ATLANTA – The Natural South, which is Turner South’s sixth new original series and is presented by Southern Company, recently received seven national Telly Awards for its programming. Founded in 1980, the Telly Awards showcase and recognize outstanding non-network and cable television programming, commercials, video productions and films.

The Natural South, which debuted in February, is a half-hour TV series that explores the South’s natural environment. The Natural South’s programming features attempts being made to preserve the wild in the Southeast and ways the viewer can help by making changes in their home environment. The series is hosted by Cathy Sakas, a professional nature educator and Emmy-nominated television producer.

“We saw great potential in The Natural South series and its ability to educate and encourage people to become more involved in protecting and enhancing the environment,” said Dwight Evans, executive vice president and president, external affairs group of Southern Company. “We are excited about the success of the series and applaud The Natural South’s programming excellence.”

Check your local TV listings for airtimes of The Natural South.

Turner South, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.`s 24-hour regional entertainment network, presents a mix of original programming, movies, regional news and sports to cable and DBS affiliates in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and regions of North Carolina. Available to more than 6 million subscribers, the 12-time Emmy-winning network also offers games from the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks and is the official home of the NHL`s Atlanta Thrashers. For more information, access the Web site at turnersouth.com or AOL keyword: turner south.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

With 4 million customers and nearly 35,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a fast-growing competitive generation company and an energy services business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s 2002 “America’s Most Admired Companies” list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

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