Season 5 Archived Episodes (1996 - 1997)

Angst In Cyberspace (No. 501)

Gene Brodeur is joined by a panel of computer experts in examing what happens in the year 2,000 when millions of older computers and records will be rolled over to the new millennium. Will they be able to cope with the changes? (First Aired Friday, July 12, 1996)

Whirling Disease: An Update (No. 502)

Last October, a panel of experts examined the threat to Montana's blue-ribbon trout streams posed by whirling disease. The discussion continues as trout fishers from around the glove descend upon Montana duringthe peak of the fly fishing season. (First Aired Friday, July 26, 1996)

The Republican National Convention (No. 503)

Gene Brodeur hosts a conversation with noted Montanans as they reflect on the issues and platform presented during the PBS/NBC coverage of the 1996 Republican Convention which took place and aired over KUSM on August 12, 13, 14, & 15, 1996. (First Aired Friday, August 16, 1996)

The Democratic National Convention (No. 504)

Gene Brodeur hosts a conversation with noted Montanans as they reflect on the issues and platform presented during the PBS/NBC coverage of the 1996 Democratic Convention which took place and aired over KUSM on August 26, 27, 28, & 29, 1996. (First Aired Friday, August 30, 1996)

A Special Interest Look at the Conventions (W.T.) (No. 505)

Host Gene Brodeur will present a panel of concerned citizens who will discuss how they viewed the Political Conventions in terms of their individual and/or action group's agendas for the Republican or Democratic Party Platforms. (First Aired Friday, September 27, 1996)

Telecommunications Explosion (No. 506)

Gene Brodeur and members of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Telecommunications Task Force examine the rapidly expanding access to the Internet and other telecommunications services in the state. Who gets to cruise the communications highway and what will it cost? will start the conversations. (First Aired Friday, October 11, 1996)

The Changing Face of Local Government (No. 507)

Members of the Local Government Center at MSU look at upwards of 30 ballot measures that ask voters whether or not they want to shake up the existing structure of county and municipal forms of government. (First Aired Friday, October 25, 1996)

After The Vote (No. 508)

(First Aired Friday, November 08, 1996)

Finish Your Vegetables (No. 509)

What better time than the holiday season to take a look at changing trends in fufilling our nutritional needs? Gene Brodeur visits with nutritionists about letting children have a say in finishing what's ontheir plates. (First Aired Friday, November 22, 1996)

Volatile Times In Russia (No. 510)

International journalist Tom Goltz and MSU Political Science professor Franke Wilmer discuss instability in Russia and changes in Eastern Bloc Nations since the fall of Communism. (First Aired Friday, December 20, 1996)

Legislative Preview (No. 511)

Gene Brodeur and guests review the mood and make up of the 55th Session of the Montana Legislature. (First Aired Friday, December 27, 1996)

Big Sky Property Taxes: Sky's The Limit (No. 512)

Property owners are bracing for soaring reappraisals. Sweet Grass County is expected to jump 75%. Gallatin County appraisals have increased by 66%. Gene Brodeur examines legislative attempts to ease the crunch. (First Aired Friday, January 10, 1997)

Tale of Two Towns (Part I) (No. 514)

Part one of a series about urban expansion in Montana. Gene Brodeur examines the agenda of Gallatin Valley Tomorrow. The group is hosting an on-going series of community meetings to determine future growth in Bozeman. (First Aired Friday, February 14, 1997)

Tale of Two Towns (Part II) (No. 515)

Part two of a series about urban expansion in Montana. Gene Brodeur examines a unique approach to dealing with urban sprawl. MSU researchers are using a computer template to track growth in Three Forks, Montana. Their study is considered to be a prototype to assist residents or small towns in planning for future growth. (First Aired Friday, February 28, 1997)

Our Preoccupation with Being Thin (No. 516)

Gene Brodeur talks with a nutritionist, counselor and nurse practitioner about the media's projection of lean and trim models as the ticket to success in our society. The "fat phobia" often leads to eating disorders, but there are smart options to avoid these extremes. (First Aired Friday, March 14, 1997)

Overhaul of the State Mental Health Care System (No. 517)

More states are shifting mental health care from a government provided service to the private sector. Gene Brodeur examines Montana's proposal to join the growing trend. (First Aired Friday, March 28, 1997)

Dumbing Down (No. 518)

Are students as disconnected from the learning process as some charge, or has the technological boom left those who still rely on print in the dust? MSU English professor Michael Sexson, and winners of a recent essay contest he conducted on the subject of intellectual standards, join Gene Brodeur for a discussion about the persuit of higher education in the nineties. (First Aired Friday, April 11, 1997)

Aids In Montana, An Update (No. 519)

Centers for Disease Control statistics for the first half of 1996 show a 12% drop in AIDS fatalities - the first significant drop since the CDC began tracking the disease 15 years ago. Gene Brodeur discusses the reasons behind the decline with members of the Montana Chapter of the American Red Cross and other AIDS workers in the state. (First Aired Friday, April 25, 1997)

Legislative Wrap Up (No. 520)

Leaders from the Senate and House join Gene Brodeur for a look back on the accomplishments and shortcomings of the just completed 55th session of the Montana State Legislature. (First Aired Sunday, May 11, 1997)

The Bison Issue (No. 521)

The state's policy to slaughter buffalo leaving the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park came under heavy fire from opponents this past winter. Caught in the crossfire are Governer Racicot, Park Superintendent Mike Finley and other policy makers who are trying to initiate a policy that might ease rancher's concerns about the threat of brucellosis spreading to their herds, and environmentalists who want to stop the practice of shooting the animals. (First Aired Sunday, May 25, 1997)

"Honey, I Shrunk The Revenues" (No. 522)

Gene Brodeur continues his follow up on the 55th session of the Montana Legislature. When lawmakers voted in a property tax freeze, local governments took a bath in red ink. Will the freeze trigger cutbacks of anticipated city services or will Senate Bill 195 allow a two year time span to work out a better solution? (First Aired Friday, June 13, 1997)

"Are We Caving In to the Feds?" (No. 523)

When the 1997 legislature rammed through a stop gap measure to guarantee more than $100 million dollars in federal welfare money, critics said that it translated to a loss in sovereignty. Lawmakers join Gene Brodeur in a discussion over this move to collect revenues from deadbeat parents who dodge the system. (First Aired Friday, June 27, 1997)

Deregulation: A Better Bang for the Buck? (No. 524)

Members of the fifty-fifth session of the Montana Legislature passed a couple of key measures that will deregulate gas and electric utilities and telecommunications. Gene Brodeur visits with lawmakers and power company representatives to find out more about the impact that changes will have on consumers. (First Aired Friday, July 11, 1997)

Don't Fence Me In (No. 525)

It's no secret that the Rockies have been discovered. As urban dwellers flee the city in hordes for their piece of the Big Sky, the landscape undergoes dramatic changes. Authors, who have been tracking the migration and its resulting changes, discuss the evolution of the new West. (First Aired Friday, July 25, 1997)