will cause to the consumer. But we start our program tonight by looking at some old Cold War technology and how it's being refitted for a modern day purpose. The mysteries of the universe will soon be a lot closer to North Carolina.

A former secret spy complex in the mountains is being renovated into a research center for radio astronomy. John Arnold reports on the facility's mysterious past and promising future. Keep in the mountains west of Brevard, tucked behind thick stands of pine trees, hardwoods and security gates, bloom relics of the Cold War. Like giant white flowers, they peek through the dense forest, symbolizing both a secret past and promising future. This was once the site of a NASA satellite tracking station and top secret Department of Defense spy complex. And this is a tunnel that's about a thousand feet. If you tour any one of the dozens of buildings on the site, it's easy to see signs of its secret past. Our guide is Jim Powers, the Chief Financial Officer of the Piska Astronomical Research Institute, or Perry for short.

It's a nonprofit organization recently formed to convert this former government complex into a less clandestine, but no less important place. A research and education center for radio astronomy. I think radio astronomy is the lesser known part of astronomy. I mean, I think you always think of it as optical and looking through telescopes. And one of the reasons for that is that not nearly enough radio astronomy facilities are available. Jim Powers envisions a kind of campus for space research and learning. Your graduate students from universities can come to explore the mysteries of the universe and where grade school students can get information via the internet. But transforming the facility won't be easy. These antennas were designed to track satellites, not deep space. So the dishes must be retrofitted with new equipment. That's where Charles Osborne comes in. On this screen, this is sort of my navigational screen. We're actually looking at where the antennas pointed the dish.

This is the Perry Technical Director. He's been working on these radio telescopes since February. And he's got this one up and running. Here Charles is listening to radio signals from a collection of stars in the center of the galaxy. About 25,000 light years away. That's a local call by Galactic Standards. Charles says these radio telescopes have a much farther reach. There are some very distant objects called quasars that are out at the far reaches of the universe. So we're looking out beyond 10 billion light years at that point. So you're looking back into the beginnings of time as people theorize the universe started. The radio telescopes here are enormous. There are four of them on the property. The one here behind me and then the one there off in the distance, they are the biggest. They measure 85 feet in diameter. At one time there were as many as 20 radio telescopes on this property. The complex was constructed in the early 1960s by the U.S. government to track satellites

and to carry communications for manned space flights. In the early 1980s the Department of Defense took over and began using the site to gather intelligence from spy satellites. Then in 1995 the Department of Defense abandoned the site and turned it over to the National Forest Service. And the forest service then embarked on a process of trying to dispose of the property. And there were a number of people who made inquiries and they tried to sell it. At any rate in 1998 the benefactor of this organization was able to move forward with a transaction. That benefactor, the man who in essence bought the complex was this man, Greensboro engineer Don Klein. Since the forest service cannot buy or sell land directly, an intermediary group, the trust for public land, arranged the deal, exact terms of which are confidential. Published reports say it was in the millions of dollars. Jim Power says, Klein is an interested in seeking publicity for his contribution that he

simply wants to provide an educational resource to the state. Klein's interest in astronomy is well known. He recently donated $70,000 to Appalachian State University's Dark Sky Observatory. He's a person that's very interested in science and education and wants to promote it. Eventually, powers wants to refurbish some of these old government buildings into student dormitories. He would also like to someday build an optical observatory on the site. It's all part of a vision that would establish this as a premier research facility in an area of the country that needs it. We felt like there was a lack of radio astronomy facilities and access in the southeast. This was about to be torn down, so good opportunity to see if we couldn't make that available to universities in the southeast. It's an opportunity that's only beginning to be realized.

Factory workers hope to have students on site by the end of the summer, but it could take years to develop the project fully. Time and effort that Jim Power says will help to better understand the world and universe in which we live. You have to find ways to explore that universe out there. That's the history that created this earth. In some ways, what happens to a lot of things in space are what the earth will have to contend, which will contend with over time. P-A-R-I administrators have already made contact with dozens of colleges and universities interested in using the site for research. We'll still head on North Carolina now, a visit to the Curituck Beach Lighthouse. But first here's Mitchell Lewis with tonight's statewide news summary, Mitch. Thanks, Marita. Good evening, everyone. The expected appointments for several state offices have now become official. After naming former secretary of the Department of Environment Natural Resources, Wayne McDevitt, as his new chief of staff, Governor Hunt made another new appointment.

Today, Hunt announced that Bill Holman will replace McDevitt as Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary. Holman has served as an assistant secretary since last year. In addition to his work at the DENR, Holman is a former Sierra Club lobbyist. His appointment has drawn some protest among business leaders, who fear that Holman will be too rigid in enforcing environmental regulations. After a suggestion from Senator John Edwards, President Clinton has nominated James Wynn Jr. for a seat on a federal appeals court. Wynn is currently an associate judge on the state court of appeals. He has been nominated for a seat on the fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Wynn's nomination must now be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. North Carolina Central University Chancellor Julius Chambers will remain on the job for several more weeks. The Chancellor was scheduled to have surgery for prostate cancer today at Duke Hospital. A medical procedure performed on Chambers yesterday has delayed that surgery for at least four weeks.

Once the surgery is performed, Chambers will take his scheduled medical leave. North Carolina will receive $10.6 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds are being allocated for airport and aviation projects around the state. Some of the money will be used to support the planned 100th anniversary celebration of the Wright Brothers' first flight. Other funds are going to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for construction at airports across the state. The City of Charlotte will get money for North's reduction as Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Money will also go to New Hanover, Forsyth and More Counties for construction projects at local airports. And the Global Transport Authority will also receive funds for expansion. According to one North Carolina group, air pollution is a problem no matter what part of the state you live in. The North Carolina Public Interest Research Group says that state-compiled data shows that air pollution is the worst in urban areas and sections of the North Carolina mountains. But smog is also a problem in other parts of the state. The data also shows that during the summer, air and North Carolina has been unhealthy to

breathe one out of every three days. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather, highs across the state will range from the mid-80s to mid-90s. This skies across the state will be partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. In business news, new core steel officials received an unexpected surprise when more than 5,200 people showed up to apply for 250 jobs at a steel recycling plant being built in Hurtford County. The chairman of North Carolina's Northeast Partnership says the large turnout is proof that the region is able to supply quality workers to meet any company's needs. The $300 million plant, located near Wynton, is scheduled to be in operation by June 2000. New core eventually plans to employ 350 people at the facility. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina reports an operating income of $10 million for the first half of this year. However, the company did not include expenses for new technology and year 2000 preparations. But profits for the state's largest health insurer during the same period totaled $4 million

dollars, down from $24 million last year. And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. Tonight, we present the third in our series on North Carolina's Lighthouses with a visit

to the Curetuck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla. The beacon was automated in 1939, but with the passage of time, the lighthouse compound fell into gradual disrepair. But as you're about to see preservationists are now restoring the site to its former glory. Deborah Holt brings us this report from producer Scott Marsh. The Curetuck Beach Lighthouse is beautiful from any angle. Located in Corolla, North Carolina, this red brick lighthouse is a shining example of historic preservation on the outer banks. The Curetuck Beach Lighthouse was built to illuminate the 80 miles of darkness between Body Island to the south and Cape Henry, Virginia to the north. Dexter Stetson, who had earlier overseen the building of the Lighthouses at Cape Hatteras and Body Island, began construction in 1873. Two years in the making, this first order lighthouse, when completed, was 158 feet tall at its focal plane.

On December 1st, 1875, its beacon was illuminated, sending out a beam of light that could be seen for 18 nautical miles. Still in operation today, the Curetuck Beach Lighthouse looks down upon what is easily the most beautiful lighthouse compound in North Carolina. The principal keeper's house faces the tower, and is flanked on its left by the little keeper's house, now a gift shop, and on its right by the original storehouse into privies, which now serves as office space. Sitting beneath a weeping willow, a visitor might think the pastoral grounds have always appeared this way, but the beauty of this compound is largely due to the recent efforts of devoted preservationists. Outer Banks Conservationists incorporated the private nonprofit group that was formed specifically for the preservation of the lighthouse and the keeper's house here. They started with the keeper's house, and then in 1990, they arranged a lease from the Coast Guard on the tower, the lighthouse tower itself, and part of the lease agreement

was that they could charge a fee for people to climb the lighthouse. All of that fee, of course, is used for the preservation of the lighthouse and the grounds and the other buildings here, half of it always goes to preserve the lighthouse itself. Each year, we try to do some major work on the lighthouse. We've done painting of the interiors, preservation of the stairs, stabilization of the stairs, buy some extra brackets and some brick-repoining. While Outer Banks Conservationists is restoring the tower, the Coast Guard maintains the beacon and its priceless 19th century lens. This is a first order for nail lens. It's the highest order of the seven orders of for nail lenses, and they use this for these crucial lighthouses that were right here on the ocean, but this is the most precious

part. It's sort of the heartbeat of the light. We have a 20-second cycle here, three seconds on and 17 off. The most impressive restoration at the Curituck Compound has been that of the keeper's house. The lighthouse keeper's house was abandoned in 1939 when the lighthouse was automated, and there was no longer a need for resident keepers. By the late 70s, it was in terrible disrepair. The winters were out, the porches were falling off, the sister and roof was gone, and in 1980, they began the restoration of the keeper's house. Of course, they had to put a new roof on. One of the last things that they did on the exterior was to restore the sisters. The children who come here are fascinated by the sisters. They can't understand what that little building is for, and when I talk about where the keepers

got their water, they have no idea. And then it begins to put together to them that the rain was collected in the gutters of the lighthouse keeper's house and funneled down into these cute little buildings flanking each end of the lighthouse keeper's house. The dining room is an outstanding example of the interior restoration of the keepers house. In this room, one can almost hear the faint voices of the keepers and their families, as they dine together by candlelight. On the dining room wall hangs a somber portrait of two of this building's residents. The picture in the dining room is a picture of Homer Treadwell Austin and his wife Orphea Midget Austin, and they were a couple who were the primary keepers here in the 1930s. She was a young woman who died and she was distressed about leaving her husband and her little children, and they say that her presence is still felt in the house.

Her bedroom is the north bedroom, and some people feel that they can sense a spirit, some sort of a presence in that room to this very day. Are there spirits at the Curituck Beach Lighthouse? Almost certainly there are. The men who built this lighthouse, brick by brick, the generations of keepers and their families who lived and died in this place of solitude and beauty, all are still here. And with proper care, we'll remain here for many years to come. This structure has lasted about 125 years. Certainly if it's cared for properly, it could last another 125 years. The Curituck Beach Lighthouse and museum shop are open daily from Easter through Thanksgiving, and if you would like more information, you can call 252-45349-39.

And if you would like to read about North Carolina's Lighthouses, there are a couple of books that we would recommend, Lighthouse Families and Cape Hatteras America's Lighthouse. Advances in digital technology will result in some revolutionary changes for the television industry. The new technology promises to bring a slew of new possibilities to broadcasters, but what does the digital revolution mean for consumers?

Tonight reporter Barclay Todd looks at what it will cost you to experience digital and high-definition television in your home. Watching television on this high-definition screen makes you understand why when the wide-screen set started rolling into the showrooms, HDTV's clearer picture and CD quality sound impressed viewers. Looking at the price tag, it's also understandable why people suffered from sticker shock. Currently, the television with a tuner from $7,000 up to $12,000. Your cost to have HDTV and digital television in your home will vary on when you decide to make the switch, and by what method you decide to use. In order to make the conversion today, you'll need a three-component system, one a decoder tuner, to receive the DTV signal, costing between $1,500 and $3,000, two an HDTV ready set, costing $5,500 and up.

And three a standard TV antenna, costing two to $300 more. If you're like the average consumer, you're probably asking why are DTV so expensive? It's brand new technology, a lot of research and development on the front end, and it's just going to take a couple years to get down into a little bit different price range. In fact, Broadagum says prices are already starting to come down. She says by the fall they're expecting to have a DTV set and tuner for just over $4,000. And that's just about the price range Jonathan Roberts says he would consider purchasing a digital set. Roberts was one of 11 people in the triangle to take part in a digital television study done by Meredith College. Through this study, he had a digital television in his home for two weeks and says the picture and sound far surpassed what he gets from his current analog set. It was amazing. I thought we had a nice television until we had the high-definition television next

to it because the picture quality was just, the difference was night and day. It was unbelievable how much of a difference there was. Roberts, a self-described electronics buff says the price of DTV sets would only have to come down a little to get him to buy. I'm kind of shooting for maybe the $35 to $4,500 range, probably somewhere in there before I get one, but I'm excited about getting one. As more consumers purchase digital television sets, experts predict the price will substantially go down. How soon that will happen, no one is quite sure, but the best analogy is the cost of compact dis-players. When they first came out 14 years ago, they cost in the thousands of dollars. Now you can get a good CD player for a few hundred bucks. But consumers like Roberts say price isn't the only thing that's keeping them from buying a set. Roberts points to the limited number of programs being offered in high-definition as another drawback.

Not according to UNCTV's programming director, Diane Lucas, more programs will soon be available. I think we're going to begin to see an increase of that programming this fall. When the top 30 markets, the commercial stations will be required to have made the transition to HD and digital television. Public television is beginning to provide at least one or two programs a month that are offered in HD television. I would expect that to also be increasing as we head into the fall and to the time beyond that. UNCTV's timetable for offering high-definition programs and digital television depends on funding from the general assembly. Lucas says some commercial stations in the state and at least one network are starting to offer more HD programs now. I know that there has been a recent announcement that CBS will begin feeding much of their prime time schedule in the fall in HD. Certainly, I think we're going to see an increase in the offering of movies and sports and

other kinds of programming that can make a fairly easy transition to HD broadcasts. And we'll begin to see the amount of programming increasing greatly throughout this year and certainly in the years ahead. The other networks are also planning to offer more prime time shows and movies in high definition. Now that there will be more HD shows out there for viewers to watch, how will you tune them in? Well, buying a set and tuner are not the only way to bring this revolutionary television picture into your home. The second option is an STB, which is a set top box, a converter that changes the digital signal to a conventional analog signal currently being used today. The boxes will cost around $800, but like with the price of the sets, it too will likely drop in price to around $2 to $300. While you will be able to receive the digital signal with the converter box, the HD TV picture quality will not be as sharp or the enhanced sound as good as with a high definition

set. While digital VCRs are on the horizon, they're not available yet, but are expected to cost around $1,000. When will you have to make the switch from analog to digital? The FCC originally said that we would turn the analog spectrum back in in the year 2006 and then Congress later in the budget session said that there was an attachment that said we had 85% penetration in order to turn the analog channel back. I think as we go along, that date might shift to some, but I think if there's enough programming available and receiver costs drop, then the 2006 might be realistic. Digital and high definition television are coming, whether we like it or not is hard to truly appreciate the full scope of HD TV on your analog set. But as a viewer and listener of this new format, I can tell you that the picture and sound are like nothing I've ever seen or heard before.

The technology is here and soon it will be coming into your home. The only question left is will you be ready to receive it. HD TV ready sets are already available and stores throughout the state and the smaller screen sets should start arriving in stores with lower sticker prices by the fall. And as a program for tonight, have a great weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday. Good night.