PRESS RELEASE: DIRECTV Scores a Hole-in-One With Golf Stories On The 101 Network

Hosted by Peter Kessler, a Series of One Hour-Long Specials
Will Highlight the Best of Golf, from Players and Instructors
To Courses and Equipment 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2010 – DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service, and 4Ball Productions, announced today the launch of Golf Stories on The 101 Network, presented by The Spirit International, premiering Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on DIRECTV’s The 101 Network. Hosted by Peter Kessler, the series of one hour-long specials will air throughout the year, providing viewers with an insider’s look at the world of golf, profiles of the world’s greatest resorts and top courses, interviews with the greats of the game, the history of the game, behind the scenes looks at life on tour, instructions on how to improve their game and much, much more.

            “DIRECTV is already the leader in the clubhouse with golf fans who have enjoyed an unprecedented level of golf programming that has included exclusive, interactive coverage of all four major grand slam tournaments,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, Entertainment and Production for DIRECTV. “Golf Stories on The 101 Network perfectly compliments our existing programming by offering golf fans and enthusiasts access to the best courses, tours, instruction and players that cannot be found anywhere else.”

This month’s premiere of Golf Stories on The 101 Network is co-hosted by Stina Sternberg and features an interview with Jack Nicklaus, golf’s “Golden Bear.” Nicklaus sits down with Kessler and opens up about life, family and golf.  The episode also includes a behind-the-scenes look at how Golf Digest shoots its year-long instructionals with Butch Harmon, the game’s most influential teacher; a visit with Marius Filmalter, the new TOUR putting guru whose first client was Tiger Woods; a look at The Spirit, one of golf’s premier amateur events; and an emotional one-on-one with the father of modern golf instruction, Bob Toski.

Known as the “Voice of Golf,” Peter Kessler was also the voice of HBO Sports and has narrated Emmy award-winning documentaries. As the primary talent at The Golf Channel for eight years, he wrote, hosted and produced over 1,300 hours of live television, interviewing every great player and teacher of the 20th century. Peter also wrote highly acclaimed long-form interviews for GOLF Magazine and founded the first company to market hybrid golf clubs. For the past five years, Kessler has hosted and produced two golf talk shows on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s PGA Tour Network.

 The first episode features Golf Digest Senior Editor and golf personality, Stina Sternberg, who was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sternberg’s television résumé includes hosting gigs on Golf Channel shows such as The Big Break, The Turn, Golf With Style and Fore Inventors Only. A former correspondent on USA Network’s PGA Tour Sunday and ESPN2’s Cold Pizza, she now appears regularly as an expert on golf TV and radio broadcasts across the country.

Ken Solomon, the chairman and CEO of the Tennis Channel, chairman of Ovation and founder of the Fine Living Network, is the show’s executive producer and co-creator.

About DIRECTV’s The 101® Network

The 101 Network, DIRECTV’s exclusive entertainment channel, is a unique television experience that is available to more than 18.6 million DIRECTV subscribers. In 2008, the network changed the television landscape by partnering with NBC to produce and air three additional seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series Friday Night Lights and more recently becoming the exclusive home of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning drama Damages, with Glenn Close. As a result, The 101 Network has become the premiere destination for diverse, quality and critically acclaimed programming including Underbelly, Supreme Court of Comedy and The Dan Patrick Show. Through its partnerships with leading television and film studios, networks and top cable channels, The 101 Network offers viewers the finest in drama and comedy, with feature films and TV specials, daring, innovative series, exclusive “sneak peek” programming and premium cable series un-cut in their original form. The 101 Network showcases concert specials from superstar artists and celebrated music festivals such as Farm Aid, sporting events such as UFC Fighter exposés and the annual DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl.

###

Press Contact:

DIRECTV                                         

Cara Brugnoli

212.205.0887

CMBrugnoli@DIRECTV.com