Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Who Will Be Named Chicago's Best Angler?


WFN: World Fishing Network, the nation’s only 24-hour fishing lifestyle TV channel, enters the Chicago market in a major way today. With the help of former Chicago Cub and avid fisherman—and soon to be Hall of Fame inductee—Andre Dawson, WFN is making its presence felt with the launch of a Web site dedicated to finding Chicago’s Best Angler at http://www.wfnchicago.com/.

Dawson, an avid fisherman who played six years with the Cubs and won the NL MVP with the club in 1987, will pick the lucky angler, who will win the “fishing trip of a lifetime” with Dawson to a fishing hole to be determined. The winner and Dawson will have their fishing adventure covered by a WFN crew, and it will air on the network, giving the lucky winner a rare chance to appear on national television. The grand prize also includes $1,000 in cash and WFN merchandise.

WFN’s high definition channel, WFN HD, is available in the Chicago area on DISH Network (channel 394) and AT&T U-verse (channel 1679).

Chicago and area fans are encouraged to go to http://www.wfnchicago.com/ to enter for their chance to win. To bolster their chances of winning, entrants are encouraged to make sure their friends and family “rate” their entry on the site. Entrants are also encouraged to promote their entry on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, to help garner support. To enter, fans must tell the network and Dawson in 200 words or less what they love about fishing in the Chicago area and why they are Chicago’s best angler. Entrants are also encouraged to include a photo with entry. Dawson will select the winner, to be announced in late April.

The site also includes blogs from local anglers, photos and video content, all relevant to anglers in the area.

As part of the promotion, fans will get a chance to meet and get an autograph from Dawson on March 19, 2010. He’ll join the WFN team at Bass Pro Shops to host an autograph signing at the Bolingbrook Bass Pro Shop location at 709 Janes Ave., Bolingbrook; (630) 296-2700.
Anglers and fans who visit the store during the event will meet their baseball hero, receive a special autographed Dawson photo, and have the opportunity to sign up for the contest.

“The Chicagoland area is one of the nation's top fishing markets and the demand for the network is huge—which is why we’ve decided to launch this major promotional initiative here,” said Mark Rubinstein, President & CEO of WFN. “We have been thrilled to bring WFN to the more than 60 million people across the nation who love to fish, and we look forward to launching this initiative specifically for the Chicago market.”

Fishing in Illinois is big business, and massive participation. More than 873,000 people fish in Illinois each year, spending more than 16 million days fishing with total related expenditures at more than $774 million.*

WFN already has become a popular channel in other surrounding fishing markets, launching on Charter in Wisconsin, a popular fishing destination for many Chicagoans. Xfinity (Comcast) has added WFN to its lineup in Michigan markets such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint.
WFN is also available nationally on satellite TV provider DISH Network, AT&T U-verse, Charter Communications, Verizon Fios among other distributors.

About WFN: World Fishing Network
WFN: World Fishing Network is the only 24/7 television network dedicated to all segments of fishing with programming that covers instruction, tips, tournaments, travel, food, boating, outdoor lifestyle and more. WFN’s wide-ranging programming lineup includes primetime theme nights, regional bureaus from across the nation, a selection of the best international series and the most diverse species coverage of any TV channel. Featuring popular programs hosted by the world’s top anglers, the network also delivers a weekly news program, WFN News, and the schedule includes a variety of exclusive lifestyle shows including Hookin’ Up with Mariko Izumi and WFN’s Reel Road Trip. WFN also delivers the beauty of fishing in stunning High Definition with WFN HD, a separate network that delivers 100 percent High Definition programming 24/7.
Originally launched in December 2005, today WFN and WFN HD are available in more than 20 million households through North American cable, satellite and telecommunications distributors. In the U.S., distributors include AT&T U-verse, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH Network and Verizon FiOS. For more information, visit http://www.wfn.tv/.

Editor’s note: Mark Rubinstein, President & CEO of WFN will be available for telephone interviews leading up to the event, as well as in-person interviews March 19. Mr. Dawson will be available on March 19 for interviews and media appearances regarding WFN. To arrange these opportunities, or for more information about WFN, please telephone Catherine Patterson or Cindy Kurman at Kurman Communications, Inc. at (312) 651-9000 or send an email to kurmanstaff@kurman.com.

* Source: 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation- Illinois)

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