Fanfares & Fireworks cancelled

June 30, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The annual Independence Day Eve celebration, Fanfares & Fireworks, will not take place this year. A WUFT news release dated March 1, offered the following information.

Deep budget cuts passed by the Florida Legislature have resulted in reduced funding for public broadcasting stations WUFT-TV, Channel 5, WUFT-DT, Digital 5, WUFT-FM, Classic 89 and WJUF-FM, Nature Coast 90 and the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

The priority of the stations is to maintain the public television and radio programming that serves residents throughout North Central and Mid-Florida. Thus, services and activities that do not directly impact programming will need to be reduced.

In the past, local businesses and organizations have contributed significantly to help support the campus-area event. Even with this corporate support, the stations have always provided much of the funding from their operating budgets. The downturn in the economy has made it difficult to secure corporate grants, and WUFT must use available funds for programming and services.

Fanfares & Fireworks has been a popular family celebration for many years, and hopefully will return in the future.

For more information contact:

Larry Dankner 352-392-0771, ext. 2101 or

Brent Williams 352-392-5551, ext. 1109