Drum Corps International announced today that it will reformat the PBS broadcast of the 2002 DCI World Championships. In the interest of reaching a broader television audience, DCI will offer PBS stations across the country a 2-hour program that will focus not only on the World Championship competition, but also on the drum corps experience as told by performers from different corps. The program will be available to begin airing on Public Television stations during the Labor Day weekend. "While our long-time fans have always enjoyed the live broadcast of the World Championship Finals, this program was not always the best way to hold the attention of a general audience and more importantly, to give them a true sense of the drum corps activity" said DCI Executive Director, Dan Acheson. "We believe that this new format will not only appeal to long-time fans, but will also be more engaging to the general public, especially high school and college students with little or no exposure to the drum corps activity." "The new format will allow us to move seamlessly between the best performance moments of the championship night and the stories of commitment and dedication that every kid in drum corps has to tell," explained DCI Broadcast Producer Tom Blair. "Our objective has always been to create the best television program possible, not just to document the event as it happens. This year's program makes that more of a reality. It is a fantastic opportunity to make the entire drum corps experience more accessible to the general audience, as well as the devotee."The 2002 DCI Broadcast will again be produced as a PBS Fund Raising program and will air throughout North America beginning Labor Day weekend. According to Acheson, "The support of the local Public Television Stations is critical for the long-term success of the DCI television broadcast. As local PBS stations rely heavily on funds raised by audiences interested in such unique programming, drum corps fans are encouraged to not only request that local stations air the program, but to also thank them for doing so, by pledging their support for this type of programming. This is the single most effective way to ensure that PBS stations will continue to carry the program in the future."