国产吃瓜黑料 Television is ready to unveil the first phase of a significant programming push with a quintet of original shows.
The active lifestyle and adventure-sports proponent, created in mid-2010 from 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine and the former Resort Sports Network, will bow a new season of morning staple 国产吃瓜黑料 Today and present newsmagazine Dispatches, featuring CBS News correspondent Serena Altschul. There鈥檚 also a surfing/travelogue entry centering on India, a second campaign with snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and the best of the Reel Rock Film Tour.
鈥淲e鈥檙e entering a pretty aggressive programming phase,鈥 Rob Faris, senior vice president of programming and production for 国产吃瓜黑料 Television, said. 鈥淭his is the beginning of the development slate we鈥檝e been working on. We want to forge an identity with viewers and online users and distributors to give them reasons to want 国产吃瓜黑料 Television.鈥
SPORTS PACKED
The investment in new programming comes as 国产吃瓜黑料, which generally targets the 18-to-54 set, is nearing the completion of its national rollout across Comcast systems.
Positioned on Comcast鈥檚 Sports Entertainment Package, which typically retails for $7.95 per month, the independent network since June has rolled out in 13 of 16 of the top distributor鈥檚 regions. It has not yet launched in Comcast鈥檚 home market of Philadelphia and New Jersey, in Baltimore-Washington, D.C., or in Western Massachusetts, according to 国产吃瓜黑料 officials. Overall, 国产吃瓜黑料 is in eight million homes.
Based on and working in conjunction with 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, the half-hour newsmagazine Dispatches will weigh in with Faris calls 鈥渕eaty pieces鈥 on emerging green initiatives, technology, environment stewardship, and personalities spearheading those efforts.
CBS News鈥檚 Altschul, whom Faris calls 鈥渁 network supporter, who knows what we鈥檙e looking to do,鈥 will anchor reports and in-depth features, including upcoming stories on Purple Heart recipient and world record skydiver Lee Hunnicutt; a day in the life of twin Mount Everest guides Willie and Damien Benegas; and blind mountain biker Matt Gilman. Faris said the seven-installment series, which is slated to air Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. beginning Nov. 14, will also feature a story on efforts to build a ski resort in Bamian, Afghanistan.
Morning show 国产吃瓜黑料 Today returns with the first of seven installments on Nov. 5 with on-set guests including skydiver and daredevil Felix Baumgartner and America鈥檚 most decorated male downhill skier, Daron Ralhves, two of several Red Bull-affiliated athletes. Other guests include acclaimed journalist and documentarian Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm) and pro snowboarder, liver-transplant survivor and Olympic medalist Chris Klug.
Ethan Zohn, winner of CBS鈥檚 Survivor: Africa, is also reconnecting with the network after leaving 国产吃瓜黑料 Today in 2010, following a reoccurrence of his battle with Hodgkin鈥檚 Lymphoma.
鈥淭his is the first work Ethan has done in 2012 and it鈥檚 great to have him back,鈥 Faris said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to be a contributor on all of the shows.鈥
Starting on Nov. 16 at 9:30 p.m., the half-hour Surfing 28 States: India documents a three-month sojourn by Australian surfers and filmmakers Jonno Durrant and Stefan Hunt across the 28 different states comprising modern-day India. Similar to their work the Telluride Film Festival- and X-Dance-recognized Surfing 50 States: USA and Somewhere Near Tapachula, the pair鈥檚 adventures introduce viewers to the complexities of India鈥檚 1.2 billion inhabitants, 1,652 languages, and travels across the world鈥檚 worst back roads.
Reel Rock comes from Sender Films and Big Up Productions and Emmy-winning adventure filmmakers Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer. It marries spectacular locales, compelling characters, and award-winning cinematography from the mountain adventure and rock-climbing sectors. It begins in January and will present nine-year-old Ashima Shiraishi, already one of America鈥檚 top climbers, and free soloist Alex Honnold, who attempts to traverse more than 7,000 vertical feet of granite without any ropes or support, among others.
About 国产吃瓜黑料 Television: 国产吃瓜黑料 Television is the
only national programming network dedicated to the active outside
lifestyle and the more than 141 million Americans who regularly
participate. Based on 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine and its critically
acclaimed brand, 国产吃瓜黑料 Television embraces running, biking, skiing,
hiking, sailing, surfing, kayaking, snowshoeing and any other adventures
involving wind, water, snow and terrain; as well as the full spectrum
of the people鈥檚 lives who engage in them. Offering exclusively
high-definition programs, 国产吃瓜黑料 Television is fast becoming a fixture
among leading cable, satellite, telco and broadband providers鈥 sports
and entertainment offerings. To learn more about 国产吃瓜黑料 Television,
visit www.outsidetelevision.com.