"VISIONS OF ITALY: SOUTHERN STYLE", and
"A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS FROM THE VATICAN"

airing on PBS Stations nationally. (on different dates and hours)

These programs showcase the beauty of Italian Americans' ancestral home, 
provide a 'virtual vacation' and offer exclusive access to the Pope's annual 
commissioned concert.

In this message I will describe "VISIONS OF ITALY: SOUTHERN STYLE".
A following message will describe A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS FROM THE VATICAN.

"VISIONS OF ITALY: SOUTHERN STYLE" brings PBS viewers stunning high 
definition aerial footage of popular destinations in southern Italy including 
the Almalfi Coast, Naples, Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii, Rome Spanish Steps 
and Colosseum, along with beautiful sights that don't make most itineraries. 
Even if you've been to Italy, you've never seen it like this! This program is 
a follow up to WLIW'S "VISIONS OF ITALY: NORTHERN STYLE" from 1998.

For the FIRST Time, the esteemed "NATALE IN VATICANO" (Christmas at the 
Vatican) annual Christmas Eve concert broadcast will be seen by audiences 
outside Italy thanks to WLIW's" A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS FROM THE VATICAN". Sarah 
Brightman, Tom Jones, and Dionne Warwick lead a stellar lineup for the 
ultimate Christmas concert.

Both programs will air nationally on PBS this December, with air dates and 
times varied in different cities. Please check local listings or call your 
local PBS station and ask for their schedule. If your local station does not 
air the program in December, you may obtain a VHS of the specials through 
WLIW at 1-800-767-2121 or at:

http://www.wliw.org

Shot in high-definition video from a helicopter-mounted camera, VISIONS OF 
ITALY: Southern Style takes viewers on a seamless sojourn following along the 
rugged western coastline to the toe of the "boot" at Reggio di Calabria, and 
then inland over the countryside to Rome. This one-hour program features 
stunning aerial footage, an informative and poetic narrative celebrating 
southern Italy's considerable charms and a soundtrack that underscores the 
emotional connections America's Italians have for their motherland. Images of 
Italy no tourist's camera could capture are set to Neapolitan classics, 
choral selections, Italian folk songs, and the works of Italian composers 
such as Rossini, Puccini, and Vivaldi, with Italian-American performers 
including Connie Francis and Michael Amante. 

There has never been a show like this because it is nearly impossible to find 
a helicopter company in Italy willing to go through the difficulty of 
acquiring the specific permits needed to shoot over Rome! Precision planning 
on the ground with compasses determined the best time of day to avoid shadows 
on the major sites from the many buildings in this densely packed city. And 
the results are definitely worth it. Even if you have been to southern Italy, 
you have never seen it like this. 

A majority of Italian-Americans can trace their roots to southern Italy, and 
for many this program will be a first look at the small villages of Il 
Mezzogiorno ­ "the midday" - (Puglia, Abruzzi, Basilicata, Campania, 
Calabria) their ancestors left generations ago, in many ways unchanged by 
time. Our helicopter flies over the most popular destinations in southern 
Italy - the romance of the Amalfi Coast (and the hairpin turns of the Amalfi 
Drive!); the bustling international seaport of Naples and the jewels among 
its islands, Ischia and Capri; the majesty of Vesuvius; the ruins of Pompei; 
Rome's Scalinata di Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) and Colosseum­ but 
"VISIONS OF ITALY: SOUTHERN STYLE's" flight also reveals extraordinary sights 
that don't make most itineraries. 

"VISIONS OF ITALY: SOUTHERN STYLE" also takes viewers over the charming 
cliffsides of Sorrento and the picturesque fishing ports of Positano, San 
Marco, Nicotera, Diamante and other stops along the "Calabrian Riviera;" up 
the "Valley of the Dragon" to towering Ravello; past the pristine Greek 
temples at Paestum; into the heart of the action at the bustling seaport of 
Salerno and swordfishing crews at Bagnara Calabra; over the crossroads of 
Cosenza; around the palace and formal gardens of old Caserta, the abbey at 
MonteCassino, the Pope's summer residence at Lake CastelGondolfo, the 
breathtaking fountains at Tivoli Gardens (Villa D'Este) and, with a bird's 
eye view, the striking juxtaposition of ancient and modern Rome. We see the 
most well known sites of these cities - but from an unprecedented 
perspective. 

VISIONS OF ITALY: Southern Style is the companion program to WLIW New York's 
VISIONS OF ITALY: Northern Style. VISIONS OF ITALY: Sicily is in production 
for 2002. 

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[ RAA Comment: I have contradictory information about a Preview of
VISIONS OF ITALY. 

One report says a Premiere: Saturday, November 17 at 8pm
Another report says Thursday, November 8, 2001 7-10 PM

Perhaps there will be both, but for those "New Yorkers with Fat Wallets",
information on the November 8 th event follows in a separate message.