Trump, Golf Channel Talk Deal
Project features criticized new course in Scotland
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/6/2009 2:00:00 AM
Donald Trump is in talks with the Golf Channel about a documentary special following the mogul's oft-criticized attempt to build a new golf resort in Aberdeen, Scotland, according to people familiar with the deal. Specifics for the project are still being formulated, and both Golf Channel and other sources stressed that the deal with Trump has not yet been finalized.
Trump, an avid golfer as well as a real estate developer and host of NBC's The Apprentice franchise, is no stranger to Golf Channel, having appeared in a number of series and one-offs for the network.
The special could be something of a coup for Golf Channel, as the proposed course has been the subject of international media scrutiny since 2005, when the machinations were first put into place.
The controversy came to a head last year when some locals refused to sell their land to make way for the mega-resort, and environmentalists complained about the resort's possible effect on the local flora and fauna.
While the local government essentially halted the project in late 2007, the Scottish government gave Trump the go-ahead to proceed with the resort last November.
Golf Channel's proposed special would chronicle Trump's efforts to get the project underway, including the reaction from those in the community, many of whom still oppose the resort.
The WorkShop, the production company behind Golf Channel's Golf in America and The Haney Project, is said to be behind the Trump project. The Trump special's concept is reminiscent of Golf in America, which travels across the country documenting golf courses and the people and stories behind them. The first episode of that series featured musician and actor Justin Timberlake and his purchase and subsequent restoration of a Memphis-area golf course. —With Marisa Guthrie
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