FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
ARNOLD PALMER CUTS THE RIBBON ON NEW MORNING DRIVE SET, CHRISTENED “STUDIO AP”
State-of-the-Art Studio Brings the Outside in with Four New Sets
Morning Drive Debuts a New Seven-Day Format Starting February 4th
ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2013) – Arnold Palmer cut the ribbon Tuesday morning at Golf Channel studios to officially christened Morning Drive’s new set as “Studio AP” in his honor. Palmer co-founded Golf Channel with cable television entrepreneur Joe Gibbs in 1995 and has been involved ever since, including starting his day with Morning Drive. In addition to revealing the new state-of-the-art studio, Palmer introduced a new autograph board that will be signed by every guest that visits Morning Drive.
“Arnold Palmer is not only Golf Channel’s co-founder, but also now one of Morning Drive’s most loyal viewers, so we are proud to be naming Morning Drive’s new studio after him,” said Mike McCarley, Golf Channel President. “Morning Drive’s new editorial philosophy is to showcase golf as a lifestyle for a lifetime, just as Mr. Palmer has enjoyed all aspects of the game since first swinging a club at age 3.”
Morning Drive’s new studio features four dedicated sets: a main anchor desk, an interview area, a product demonstration area and a news update desk. The new home is nearly four times larger than the show’s original studio. Panoramic, high-definition video backdrops throughout the studio will make viewers feel like the Morning Drive cast is broadcasting from just inside the picture windows of their local clubhouse. This signature Morning Drive look is accomplished by linking 20, 90-inch and 10, 52-inch monitors to create golf course morning vistas.
Golf Channel’s popular Morning Drive will re-launch on Feb. 4 with a new format, a new cast of co-hosts and an expanded, seven-days-a-week schedule. Joining Morning Drive regulars Gary Williams, Damon Hack and Holly Sonders is Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer. Several other regular contributors and guest hosts include longtime Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman, Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster, Ahmad Rashad, 11-time PGA TOUR winner John Cook, Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam, former Golf Digest travel editor Matt Ginella, and host of Top 10 and GolfNow Lauren Thompson.
Follow Morning Drive on Twitter: @GCMorningDrive
Follow Golf Channel on Twitter: @GolfChannel
Become a fan of Morning Drive on Facebook at: Facebook.com/GCMorningDrive
Become a fan of Golf Channel on Facebook at: Facebook.com/GolfChannel
About Golf Channel
As the fastest-growing network on television, 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. As part of the NBC Sports Group, professional golf coverage on NBC is branded “Golf Channel on NBC,” further extending the Golf Channel brand to NBC’s broadcast audiences. 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.
