UNC-TV will collaborate with South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) to present a live broadcast at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 26, of the funeral service for Pastor and State Senator Clementa Pinckney, one of nine people killed in what has been described as a hate crime while attending a prayer meeting in Charleston, at the historic Emanuel AME Church last week.

President Barack Obama will be among the speakers during the service, as will other national and local dignitaries.  The coverage will originate from the campus of the College of Charleston.

Regularly scheduled children’s programming will be preempted on UNC-TV for this special coverage.  Parents seeking an alternative source for public television children’s programs can find them on UNC-KD, a channel that offers children’s programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  UNC-KD is a sister service of UNC-TV.

In announcing the decision to carry the live broadcast, Gail Zimmermann, the interim director and general manager of UNC-TV, said, “This horrific event has touched all of us very deeply, and in ways we are only beginning to comprehend.  We are gratified to have the opportunity to work with SCETV to serve our viewers in this difficult moment.”

UNC-TV is North Carolina’s statewide public television network, delivering four channels of digital programming to viewers of all ages.