Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Reporter Charlie LeDuff Explores the Unique Subcultures that Exist ONLY IN AMERICA

Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Reporter Charlie LeDuff Explores the Unique Subcultures that Exist ONLY IN AMERICA

Silver Spring, Md., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering a fresh perspective on America, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charlie LeDuff of The New York Times takes viewers on an eye-opening journey across the country to report on the nation's varied subcultures in the original Discovery Times Channel series ONLY IN AMERICA. The 10-part series premieres Friday, September 2 at 10 PM (ET/PT).

From fight clubs to battlefield reenactments, with stops along the way that include a gay rodeo in Oklahoma City, arena football in Amarillo and male fashion modeling in New York City, LeDuff uses his unique reportorial skills (and no small measure of charisma) to get inside these often closed or secretive societies. By participating as well as observing, LeDuff gains unique insight into some of the passionate pursuits in which Americans engage.

"We're going across America at a time when many in this country are grappling with who we are as a people," said LeDuff. "There are questions about race, immigration, sexuality, image, beauty. I hope by the end of this series we can answer a few of those questions."

LeDuff joined The New York Times in 1995 and has distinguished himself as a reporter who follows stories that others ignore. Practicing what he calls "hanging-out journalism," LeDuff has written about a wide range of personalities, from an Upper West Side doorman to a down-on-his-luck East Harlem pimp. LeDuff's compelling profiles use evocative, real-world language to capture the detail of everyday lives.

For one of his stories, about life in a North Carolina slaughterhouse, LeDuff spent a month working on the line for part of "How Race Is Lived in America," a Times series that earned the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. His stories about New York City in the aftermath of September 11 appeared regularly in "A Nation Challenged," a special section in The Times that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2002. He is also the author of Work and Other Sins, a collection of his best writings about New York City's life and characters.

Now, LeDuff brings this journalistic talent to his role as reporter in ONLY IN AMERICA. The series is a continuation of his mission to give a voice to people who are rarely covered by the mainstream media.

"I hope that through this show -- with all its outrageousness and poignant moments and tears and laughs -- we're able to say what's on our minds," continued LeDuff. "I put myself out there so the guy on the couch watching might understand the guy he won't talk to."

The first three episodes of ONLY IN AMERICA are as follows:

* ONLY IN AMERICA: Fight Club -- World Premiere: Friday, September 2 at
10 PM (ET/PT)
LeDuff travels to Oakland, Calif., where he meets up with the East Bay
Rats, a motorcycle club that plays host to a gritty neighborhood fight
club. LeDuff learns the ropes from characters involved in every aspect
of the fight club culture, from David "Tank" Abbot, a no-holds-barred
fighter, to the residents of the California streets where this pastime
thrives. Along with interviewing the subjects, LeDuff himself gets a
taste of the ring with the help of Tank, who shows him the ropes and
prepares him for the program climax when LeDuff fights one of the
toughest Rats.

* ONLY IN AMERICA: Gay Rodeo -- World Premiere: Friday, September 9 at 10
PM (ET/PT)
LeDuff immerses himself in the Oklahoma City Gay Rodeo community, where
gays and lesbians demonstrate the arts of calf roping and bull riding
while challenging stereotypes about what it means to be gay in America.
LeDuff first gets some much-needed instruction at gay rodeo school in
Gettysburg, Pa., and then travels to Oklahoma City, where he'll put his
new skills to the test.

* ONLY IN AMERICA: Arena Football -- World Premiere: Friday, September 16
at 10 PM (ET/PT)
LeDuff drives to Amarillo, Texas, home of the Amarillo Dusters. This
minor league football club is filled with dedicated athletes so
passionate about the game that they've left behind families to play for
the Dusters, earning just $200 a game ($250 if they win). While many
arena football leaguers dream of making it to the NFL, others are
simply attracted to the brute violence at the heart of the game. In
this episode, LeDuff suits up to practice with the team members as they
prepare for an upcoming game.

ONLY IN AMERICA is produced for the Discovery Times Channel by Gabriel Films North. David McIlvride and Jonathan Stack are executive producers and directors and Alex Cooke is producer and director. For Discovery Times Channel, Bill Smee is executive producer, and Vivian Schiller is the executive in charge of production.

The Discovery Times Channel (http://www.discovery.com/times) combines the journalistic authority of The New York Times with the programming excellence of Discovery Communications to bring viewers provocative, engaging and relevant documentary series and specials about the events and ideas shaping our times. The network has won multiple industry honors for its breakthrough programming -- including an Emmy, an Overseas Press Club Award, three National Headliner Awards, a BANFF Rockie Award, an International Documentary Association honor and two AWRT Gracie Awards. In addition, the network has had films premiere at various film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, SilverDocs Film Festival and the Tokyo Video Festival. Available to more than 36 million subscribers in the United States, the Discovery Times Channel is a joint venture between The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) and Discovery Communications, Inc., the leading global real-world media and entertainment company.

The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT), a leading media company with 2004 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 16 other newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. For the fifth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2005 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

Source: The Discovery Times Channel

CONTACT: Reenie Kuhlman, +1-240-662-2937, Reenie_Kuhlman@discovery.com,
or Denise Arrigali, +1-678-580-1245, darrigali@comcast.net, both for The
Discovery Times Channel

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/
http://www.discovery.com/times
http://www.press.discovery.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: To download photos for ONLY IN AMERICA, go to http://www.press.discovery.com. Login or register and click on US; Discovery Times Channel; ONLY IN AMERICA. Tapes available upon request.

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