Television

The BT Global Challenge is a great sporting event, but more than that it is a unique adventure. A fascinating blend of human endeavour and determination.

The television series will capture and portray the hopes and dreams of people who want to challenge themselves and their lifestyle by taking on one of the greatest tests of endurance against the might of the world's oceans. There will be a series of six, 30 minute documentaries and a 50 minute special for Christmas 1997 on BBC2. The programmes will be transmitted as close as possible to the departure of the yachts from each port of call.

The viewer will watch the sacrifices that some will inevitably have to make to achieve their goal. The struggle and survival by others to overcome the physical and mental challenges, the highest highs and the lowest lows. For many the greatest challenge of all takes place before the starting gun even fires, and the programmes will be there to record these powerful moments.

Programme One
Sunday 29 September 1996 - TX18.15
Preparations for the event & race start
Transmission on Sunday evening to coincide with the race start that day. The programme will include highlights of the start in the Solent. This will be the programme of the build-up to the race, an introduction to a cross section of the volunteers, their training & commitment, the challenge of taking part and profiles of the skippers on whose shoulders the responsibility of their charges rests.

Programme Two
Saturday 23 November 1996 - TX18.20
The leg to Rio
Transmitted following the restart from Rio. The story of the first leg across the Atlantic.

Programme Three
Friday 14 February 1997 - TX 19.30
The race to New Zealand
Following the race restart from Wellington, charting the race to New Zealand around Cape Horn.

Programme Four
Sunday 6 April 1997 - TX 16.25
The sprint to Sydney
Coverage of the short third leg from Wellington, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia - and the celebrations which take place in one of the most breathtaking cities in the world.

Programme Five
Saturday 17 May 1997 - TX 18.35 TBC
The voyage to Cape Town
Transmitted on the day the boats leave South Africa. The Wellington to Sydney leg and then the race through the Southern Pacific to Cape Town.

Programme Six
Friday 11 July 1997 - TX 19.15 TBC
Across the Atlantic to Boston
A look back across the Atlantic leg.

Programme Seven
Friday 8 August 1997 - TX 19.30 TBC
The race to the finish
Approximately ten days after the finish of the race. A documentary which looks back across the Atlantic to the finish, plus all the celebrations.

Programme Eight
Friday 26 September 1997 - TX 19.30 TBC

UK AUDIENCE

14.5M people in the UK have an interest involvement in Boating or Watersports although only 10.5% of this total actively participate. This makes television coverage key for awareness of the BT Global Challenge and to broaden the audience as those who watch sailing programmes are not necessarily participants.

Television audience of sailing programmes in the UK:

Mostly male and over 25 years
Satellite, cable and sports channels viewed by both ABC1s and C2DEs
Younger profile viewers on Eurosport and specialist sporting channels
Higher proportion of ABC1s for BBC2
Average Friday pm television audience on BBC2 is 1.5 - 3M

The BBC2 audience is larger than specialist channels and has a higher proportion of ABC1s but supporting editorial/advertising in TV listings magazines and satellite/cable TV guides would effectively cover a wider target group.

International Distribution
The television series is available to broadcasters worldwide.
For further information please contact :

• Laurie Ward, BBC Worldwide on +44 181 576 2471
  or
  Ben Challis, The Television Company on +44 171 837 0789

Reuters Television News Service

Reuters Television are producing the official television news service throughout the race.

News material for broadcasters will be available from Reuters in London to all Reuters subscribers and on request via satellite, landline and cassette. There will be regular video news releases, for further information or specific requests please contact:

• Chris Dyer, Reuters on +44 171 542 3593
  or
  Ben Challis, The Television Company on +44 837 0789

Reuters will have a video crew in all ports of call for three days to cover the television news service. Additional production requirements are bookable through Reuters in advance of the fleet arrival in port.

News Service

1 x Race Start Preview News Package
Distribution early September
A focus on all elements of the race, featuring stock shots and profiles of each skipper with on-board and action footage, interviews with Chay Blyth, yacht skippers, crew and other key people, graphics showing the race course. This material will form the basis of a stock library of pictures for broadcasters to use throughout the race.

1 x Race Start Package
Distribution 29 September 1996
Distribution of the news package of the race start on 29 September with land line feeds to broadcasters from Ocean Village.

6 x Arrivals News Packages
Covering the arrival of the winning yacht of each leg in port. Distribution of the news package on the day of arrival of the first yacht in each port (6 stories). This may include coverage of other finishers if they arrive on the same day and within transmission deadlines.

6 x Departures Preview Features
A preview feature story covering no less than two yachts, these will feature topical issues and location reports covering: repairs and maintenance, crew changes and interviews, stopover activities and events. Distribution will be one to two days before each leg starts (6 stories).

6 x Race Restart and Departures
A news package from each port covering the race starts in each port, included in the report will be updates of any last minute incidents or developments. Distribution on the day of departure (6 stories).

BT Broadcast Services

BT's C-Band digital flyaway will allow transmission of pictures from some of the world's most remote regions, including each of the ports of call the race will visit.

Customers wishing to book the facility during the race should ring the Major Events team on
Freefone 0800 679071 (UK only)
+44 171 406 8422 (International).