FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
GOLF CHANNEL GETS ITS OWN ‘DRIVE’ WITH STREET RENAMING
Arnold Palmer, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Help Unveil New Street Name for Golf Channel’s Orlando Studios
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 20, 2012) – In appreciation of Golf Channel’s 17-years-plus commitment to its community, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer – with the help of golfing legend Arnold Palmer and Golf Channel President Mike McCarley – today unveiled a new street name for the cable network, “Golf Channel Drive,” which was celebrated at the network’s studios by more than 200 invited guests and employees.
Among those in attendance were Golf Channel co-founder Joe Gibbs; Tom Ridge, former United States secretary of Homeland Security; Joe Steranka, chief executive officer of the PGA of America; Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive officer, Universal Parks & Resorts; and Rick Anderson, executive vice president, PGA TOUR.
“For me this is an extreme pleasure to be here in Orlando,” Palmer said. “I started here in about 1962 and I’ve been hanging on ever since, and each day that goes by I am more proud of what has happened and certainly what has happened with the Golf Channel.”
“For the past 17 years, we have grown to be a proud part of the Orlando community,” McCarley said. “When visitors see how our campus has grown, they will now see the pride on the outside that our founders and employees have always felt on the inside. Our growth is a tribute to the talent, passion and dedication of our employees and is a reflection of the strength of the game we all love.”
Co-founded by Palmer and cable entrepreneur Joe Gibbs in 1995, Golf Channel has grown significantly in size and stature, and has become a global media powerhouse. Upon launch, the network employed 180 people and occupied 38,000 square feet of office and studio space in its Southwest Orlando location. Today, the network is part of the NBC Sports Group of networks. Golf Channel studios have remained in the same location but space has increased to more than 118,000 square feet and employees now number more than 500. Distribution of the network’s programming also has increased from seven million homes in the U.S. to more than 120 million in 83 countries around the world.
About Golf Channel
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, a leading golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.
