USA NETWORK PRESENTS TOM BROKAW DOCUMENTARY "AMERICAN CHARACTER ALONG HIGHWAY 50"

PREMIERE ON JANUARY 18, 2010

Film Captures The Real Stories of Americans Along Highway 50 During 10-Month Journey

NEW YORK, NEW YORK � December 1, 2009 � USA Network is set to premiere the documentary AMERICAN CHARACTER ALONG HIGHWAY 50, featuring renowned journalist Tom Brokaw, as a one-hour primetime special on January 18, 2010 at 8/7c, timed to commemorate Martin Luther King Day. Co-produced by Peacock Productions, the documentary, an outgrowth of USA Network's CHARACTER PROJECT initiative, follows Brokaw as he travels across Highway 50 documenting the lives of Americans along the transcontinental road that connects the Pacific to the Atlantic. Brokaw captures the stories of real people and explores how their lives are being impacted economically, politically and culturally during these extraordinary times. The announcement was made by Bonnie Hammer, president, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions.

"HIGHWAY 50 is a fascinating chronicle of real-life stories along the 'backbone of America,'" said Bonnie Hammer, president, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions. "Tom Brokaw's passion for the material -- and empathy for his subjects -- make for a provocative, insightful hour of television."

"I'm thrilled to work with USA on this exciting, eye-opening series on real American characters," said Brokaw. "From the determined fishermen in Chesapeake Bay to the green energy visionaries in Sacramento, you will see the changing face of a nation."

Since last spring, Brokaw has been broadcasting updates on his travels in "Dispatches From The Road," short vignettes featuring the people and places he visited on his Highway 50 road trip. These accounts were televised in primetime on USA Network, as well as on the Today Show, MSNBC and NBC Nightly News.

Brokaw traversed 12 states along Highway 50. Along the way, he immersed himself in the personal lives of ordinary and extraordinary people to reveal uniquely American stories of hardship and hope, as well as struggle and survival.

The documentary was inspired by the series of photographs captured along this historic route by renowned Scottish-born photographer David Eustace for USA Network's CHARACTER PROJECT. Eustace traveled the entirety of Highway 50 in the summer of 2008 and photographed the diverse people and places he encountered on his 3000-mile journey.

Peacock Productions is an award-winning, nonfiction production company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources and seasoned production talent of NBC News to offer a wide-range of programming to broadcast, cable and digital entities with worldwide reach. For more information, please visit: www.peacockproductions.tv.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.