WRAL-TV to Sponsor, Televise Parade of Sail

WRAL-TV to Sponsor, Televise Parade of Sail

BEAUFORT, N.C., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- WRAL-TV, of Raleigh, NC, will provide extensive television coverage of Americas' Sail 2006, a maritime festival showcasing tall ships in Beaufort and Morehead City June 30 - July 5. The station's coverage will include a live broadcast of the WRAL Parade of Sail, a spectacular procession of tall ships that will serve as the kickoff for Americas' Sail festivities.

Live coverage, hosted by Bill Leslie and Debra Morgan, will air from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 1. Viewers from across North Carolina will have the opportunity to watch as more than a dozen majestic tall ships parade through the channel into Beaufort and Morehead City. The high- definition broadcast will air simultaneously on WILM-TV (Wilmington) and UNC- TV (statewide), and will be streamed internationally, live on the WRAL web site at www.wral.com.

"We're thrilled to bring this exciting live event to people across North Carolina," said Jim Goodmon, chief executive officer of Capitol Broadcasting Co., which owns WRAL and WILM. Goodmon said, "The WRAL Parade of Sail will have a major economic impact on North Carolina and its coast. It also will launch the development of the Olde Beaufort Seaport."

Capitol Broadcasting Co. is a major sponsor of Americas' Sail 2006 and WRAL-TV will broadcast live news reports from the event throughout the week.

Viewers will be able to enjoy the WRAL Parade of Sail from five different camera locations, including live shots from aboard one of the tall ships and high definition aerial views provided by SKY-5. The parade also will be streamed internationally on the Internet and can be viewed on two large screen Jumbotrons situated along the Beaufort waterfront and in Morehead City.

Bill Leslie, whose "Peaceful Journeys" CD reached No. 1 on the New Age Celtic chart, has written original music for the program.

Following Americas' Sail 2006, WRAL will produce two commemorative DVDs that will be sold at the N.C. Maritime Museum and on the WRAL web site. The DVDs will include a two-hour program that captures the parade and other highlights from the week's events and a 30-minute program focusing on the development of Olde Beaufort Seaport, a turn-of-the-century maritime village being developed by the N.C. Maritime Museum. Profits from the sale of the DVDs will benefit the development of Olde Beaufort Seaport.

About Americas' Sail 2006

Americas' Sail, a maritime festival showcasing tall ships, will be held June 30 - July 5 in Beaufort and Morehead City, NC. The festival, hosted by the Friends of the N.C. Maritime Museum, will provide visitors with the unique opportunity to tour these majestic tall ships. Special events include the WRAL Parade of Sail, a 15-mile race along the shores of Atlantic Beach, and a spectacular Fourth of July celebration. Throughout the week, the Beaufort waterfront will host an array of entertainment and activities. For more info, visit www.pepsiamericassail.com.

The N.C. Maritime Museum interprets the state's maritime history and celebrates the natural beauty, precious resources and rich cultural heritage of coastal North Carolina. It is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

Source: WRAL-TV

CONTACT: Robert Brown, +1-919-810-1901, or Robert@rbpr.com, for WRAL-TV

Web site: http://www.wral.com/
http://www.pepsiamericassail.com/

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