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For Immediate Release

April 1, 2008

RFD-TV to broadcast hour special on LMA’s June 28 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, beginning in July

WORTHING, S.D. – North America’s best livestock auctioneers will display their competitive marketing skills here June 28 – and in America’s living rooms beginning July 28.

For the second consecutive year, Livestock Marketing Association’s annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC), held here in June at the Sioux Falls Regional Livestock market, will be the subject of a one-hour special on RFD-TV, premiering July 28.

RFD-TV, now in its 8th year, is the first 24-hour network for rural America. “The WLAC has a wide appeal,” said Mike Hansen, RFD-TV’s executive vice president. “The contest is something everyone can identify with, because try to find anyone in rural America who hasn’t been to an auction, or who isn’t planning to go to one soon.”

LMA President Jim Santomaso said the Association was looking forward to bringing the contest – “an outstanding example of competitive marketing in action” – to the 31 million homes served by RFD-TV.

“It’s no coincidence that everything from fine art, to championship horses, to the world’s finest livestock, is sold at auction,” he said. “Whatever you have to sell, a competitive auction is the best way to sell it. That’s an important message we’ll be bringing with this program.”

The audience is definitely there, Hansen said. “The program has great viewership, and we absolutely get viewer feedback.” As soon as last year’s program was broadcast, he said, “We started getting e-mails asking, ‘When will it be on again?’ and ‘Where can I get a copy of the program?’”

Last year’s program was shown more than once, and LMA officials said additional broadcast dates will be announced later.

RFD-TV is on cable TV systems in all 50 states, Hansen said. On the Dish Network, it’s channel 231, and on Direct TV it’s channel 379.

Santomaso said the program “will let us turn the spotlight, not only on an exciting and competitive event, but also on the basic principle behind that event: putting your livestock in front of several buyers creates competition – and that’s the best way to get the best price.”

The TV program will be a comprehensive look at the Championship, now in its 45th year. There will be a montage of the 33 semi-finalists as they market cattle during the contest, which is an actual sale.

That will be followed by a closer look at the 10 finalists as they return to the ring and sell more cattle. Behind-the-scenes interviews with the contestants, past champions, market owners, livestock consignors, LMA officials and others will also be featured.

Co-hosts for the broadcast will be two former world champions: 1998’s Lex Madden, Torrington, Wyo., and 2002’s John Korrey, Iliff, Colo.

Thirty-two of this year’s semi-finalists qualified for the Worthing event through four WLAC quarter-final competitions, conducted last fall and winter by LMA. The top eight scorers in each quarter-final qualify for the World Championship.

The WLAC traditionally gives a “bye” into the semi-finals to the International Auctioneer Champion, and he is the 33rd semi-finalist.

To become of the 10 finalists, the 33 semi-finalists go through an interview on industry issues and topics, and then sell several drafts of cattle. They’re judged on vocal clarity and quality, bid-catching ability, the ability to keep the sale moving, and by the judges – market owners and professional livestock dealers – answering the question, “Would I hire this auctioneer to work for me?”

The top 10 scorers then return for a final round of selling cattle, where the same judging criteria is used. The three titlists – world, reserve and runner-up champion – are named that evening at an awards banquet.

The three winners take home thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, including, for the world champion, a year’s use of a new truck.

The contest starts at 8 a.m. and is open to the public.

The WLAC caps LMA’s annual meeting, which begins June 26 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls. The meeting will offer marketing business owners, and interested producers, a look at a number of key industry issues, discussed by knowledgeable speakers. For registration and program information, contact LMA at 800-821-2048.

LMA is North America’s largest membership organization dedicated to supporting, representing and communicating with/for the entire livestock marketing sector.