KPI Granted Exclusive Access to Newly Discovered Sunken Roman Forts in Irish Sea Off England

KPI Granted Exclusive Access to Newly Discovered Sunken Roman Forts in Irish Sea Off England

- Recently Acquired Unit of Lightworks Producing Group Begins Expedition to Document Never-Before-Seen Archaeological Wonders of Meols -

NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- KPI, a unit of Lightworks Producing Group (LPG), a multi-faceted television production company and part of vertically integrated Lightworks Enterprises, Inc., today announced that it has been granted exclusive television access to document the newly discovered sunken forts of Meols. The statement arrives on the heels of an article published recently in Wirral Archeology. World-renowned diver and deep sea explorer Jay Usher will spearhead the project.

"The quest for the sunken Roman Forts of Meols, on the north Wirral Coast, is the type of underwater mystery we like unraveling," said Vinnie Kralyevich, EVP and Chief Creative Officer, Lightworks Producing Group and Founder of KPI." We have created underwater programming for years from the Pacific to the North Sea, with programs such as Deep Sea Detectives for The History Channel and Sea Battles, which is in production, for the Military Channel. This is the first time we've ever secured exclusive access to these underwater Roman ruins that, up until now, was covered by the ocean."

Meols is considered one of the most significant ancient sites in Northwest England and contains compelling evidence of prehistoric Roman coastal settlement and trade in Britain. A catastrophic earthquake in 543 AD, along with three inundations, resulted in serious coastal changes and damages, sinking what was once the largest Roman settlement in Merseyside. Although a series of artifacts were discovered during the early 19th Century, no large- scale archaeological investigations have ever taken place -- until now.

Lightworks' KPI unit, in conjunction with explorer Jay Usher, will work with American subsea specialists Deeptrek, whose team includes some of the world's finest archaeologists, researchers and artifact conservators. In addition to diving the ruins, KPI will utilize the technology of Side Scan Sonar, Cesium Mags, and Sub Bottom Profilers to completely map the ruins and give the public the first true vision of the Roman forts that have been hidden for more than 1,000 years.

"It was presumed that all remains of Meols had been destroyed repeatedly by tidal action throughout the years," said Jay Usher. "We are now aware that this is not the case. Considering the extent of artifacts recovered on the shoreline throughout the years, surprisingly, there has been very little topographical, let alone archaeological, information about the site. We are excited to be the first to survey, record, and dive these ruins with hi- definition underwater cameras."

"This is an exciting time for us," said Jeffrey C. Weber, President, and CEO, Lightworks Producing Group. "The Meols expedition is the first of many innovative productions that are underway with the KPI creative team since the recently announced acquisition."

About Lightworks Producing Group

Lightworks Producing Group (LPG) is a multi-faceted television production company with passion, expertise and a reputation for excellence. LPG produces a full range of non-fiction entertainment including the daily series "New Morning," airing weekdays on the Hallmark Channel, and the weekly series "Naomi's New Morning," hosted by Naomi Judd. Recently acquired KPI, now a unit of LPG, is a producer of non-fiction and fiction series and marquee specials for broadcasters such as A&E, the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, the Smithsonian Channel, Court TV, the Discovery Channel, and Bravo, among others. In 2006, KPI received two Emmys for its special, "Rome: Engineering an Empire," which marked the first primetime Emmys ever awarded to the History Channel. The company has also been nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for Egypt: Engineering an Empire.

Source: Lightworks Producing Group

CONTACT: Christine Luzano of Lightworks Producing Group, +1-212-485-8521
or cluzano@lightworksdistribution.com

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Profile: International Entertainment