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Fact Sheet: The Golf Channel

Sunday, December 9, 2007 , Posted by Christopher Byrne at 10:50 PM, under , , , , ,

Athens, GA (Dec 9, 2007) - This is the The Golf Channel fact sheet as published by the network.

In 1991 media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, AL, had a hunch that enough interest existed among the public to support a 24-hour cable golf channel. After a Gallup Survey confirmed strong demand for a golf channel, Gibbs and golf legend Arnold Palmer co-founded The Golf Channel.

Initial investors in The Golf Channel included a consortium of six multiple system cable operators (MSO's), including Continental Cablevision, Comcast Cable Communications, Newhouse Broadcasting, Cablevision Industries, Adelphia Communications, and Times Mirror Company. More than $80 million was secured to finance The Golf Channel's launch on January 17, 1995.

The Golf Channel's first live televised tournament was the Dubai Desert Classic, which aired January 19-22, 1995.

Number of Employees
The Golf Channel employs more than 330 people in its Orlando, FL corporate headquarters and studios.

Programming Description

The Golf Channel is available in more than 90 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. It features a programming schedule that includes more live golf coverage than any other network – an extensive blend of golf competition from around the world – as well as news, instruction and original productions, such as the popular Big Break series.

In addition to being the exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour, European Tour and Canadian Tour, The Golf Channel is the exclusive cable home of the Champions Tour and televises other competition from the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour of Southern Africa.

Original programming includes Golf Central, a nightly golf news show; the Sprint Post Game, a twice-weekly, post-tournament shows featuring news, statistics, interviews and analysis on the week’s competition; Academy Live, a weekly call-in show offering viewers an opportunity to improve their game by consulting with top teaching professionals; Playing Lessons From the Pros, a series that provides instruction from tour players during their off-day practice rounds; Golf Channel Academy, a series of half-hour instructional programs; What’s in the Bag? , a series focusing on golf equipment, accessories and the titans of the industry; and Golf With Style! , a series that showcases the lifestyle of golf around the world. Other programming highlights include celebrity interviews, video tours of the world’s great courses, golf classics and other golf specials and documentaries.

Charitable Giving

At the Golf Channel, we believe in the philosophy of “giving back” to the community in which we live and work. We believe the reputation our company has as a responsible corporate citizen is an important ingredient to the success of our organization. We are committed to the fact that – One Single Act of Kindness Touches Many!

We believe, when we invest our time and energy in the community, we all win. The Golf Channel isn’t satisfied to simply provide the most innovative golf entertainment on the globe – we give back to our community and we’re very proud to do so.

When we began our search for a Philanthropic Giving Partner we were intent on finding a philanthropic partner with an exceptional rating for exceeding industry standards – one who outperformed most charities in its Cause. We wanted to identify a meaningful organization; integrity and credibility were of the utmost importance in our search. Our desire was to find a family focused organization, one that catered to children. We looked at non-profit organizations - all with a four star rating for their organizational efficiency and their organizational capacity. It was critical for us to find a partner with an impeccable reputation for keeping administrative costs low; an organization that devotes the majority of their spending to the program and services they provide. Our search led us to an amazing organization right in our backyard – Give Kids The World

Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. It started with a dream that one day would touch tens-of-thousands of families all over the globe.

Every child has a dream … and very often for a child with a life-threatening illness, the ultimate dream is to visit the theme parks in Central Florida. Wish-granting foundations in communities around the world identify these very special children and provide the families’ round-trip transportation to Orlando, Florida. From there … Give Kids The World takes over by providing a joyful, cost-free, week-long vacation in Central Florida. Families stay at the magical 70-acre Give Kids The World Village which was built especially for kids with special needs. In addition to the fun, food and special activities at the Village, families enjoy donated tickets to Central Florida’s best-loved theme parks too. Since its founding in 1986, GKTW has welcomed over 75,000 families from all 50 states and over 55 countries.

What an amazing thing it is to make a child smile. Something so simple, something so important and something often taken for granted.

The Golf Channel proudly supports Give Kids The World with charitable contributions, in-kind donations and volunteer efforts. To learn more about Give Kids The World please visit http://www.gktw.org/

Site Link: http://www.thegolfchannel.com/

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