THUNDER USED TO CELEBRATE FOURTH
2003-07-01T14:31:28
THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE TO BE FEATURED ON TRAVEL CHANNEL, KET
and all over the world for the Fourth of July
July 1, 2003 – LOUISVILLE, KY – A ritual of spring will be relived for the Fourth of July. The Kentucky Derby Festival’s annual fireworks show, Thunder Over Louisville, will be featured this week on “Fireworks Road Trip: Episode 1,” airing on The Travel Channel at 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. The program will be repeated at midnight and again at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 6. Two other fireworks-related programs, possibly including coverage of Thunder Over Louisville, also will air later this week on The Travel Channel – “Fireworks Road Trip: Episode 2” will be shown at 10 p.m. on July 3 and “Greatest Fireworks Show on Earth” will be broadcast at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 4. Also on July 4, highlights of the 2003 Thunder Over Louisville will be shown at 8 p.m. on KET 2 and repeated that night at 10:30 p.m. on KET. A program on fireworks, including Thunder, is expected to air July 4 on MSNBC.
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 2003 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 local ABC-affiliate WHAS11.
Said Bob Matheson, program director for AFRTS: “Thunder has become 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.”
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 2003 Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show featured a special tribute to the men and women protecting our country, including an official opening act – a color guard representing the five branches of the U.S. military performing a musical number. Lt. Bob Geary of the Kentucky Air National Guard entertained the crowd with renditions of military theme songs such as “Anchors Away” and “The Halls of Montezuma.”
Thunder Over Louisville 2003 was sponsored by Caesars Indiana, Ford Motor Company, UPS and Yum! Brands.
