THE TENNIS CHANNEL TO CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF TENNIS MAGAZINE DURING US OPEN

SANTA MONICA, August 30, 2005 —

Tennis Magazines Most Memorable Moments of the Past 40 Years Premieres Sept. 5, Chronicles Sports Progress during Open Era through Interviews with Chris Evert, Bud Collins, Billie Jean King, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Nick Bollettieri and Others

The Tennis Channel, 24-hour cable television network devoted to tennis and other racquet sports, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of a tennis standard with a one-hour special during this years US Open. Tennis Magazines Most Memorable Moments of the Past 40 Years will premiere Monday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and chronicle the greatest moments on the court, in addition to the faces, clothing, hairstyles, equipment, organizational structures, leadership and impact of tennis on the American sports scene since the publications launch in 1965. The Tennis Channels Bruce Rider, executive vice president, programming and marketing, announced the original program today.

The debut of Tennis magazine coincided with what has become the modern era of the sport, marked by a clear transition into the Open Era of tennis in 1968, from a previous period when only amateur players were eligible to lace up for high-profile competitions. From Charlie Pasarell and Pancho Gonzalez to Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi with attention to Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe along the way the show takes viewers on a four-decade study of the games development during that time.

The first thing audiences are going to take from this program is just how dramatic the changes have been in tennis over the past 40 years, said Rider. Tennis magazine has been present at an incredible number of groundbreaking moments in the sports history. Were very proud to showcase what theyve been able to capture over the years, and hope that when our 40th anniversary comes we will have lived up to the standard theyve set as a forum for tennis.

True to its name, Tennis Magazines Most Memorable Moments offers a unique perspective of the games great moments. Instead of relying on the player and competition footage common to sports documentary programs, the special honors the editorial and exciting photographs that have brought the drama and passion of tennis to Tennis magazine readers during the past 40 years. More than 300 photos are used to back the programs narrative, all but a handful of them pulled from the publications archives. The scenes depict moments frozen in time and tennis history, classic snapshots of triumph and defeat both on and off the court.

Though an integral part of the program, the magazine photos are connected with running commentary from a series of well-known tennis faces, among them Evert, King, Jim Courier, broadcaster Bud Collins and celebrated coach Nick Bollettieri, the latter the mastermind behind a pantheon of active and retired Grand Slam champions. The sports many changes over the years are retold by those who were at the point of impact, who saw and felt firsthand the results of the initial efforts to market tennis players as media vehicles, for instance, or 1973s classic Battle of the Sexes as a reflection of the changing role of women in western society at large. The special also touches upon pieces of widely unknown tennis history, such as the immortal Arthur Ashe collecting a mere $28 as an amateur winner of his first US Open championship.

Following its debut on Sept. 5, Tennis Magazines Most Memorable Moments of the Past 40 Years will be televised throughout the month on The Tennis Channel.

The Tennis Channel (www.thetennischannel.com) is the 24-hour cable television network devoted to tennis and other racquet sports, and provides unparalleled coverage of the game, its elite championships and its superstar athletes. The networks comprehensive coverage includes telecasts of the US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, Fed Cup and Hyundai Hopman Cup. The Tennis Channel also showcases instruction from the finest teachers, legendary matches, in-depth profiles of the greatest players, analysis and news, the latest on equipment, and tennis getaways.