In December 1989 Nelson Mandela's lawyer and Tony Hollingsworth of Tribute met to start planning an international broadcast event to mark Nelson's impending release. All plans had to be both secret and adaptable as the date of the release was not known at this stage. The objective was to provide a broadcast platform for Nelson to speak to the world - unedited. Fifty four days after his release Tribute broadcast a 4.5-hour event to 61 counties in which Nelson Mandela spoke live and unedited for 45 minutes - the longest-lasting furthest-reaching speech of all time.