Join Richard Bangs the father of modern adventure travel as he journeys across the planet in search of ecological challenges and ecological solutions. Leader of 35 first descents of rivers around the globe, a mountain climber and renowned author-Richard brings a lifetime of experience to Adventures with Purpose. This multiple award-winning series combines adventure with travel that makes a difference, travel that positively impacts the world. Adventures with Purpose documentaries are distributed by American Public Television to public television stations nationwide. Co-produced by KCTS, Seattle.

"When you make a personal, emotional connection with a place, then you become a powerful voice when that area is threatened."

— Richard Bangs

"Richard Bangs is Indiana Jones with a conscience."

— Rich Barton, Founder of Expedia.com

award


For the third year in a row Adventures with Purpose has been honored with the prestigious Lowell Thomas Gold Award for excellence in broadcast journalism. Adventures with Purpose-Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon was named as a 2011 Gold Award winner at ceremonies in New Zealand on November 10.

The annual competition is sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation and the awards are the most prestigious in the field of travel journalism. This is the 27th Lowell Thomas competition and drew more than 1,200 entries. Judges were the faculty at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The SATW Foundation sponsors the annual Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. The competition began in 1985 and today awards more than $18,000 annually in prize money for outstanding print, online and multimedia works and for travel photography and both audio and video broadcast. It is the premier competition in North America in the field of travel journalism and has gained its stature for several reasons, most notably:

  • it does not promote any particular destination or travel product,
  • it is open to all North American journalists, not just SATW members, and
  • it is judged independently by the faculty at top U.S. schools of journalism.

Judge’s comments: Category 21: Travel Broadcast — Video

Gold: Susan McNally, Richard Bangs, John Givens, “Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose/Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon,” American Public Television

“Richard Bangs does much more than show us the sights of Hong Kong — he helps us understand what makes it one of the world’s great cities, noting that its ‘uninhibited energy is as clear as rice wine.’ A very high production quality, including great photography and quick editing pace, combines with the expert voice to guide us through what we’re about to see.”

Among other winners, Rick Steves, leading American travel guidebook writer, blogger, social media personality and TV/radio host, is Travel Journalist of the Year. Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine, the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle win top honors as the best travel publications in North America. National Geographic Traveler takes five awards, including best travel website and best cultural tourism article. Outside magazine also collects five awards, including best adventure travel and best investigative stories.


Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon production team includes:
Executive Producer................................................ John Givens
Co-Executive Producer/ Host/ Writer....................... Richard Bangs
Producer/ Writer................................................... Susan McNally
Production Manager............................................... Sara Givens
Associate Producer................................................ Laura Hubber
Consulting Producer.............................................. Patricia Branch Larson
Consulting Producer...............................................Sandra Lewis Nisbet
Director of Photography.........................................Karel Bauer
HDV Photographer.................................................John Givens
Editor/Post Production...........................................David Ris
Musical Score........................................................David Ris
Technical Supervisor..............................................Jerry Morin
Graphic Designer...................................................Howie Abernathy