December 4, 2000 - A wonderful invitation

Dear Mr. Fisher:

On behalf of Columbia Tristar and King World Intenational, I would like to introduce myself; my name is Rocky Schmidt, and I am one of the Producers of "Jeopardy!" in the U.S. As you may know, we are in the process of preparing for the third Jeopardy! International Championship. The producers of Riziko have selected you as the candidate to represent Turkey in this competition.

The Jeopardy! International Championship, which is an invitational tournament, is scheduled to be taped at the Las Vegas Hilton Showroom, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Wednesday, January 24, 2001, and is scheduled for broadcast in the U.S. February 12-16, 2001.

The tournament will feature general-knowledge material, just as your show did. Since the shows are for broadcast in the United States, the contest will be conducted entirely in English.

Travel and hotel arrangements for you will be made and paid for by us. Unless you decide to extend your trip at your own expense, we will fly you (business class, where available) to Las Vegas on Monday, January 22, 2001 with a return on Thursday, January 25, 2001. The early arrival will allow for any travel delays, and for your comfortable adjustment to the different time zone. Further, we will schedule a rehearsal and briefing either the evening of Monday, January 22, or Tuesday, January 23, depending upon the arrival schedules of all the international contestants.

Hotel arrangements will be made for you at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, for three nights (beginning Monday, January 22, with departure on Thursday, January 25). Again, should you wish to stay any additional nights, you may plan to do so at your own expense. To arrange for additional nights, we ask that you contact the Las Vegas Hilton directly (additional nights at the hotel are subject to availability). The phone number at the Hilton is: +1-....

In Las Vegas, your transportation to and from the airport will be arranged by us. Upon your arrival at the hotel, you will be given $300 (USD) to cover meals and incidental expenses during your stay. Please note, all incidental room expenses over and above the room and tax (for example, room service, minibar charges, pay-TV, etc.) are your responsibility. You may be asked to give the hotel a credit card to cover those expenses.

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter either by email to our Contestant Coordinator, Glenn Kagan (Glenn_Kagan@spe.sony.com) or by calling him at (310... or VIA FAX at (310) 280-1513. Also, please print out, sign and return the enclosed Contestant Release Form and Travel Release Form to Glenn Kagan at the same address/FAX number.

When you email, call, or FAX to confirm receipt of this letter, please have the following information:

1. Dates you wish to travel and

2. The airport from which you will travel.

After we receive all the information from you, you will be contacted by Glenn, who will provide you with an exact schedule for the days surrounding the taping, as well as information regarding travel and hotel arrangements. However, we would like to let you know that immediately following the taping, there will be a congratulatory party for all participants as well as members of the production teams from each country.


The format for the Tournament is as follows:

Nine competitors from around the world will compete in a five-day (as scheduled for broadcast) Tournament. Each of the nine contestants will play in one of the first three games. Game 1 will be played by three contestants, Game 2 will be played by another three, and Game 3 will be played by the remaining three competitors.

The winners of each of these three first games will go on to compete against one another in the two-game Final for the Championship.

No “winnings” in any of the games played will be awarded as prizes; rather the prize structure will be set up as follows:

The six players who do not go on to participate in the 2-game final will each receive $5000 (USD).

The contestant who places third in the 2-day final will receive $10,000 (USD) or the total amount earned in the final two games, whichever is larger.

The second place contestant will receive $15,000 (USD) or the total amount earned in the final two games, whichever is larger.

The winner of the International Championship will receive $50,000 (USD).

This format gives us a competition that we feel is best for contestants and viewers alike. The material for the games will be slightly different from that on our regular shows, with a more international flair and appeal. Please refer to the attachment which explains some differences which may exist between the manner in which your game was played and the upcoming competition. Under separate cover, you will receive a videotape from a previous International competition, so that you may familiarize yourself with our format, and which may assist you in preparing for the upcoming event.

Also attached is a timeline outlining significant dates, as well as a contact sheet for you. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Glenn or myself.

I am looking forward to having you represent Turkey on our show, and I am confident that we will have an excellent Tournament.

Yours sincerely,

Rocky Schmidt
Producer -- JEOPARDY!