Progress Energy underwrote a documentary based on Richard Moore's book.

The electric utility was one of four sponsors of "Faces from the Flood," a 55-minute documentary about Hurricane Floyd that aired on UNC-TV in 2004. (It also bought copies of the book.)

The public television station hired independent producer Donna Campbell, who had already made two documentaries on the hurricane, to make a third in April of 2003, while the book was still being written.

Campbell worked with Treasurer Moore and co-author Jay Barnes, tracking down many of their key sources for second interviews on film. Moore is also featured for three minutes toward the end of the documentary.

UNC-TV spokesman Steve Volstad said that the sponsors were found by a separate department. Moore and Campbell both told Dome they were not aware who the sponsors were during filming.

Each of the sponsors — Progress, Lowe's Home Improvement, First Citizens Bank and the nonprofit Broyhill Foundation — contributed $15,000.

The show aired on May 20, 2004, and has been broadcast six times.

Richard Moore has not yet made any money on his book deal.

Although national politicians often get million-dollar advances from publishers, the state treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate has not yet received any royalties for his 2004 book "Faces from the Flood."

The book, a collection of oral histories of North Carolinians' experiences during Hurricane Floyd, was published through the University of North Carolina Press in Chapel Hill.

Moore's co-author Jay Barnes received a $5,000 advance on royalties to defray the cost of research. Moore and Barnes also paid $588 for an index.

As of May 30, the two were just $8.49 short of earning back the advance. That means any sales from then on will start earning royalties for the two authors.

Moore said he will donate his share of the proceeds to the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

"I was never under any illusion that this would be a big seller," he said.