'Sharing Miracles' Television Program Expands Network to Key U.S. Markets

'Sharing Miracles' Television Program Expands Network to Key U.S. Markets

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hailed by Television Week for providing "vital information" to viewers, Sharing Miracles -- a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients -- expanded this week into seven new key markets: Denver, CO; Albany, NY; Austin, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Portland, OR; Las Vegas, NV; and Reno, NV. In all, the program now airs on nearly 260 television stations across the United States and is available worldwide for viewing online.

Next month's episode of Sharing Miracles will feature University of Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who has won two NCAA championships and whose current team is ranked #1 in national polls. Coach Calhoun will discuss his battles with both prostate cancer and skin cancer. Future episodes will include World Series champion and Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who overcame lymphoma to pitch a no-hitter in the major leagues; Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Ditka, who battles heart disease; and Pro Basketball Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins, who has diabetes.

The current episode of Sharing Miracles features television actress Meredith Baxter, who starred as mother Elyse Keaton on the hit sitcom Family Ties. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she has starred in more than 50 made-for-television movies, including the 1994 CBS movie My Breast, in which she played breast cancer-stricken journalist Joyce Wadler.

This role prepared her for the real-life challenges that she confronted when, in 1999, she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. On this month's episode, she discusses how she overcame the disease that causes roughly 175,000 cases each year in the U.S. alone, and how she has used her experience to become a strong advocate for breast cancer patients worldwide.

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, a breast cancer advocate; Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Naomi Judd, who overcame Hepatitis C; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol), Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder), and Greg Louganis (HIV); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson, who survived prostate cancer.

Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings on the following network-affiliated stations:

-- WDCA-TV (MyTV), Washington, DC, 9 am-9:30 am
-- WPHL-TV (MyTV), Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am
-- WUTB-TV (MyTV), Baltimore, MD, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KEYE-TV (CBS), Austin, TX, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon
-- KUCW-TV (CW), Salt Lake City, UT, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- KPDX-TV (MyTV), Portland, OR, 10 am-10:30 am
-- KVMY-TV (MyTV), Las Vegas, NV, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KDGN-TV (CW), Denver, CO, 6:30 am-7:00 am
-- KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am
-- WNAB-TV (CW), Nashville, TN, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WCTX-TV (MyTV), Hartford/New Haven, CT, 9 am-9:30 am
-- WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WNYA-TV (MyTV), Albany, NY, 8 am-8:30 am
-- KAME-TV (MyTV), Reno, NV, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KTXL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am
-- WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WTWC-TV (NBC), Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WCIA-TV (CBS), Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11
am
-- WBRZ-TV (ABC), Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am
-- KTKA-TV (ABC), Topeka, KS, 8:30 am-9:00 am
-- WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11:00 am
-- WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am
-- WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10:00 am
-- WLAJ-TV (ABC), Lansing, MI, 11 am-11:30 am
-- WACH-TV (FOX), Columbia, SC, 11 am-11:30 am
-- WAPT-TV (ABC), Jackson, MS, 9 am-9:30 am
-- WOWK-TV (CBS), Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:30 am-12 noon
-- WMTW-TV (ABC), Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon
-- KHBB-TV (ABC), Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WMBD-TV (CBS), Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WOI-TV (ABC), Des Moines, IA, 6:30 am-7:00 am
-- WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am
-- KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9:30 am-10:00 am
-- KDLT-TV (NBC), Sioux Falls, SD, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KBMY-TV (ABC), Minot/Bismarck, ND, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KLKN-TV (ABC), Lincoln, NE, 10:30 am-11:00 am
-- KFBB-TV (ABC), Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am
-- KDEV-TV (ABC), Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WTOV-TV (ABC), Rockford, IL, 10:30 am-11:00 am
-- KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am
-- KTBY-TV (FOX), Anchorage, AK, 6 am-6:30 am
-- WSIL-TV (ABC), Carbondale, IL/Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO, 10:30
am-11:00 am.

The show also airs on 216 community broadcast stations across the country and is available worldwide for viewing in its entirety at www.sharingmiracles.com. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.

Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Anchorage, AK; Decatur, AL; Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Casa Grande, AZ; Chino Valley, AZ; Anaheim, CA; Compton, CA; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pacifica, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Andreas, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Aurora, CO; Golden, CO; Longmont, CO; Thornton, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Simsbury, CT; Brooksville, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Tampa, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Atlanta, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; Hilo, HI; Des Moines, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Pocatello, ID; Addison, IL; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Lake Forest, IL; Naperville, IL; Romeoville, IL; Urbana, IL; Wheaton, IL; Bloomington, IN; Connersville, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Lawrence, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Louisville, KY; Bossier City, LA; Houma, LA; Lafayette, LA; Mandeville, LA; New Orleans, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Brookline, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; Easthampton, MA; Foxboro, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Marshfield, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worcester, MA; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Rockville, MD; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Madison, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Wyandotte, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Columbia, MO; Hillsboro, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Helena, MT; Albemarle, NC; Charlotte, NC; Knightdale, NC; Fargo, ND; Grand Island, NE; Hastings, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Wolfeboro, NH; Bloomfield, NJ; Metuchen, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Statewide, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Athens, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Defiance, OH; Fairborn, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Medina, OH; Norwood, OH; Troy, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Ardmore, PA; Berwyn, PA; Bethel Park, PA; Gettysburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Moon Township, PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; York, PA; Franklin, TN; Germantown, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; College Station, TX; Denton, TX; Houston, TX; Kingsville, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Herndon, VA; Barre, VT; Bellow Falls, VT; Bristol, VT; Burlington, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Newport, VT; Springfield, VT; Waitsfield, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Dodgeville, WI; Hartford, WI; Janesville, WI; Lake Mills, WI; Madison, WI; Muskego, WI; New London, WI; Reedsburg, WI; River Falls, WI; Superior, WI; Waterloo, WI; Whitehall, WI; Wisconsin Rapids, WI; and Summersville, WV.

The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $44.5 billion in 2007 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $58.8 billion in 2007.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org/

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org/

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org/

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

CONTACT: Kate Michael of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
of America, +1-202-835-3460

Web Site: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/
http://www.innovation.org/
http://www.phrma.org/
http://www.pparx.org/
http://www.sharingmiracles.com/

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