C Spire, Bash Brothers Media to debut sports documentary TV series this fall

JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- C Spire is the presenting sponsor of a new original documentary series that will air this fall on statewide television capturing the history, rich tradition and passion around Mississippi's greatest sports stories.

"Between the Pines: Mississippi's Greatest Sports Stories" is the creation of Bash Brothers Media and will debut on local television stations in Mississippi and Memphis in mid-October and on social media and online platforms managed by both companies.

Participating TV stations who will air the first-of-its-kind series include WLBT Channel 3 in Jackson, WDAM Channel 7 in Hattiesburg, WLOX Channel 13 in Biloxi, WCBI Channel 13 in Columbus, WTOK Channel 11 in Meridian and WMC Channel 5 in Memphis, Tennessee.  Broadcast times for the one-hour program will vary based on station affiliate schedules.

The first episode, "The University of South Panola (USP)." Is scheduled to air on Oct. 13 and 14 and tells the story of South Panola High School's famous football dynasty in Batesville, Mississippi.  The "University of South Panola," as the school was nicknamed by former Clarion-Ledger sports editor and columnist Rick Cleveland, rose to one of the best programs in America, won the national championship in 2010, and owns the 5^th longest winning streak in U.S. high school football history at 89 consecutive games.

On Nov. 13 and 14, local stations will air the second episode, "The Vet," which will show how a single stadium ? the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson ? shaped society and college football in the South.  The Vet has hosted Mississippi's greatest players, its biggest games and many of its most important sports moments over the last 68 years.

Producers and C Spire are planning several live events, including a kick-off celebration at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, VIP premiers in selected markets and a comprehensive digital media component on both Bash Brothers and C Spire social media and online platforms.

The list of cast members for the first two episodes reads like a who's who of notable Mississippi sports legends and movers and shakers in the political and professional world, including, among others, Cleveland, former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Archie Manning, former Gov. William Winter, former Ole Miss chancellor Robert Khayat, former Mississippi Valley State quarterback Willie Totten, former Mississippi State quarterback John Bond and former South Panola and NFL player Deshea Townsend.

"Mississippi's passion for sports is famously like no other - it defines the culture of our state and brings our people together," said documentary executive producer Jon Wiener, vice president of Bash Brothers Media.  "We're excited to partner with C Spire to deliver that story on screen across the state at a level that has never been done before."

C Spire has a long history of supporting innovative sports programming from high school and college to the NFL. In 2009, the company partnered with Young and Rubicam, its New York advertising agency, to air a 12-episode reality series that followed two rival Mississippi high school coaching staff and their football teams through the regular season and playoffs.

"We're very pleased to be partnering with a documentary producer that is committed to capturing the long-standing love affair the people of our state have with sports of all kinds," said Jim Richmond, vice president of Marketing for C Spire.  "No state has more drama, passion, community pride and bragging rights associated with sports than Mississippi."

To view the series trailer and learn more about the episodes, go to www.cspire.com/betweenthepines. For more details and updates, follow Bash Brothers on Twitter at @bashbrothersmedia, follow C Spire at @Cspire and on Facebook at facebook.com/bashbrothersmedia or at facebook.com/cspire.

About C Spire
C Spire provides a full suite of world-class, customer-inspired wireless, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access and related home services for consumers and dedicated Internet, IP Voice, data, managed IT services, cloud services, value added resale and mobile communications for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. To learn more about the Tech Movement initiative, visit cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at twitter.com/cspire.

About Bash Brothers Media
Bash Brothers Media specializes in cutting-edge multimedia and film content for the modern age. The company produces everything from feature sports documentaries to hit radio shows, online series and select commercial projects. Bash Brothers was founded in 2016 by two brothers from Mississippi with rising careers in media and a shared passion for sports and entertainment. It is quickly emerging as a force in sports, media and film. To connect with Bash Brothers Media, follow us at Facebook.com/bashbrothersmedia or email [email protected]

SOURCE C Spire