FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
CONTACT: Joan Betros, (703) 573-1090 x1015

Channel Ten is leading Bluegrass Music back into the forefront of the Washington Capital area music scene. A series of six episodes will soon air on Channel 10 in the first week of September and will be hosted by the legendary bluegrass musician, Mark Newton. The first show of the series will premiere Monday, September 17th and will be shown every Monday evening at 7 o'clock.

A press conference for "10 for Bluegrass" will be held Thursday, August 30th at 7pm after the taping of Mark Newton and the Lynn Morris band. The host, Mark Newton and and Lynn Morris will be available at this time for interviews as well as the series director, McKay Daines and executive director of Channel 10 and series producer, Joan Betros.

The host, Mark Newton, is a singer, instrumentalist, producer, composer, and promoter. He stands as one of bluegrass music's most articulate and knowledgeable spokesman and performer. Mark has emerged as one of the most compelling singers in bluegrass music with formidable skills on guitar and mandolin. He was a founding member of The Virginia Squires, an innovative bluegrass band whose influence is still seen in many of today's popular acts. In 1998, Mark's first solo project, "Living a Dream" was released on Rebel Records. Hailed by the free Lance Star as "…the stuff careers are made of", "Living a Dream" continues to be a perennial favorite in the bluegrass world.

"10 for Bluegrass" will also feature many other guest artists such as Red Shipley (bluegrass radio personality,) The Lynn Morris band, Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent and Rage, The Seldom Scene, Charlie Waller, and Dan Tyminsky.

Dan Tyminsky will be featured in a call-in radio segment and in a studio taping. He will also be filmed by Channel 10 at the International Bluegrass Music Awards being held in Louisville, Kentucky during the first week of October as part of the series. Dan has recently become internationally famous as the singing voice behind George Clooney's character in the recent hit film, O Brother, Where art thou?

Channel 10 has taken the lead to bring back bluegrass music to the forefront of the Washington area music scene when WAMU dropped the bluegrass format during the day. Channel 10 developed this ongoing series to promote the craft of bluegrass music and to capitalize on the nationwide resurgence of the popularity of bluegrass. This will be a weekly ongoing series.

Well-known writer, director, and producer, McKay Daines, will direct this series. McKay is the writer, director and producer of an independent film, Dream Catcher, which begins shooting in November in Arizona. It is a romantic comedy set on a Native American reservation, and stars a completely Native cast. He is currently writing and in pre-production of Lakota Dawn, based on a novel by Janelle Taylor that has sold over 45 million copies worldwide. McKay is also the co-producer of Joan of Arc, a film by Ron Maxwell, the writer and director of the acclaimed Gettysburg. McKay directed The Nashville Connection series that premiered on Channel 10 in July and is a co-producer and director for the new native American Entertainment talk show, Windows to Our Ways, that will premiere September 17 on Channel 10.