NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

"Tragedy of the Andes" Hero to Be Interviewed on Jorge Gestoso

Fernando Parrado Recounts Near Starvation and Survival on MHz NETWORKS

33 years ago a plane crashed in the Andes with 45 people on board, most of them Uruguayan rugby team members on route to a match in Chile. After 72 days in the mountains, the remaining 16 survivors faced temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius and would ultimately be driven to eat the flesh of the dead to survive. Jorge Gestoso interviews survivor and hero, Fernando Parrado, who persevered through these harrowing circumstances to lead the victims back to civilization. MHz NETWORKS will broadcast this episode of Jorge Gestoso on Sunday, December 11 at 10 PM, entirely in Spanish.

Taped in his resident town of Montevideo, Uruguay, Parrado recounts his horrifying tale of the days after the crash and the death of both his sister and mother. His incredible story of survival unfolds as he details the 10-day walking expedition over miles of mountain peaks to reach the outside world.

Currently, Fernando is married with two children and is a successful businessman. He gives over 80 conferences around the world every year relating his experience, which scholars cite as a perfect example of a team achieving excellence in an extreme situation. He is also used as a model by companies to demonstrate leadership and success during dire circumstances and has finished his book "Miracle in the Andes: 72 days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home," which is slated to be released in April 2006.

MHz NETWORKS (MHz and MHz2) is an independent, noncommercial television broadcaster delivering international, educational and arts programming. MHz provides diverse cultural perspectives for a globally minded audience. Serving the Washington, DC area's 4.9 million residents, MHz NETWORKS features programs from around the world on air and online in more than 20 different languages. MHz has studio facilities in Falls Church, VA, and at Washington, DC's Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. For more information, visit www.mhznetworks.org.

Distributed by Market Wire