THUNDER BROADCAST TO ARMED FORCES AROUND THE GLOBE

2001-06-26T16:29:30

June 26, 2001. Louisville, KY- U.S. military personnel and their families stationed all over the world will be able to celebrate the country’s birthday on July 4 by viewing a special two-hour broadcast of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2001 Thunder Over Louisville show. Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS), which reaches an audience of more than 800,000, will air the program, which features the entire 30-minute Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show, as well as portions of the Air Show and other Thunder Day activities. It is an edited version of the official broadcast of Thunder as produced by the official station, local ABC affiliate WHAS11.

“This is the third year we’ve aired a broadcast of Thunder Over Louisville,” said Bob Matheson, program director for AFRTS. “Last year it was a 90-minute show, and we’ve expanded it to a full two hours this year. It’s becoming a Fourth of July tradition for us and Americans stationed all over the world. It’s sort of a remedy for homesickness – it’s a great representation of the American spirit.”

“We’re proud to bring this unique slice of Americana to the men and women who serve our country worldwide,” said Bob Klingle, vice president and general manager of WHAS11 and Kentucky Derby Festival board member. “It’s our gift to them.”

The 120-minute program airing on AFRTS was produced by WHAS11. In addition to the AFRTS broadcast, a 60-minute version of the show will be rebroadcast on KET2 on July 4 at 10 p.m., according to Dick Hoffman, KET’s director of programming.

Matheson said this year he attended his first Thunder Over Louisville in person. “It was just incredible,” said Matheson. “I really didn’t know anything about it until we got a call from the Kentucky Air National Guard three years ago telling us this we be a good show for us to broadcast. WHAS sent us a tape of the fireworks show and we aired it on the Fourth of July. We got such a great response, we decided to broadcast every year.”

Matheson said the Thunder Over Louisville show will be seen in more than 170 different countries, including China, Russia and South Korea. “The broadcasts are seen worldwide by Americans on active military duty, as well as civilian Defense Department Civil Service employees. They’re also seen on U.S. Navy ships at sea,” he said.

“These are the people who are protecting our freedom every day, but they’re sort of forgotten if there is no conflict going on. The (Thunder Over Louisville) broadcast is a really patriotic show for them. It probably means the most to Kentuckians in the military; it really hits home for them. In addition to the fireworks and the air show, the program captures some of the local color and pageantry of the Derby Festival.”

In 1942, the War Department officially established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) with the mission of providing programming, shortwave service and broadcast equipment for U.S. military locations overseas. Many young radio entertainers got their start on AFRS during World War II. Armed Forces Television began at Limestone Air Force Base in Maine in 1953 as an experimental station. In 1954, the television mission was officially recognized and AFRS became AFRTS – the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

Thunder Over Louisville – the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies – is the nation’s largest annual fireworks display. The Thunder Air Show, which precedes the pyrotechnics, is among the top five air shows in the country. The 2001 Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show was ignited by Matthew Scott and Jerry Fisher, the world’s only two successful hand transplant recipients. They were assisted by Jim Harrington, a retired NASA Launch Director.

Thunder Over Louisville is sponsored by Blue Chip Broadcasting, Caesars Indiana, Ford Motor Co. and UPS.