UNITED MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP JOINS FORCES WITH UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME TO PRODUCE GROUND BREAKING ‘ECOWATCH’ TV SERIES

UNITED MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP JOINS FORCES WITH UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

TO PRODUCE GROUND BREAKING ‘ECOWATCH’ TV SERIES

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, 12 November (UNEP) - A major new environmental television series, produced by United Media Communications Group (UMCG), will be drawing on the significant knowledge, expertise and scientific resources of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the series’ educational programming content.

Under an agreement announced today, UNEP will provide story ideas and content for the new “EcoWatch” series.  This series of television segments will bring the issues and solutions to solving some of the biggest threats facing humankind into the living rooms of an estimated 60 million American homes on cable television networks such as the Outdoor Life Channel and through national syndication.

In addition, EcoWatch will air in various regional television markets on CNN and/or FOX News.  The series will also reach a worldwide television audience through international syndication on WorldNet.

The series aims to show, in a down-to-earth way, how every day decisions by individuals, companies and governments affect today’s environment and the environment of future generations.

William Klump, Senior producer of EcoWatch at the UMCG, says:  “More than ever, Americans are concerned about the environment.  Their concerns today are focused on the technologies, programs and services that significantly contribute on a national and international level to positively impacting our Earth and its inhabitants”.

Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, says:  “We are delighted to have joined forces with the UMCG to launch EcoWatch.  Public awareness is one of the keys to mobilizing action, for delivering the changes in lifestyle so urgently needed, if we are to chart a more environmentally-friendly course for planet Earth and its 6 billion inhabitants”.

The UMCG, based in the fast-growing television industry of South Florida, produces and distributes educational television programming for a worldwide audience.  The award winning staff of the UMCG has produced thousands of hours of business, environment, parenting and health programming that has reached tens of millions of television households in the United States and abroad.

For more information about EcoWatch, please contact:  Rebecca McKinnon, tel.:  1-561-347-0607 or Eric Falt, UNEP, tel:  +254 20 623292, e-mail:  eric.falt@unep.org

* *** *