Towers Production, Inc. Licenses Catalogue to National Geographic Television International
October 2nd 2008
Distribution Deal Features Over 30 Hours of Historical and Factual Programming
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
US factual and entertainment producer Towers Productions, Inc has licensed a raft of programming to National Geographic Television International (NGTI) - ready for launch at MIPCOM. The new representation deal between Chicago-based Towers and London-based NGTI includes more than 30 hours of completed or about-to-deliver contemporary history programming, plus a first look deal on future productions.
Programmes being introduced at MIPCOM include: The Final Report (15 x 47), an exceptional strand of HD programming that deconstructs some of the most high-profile and iconic events of recent times and looks at the stories behind the story to explain why events occurred as they did. Topics covered include Waco, Jonestown, Watergate, the OJ Simpson Trial and the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979.
When Weather Makes History (10 x 43) is an innovative series in HD, spotlighting the weather that has quite literally changed our world. Stories are told with an eye toward the unexpected by highlighting the ways in which the power of nature has steered much of history. Stories covered in this series include the NASA space shuttle Challenger disaster, the rescue of cancer-sufferer Jerri Nielsen from the South Pole and Dunkirk.
Towers is also just wrapping production on Inside The Vietnam War (3 x 50) Ð an impactful story of the war in Vietnam, told from start to finish as a first person military chronicle. Amazingly enough, in the 30 plus years since the war ended, no major television documentary has ever provided this kind of comprehensive perspective: the raw, horrifying war as experienced by the men who fought it, day by day, believing that they were there to win. Ultimately, this story is one of Ôtipping pointsÕ, examining the crucial events that shaped military decisions and, ultimately, determined the outcome of the war.
Completing the titles available from NGTI at Mipcom are three programmes with different perspectives on Iraq: The Case Against Saddam (1 x 47), After Saddam (1 x 47) and The Road to War (1 x 47). The Road to War is a new, objective analysis of how President Bush came to make his decision to go to war with Iraq and the steps he
took to accomplish his mission. From classified meetings to public speeches, we hear the intimate details from those who were there.
William Fisher, CEO of Towers Productions comments: “passion for factual programming has always been the driving force for our company. We are delighted to have found a like-minded partner in NGTI. Through their dedication to this business and their understanding of broadcasters’ needs, they are uniquely positioned bring our work to the broadest possible audience worldwide.”
“Without a doubt, Towers Productions is one of the world’s leading producers of contemporary history, telling compelling stories about iconic people and events with fascinating new information, analysis and insight.” comments Edwina Thring, NGTI’s head of acquisitions and co-productions. “The Towers catalogue provides a great complement to our own and we are delighted to have established this relationship in time for Mipcom.”
The deal also includes 8 new episodes of The Final Report (in Standard Definition), currently in production. New episodes include: TWA Flight 800, Oklahoma City Bombing, Battle of Fallujah, Exon Valdez, Attica, and Attack on Khobar Towers.
About Towers Productions, Inc.
Founded in 1989, Towers Productions (TPI) is a full-service television production company based in Chicago, IL. TPI has produced nearly one thousand hours of factual and entertainment programming for US and international networks, including A&E, The Biography Channel, CNN, Court TV (TruTV), The History Channel, Discovery Networks, HDNet, Lifetime, MGM, MSNBC, National Geographic Channel, NBC, PBS, Reelz, WGN and The Weather Channel. Nominated for Emmy and Cable Ace awards, Towers Productions was recently honored for Best Writing and Best News Documentary Special at the New York Festival for the four-part mini-series Inside 9/11, produced for the National Geographic Channel. Most recently, TPI received the Commitment to Excellence Award from the Hugo Television Awards in 2007.
National Geographic Television International (NGTI) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Geographic Ventures, the commercial arm of the National Geographic Society. Based in London, NGTI currently licenses more than 1,500 programme titles to broadcasters around the globe, across a diverse and ever-growing range of genres, including: Natural History; Civilisations & History; Science; People & Places; Adventure; Current Affairs/Society and Kids. In addition to licensing programmes produced by National Geographic Television & Film, NGTI also licenses programmes made by some of the world’s leading independent producers.
For further information, please contact::
Sabrina Propper President
R Propper International Public Relations 818.515.5798
Spropper.rpipr@gmail.com
Michelle Waldron
Director of Marketing & Communications
+ 44 (0) 20 7751 7578
michelle.waldron@natgeotv-int.com
