NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER LAUNCHES ON MSNBC WITH TWO-PART SPECIAL REPORT ON OCTOBER 7 AND OCTOBER 14 AT 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

Interview with Afghan Resistance Leader Massoud as well as Exclusive Footage from Inside Afghanistan

Washington, D.C. October 1, 2001—National Geographic EXPLORER launches on MSNBC this October with a two-part in-depth special report that goes beyond the headlines, focusing on some of the effects worldwide of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. On Sunday, October 7, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT, EXPLORER returns to the front lines in Afghanistan to find out how and why this nation in turmoil has become the center of world attention. On Sunday, October 14, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT, EXPLORER goes to Egypt to get a Middle Eastern perspective on the recent attacks, and to New York City with two celebrated photographers who documented the aftermath of the tragedy on film.

On October 7, from deep within Afghanistan, EXPLORER joins The Perfect Storm author Sebastian Junger and world-renowned photographer Reza on assignment for National Geographic Adventure magazine as they explore this nation steeped in history, rich in tradition, and torn apart by war, in Afghanistan Revealed. The two journalists gained unprecedented access to Ahmed Shah Massoud, the Northern Alliance resistance leader known as “The Lion of Panjshir,” all the while dodging rockets, landmines and mountain storms.

Massoud died this month from wounds suffered in a suicide bomb attack by two assassins posing as journalists. Officials speculate that Osama Bin Laden may have ordered the assassination that took place two days before the September 11th attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Many consider Massoud one of the most formidable guerilla leaders of modern times. He helped to lead the Afghan resistance to victory over an invading Soviet Union in the 1980s. But soon after running the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the Taliban ran Massoud and his supporters out of the government, and back into the mountains. The two factions have been at war ever since. Afghanistan Revealed features one of the last major interviews with Massoud as the film looks back at the man and his dutiful relationship with his country. With never-before-seen footage, Afghanistan Revealed is a harrowing journey to the heart of the resistance—now the focus of world attention—and into the lives of the people of northern Afghanistan as they continue their struggle for freedom and self-determination.

On October 14, in Assignment: Egypt, EXPLORER host Boyd Matson reports from Egypt, a moderate Arab country battling its own internal extremist factions. Reporting from the streets of Cairo, Matson investigates the effects of recent events in this part of the Arab world through the lenses of three Egyptian photographers. With these unique guides, he explores the hopes and fears of everyday people living in this predominantly Muslim nation as they face the consequences of terrorism, as well as what they think the future may hold for Egypt and other Arab nations.

Also on October 14, in Through These Eyes, EXPLORER heads back to the streets of New York with two renowned photographers as they record images from a city—and a nation—in mourning. For years, National Geographic photographers Steve McCurry and Chris Rainier have traveled to international war zones, capturing the human face of conflicts throughout the world. Yet neither has ever witnessed such a horrific act as the attack on the World Trade Center, and it happened in their backyard. Armed with cameras, they set out to cover the tragedy and its aftermath. McCurry has journeyed to Afghanistan 16 times, been jailed in Pakistan, and is known for his striking and emblematic photographs in National Geographic magazine. In New York’s Arab-American community, he documents how this event has affected people and the new fears and hopes that they face each day. Rainier, known for his work documenting indigenous cultures around the world, sets his lens on the compassion, grieving and rebuilding of New York.

Finally, EXPLORER pays tribute to two National Geographic employees who, together with three D.C. school children and their teachers, died when American Airlines Flight #77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11. These men, women and children were the embodiment of National Geographic’s mission to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge.

National Geographic has been reporting on the world for over a century. Now the quest for knowledge about the world and other cultures is even more crucial. On October 7, EXPLORER looks back to the fiery oilfields of post-war Kuwait, where Texas-based firefighters battle deadly oil blazes in Fires of War. Then, EXPLORER is on board a U.S. aircraft carrier to experience the high-adrenaline action of dangerous flight operations as pilots prepare for military action in Air Boss.

On October 14, in Iran: Behind the Veil, EXPLORER journeys to Iran with photographer Alexandra Avakian as she revisits her ancestral homeland twenty years after its 1979 Islamic revolution. In Combat Cameramen, EXPLORER profiles World War II combat cameramen, who risked their lives to film the death and destruction of war.

For programming information and updates for National Geographic EXPLORER for the month of October, please log on to www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/explorer.

Building on its reputation for remarkable visual and compelling stories, National Geographic Television (NGT) augments its award-winning documentary production (winner of a total of 109 Emmys and more than 800 other industry awards) with feature films, large-format, and long-form television drama programming, as well as international broadcast and video distribution. At present, NGT’s programming can be seen in the U.S. on the National Geographic Channel, MSNBC, and PBS as well as on home video & DVD, and internationally through video distribution and broadcast syndication in more than 100 different outlets in some 90 territories. The National Geographic Channel in the U.S. is a business enterprise of National Geographic Television (NGT) and Fox Cable Networks Group. Abroad, those partners are joined by NBC, and the Channel reaches 129 countries and over 100 million households in 18 languages. More information about NGT is available on www.nationalgeographic.com.

MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC, a leading provider of news and information, and Microsoft, the leader in personal computer software and a major provider of Internet online services. Built on the worldwide resources of NBC News, MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news network available in 68 million homes and Internet news service at www.msnbc.com.

Contact:

Terry Smith
National Geographic Telelvision
+1 202 775 6146

Eileen Campion
Dera & Associates
+1 212 966 4600

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