With Focus on Saving Coral Reefs, KCETLink Debuts All-New EARTH FOCUS Special ‘Vanishing Coral’ and BLUE PLANET ‘Coral Seas’ April 18
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JP Shields
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Air New Zealand Partners To Kick Off Sweepstakes Offering Chance to Visit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Community Partner Aquarium of the Pacific To Host April Screening for Members; Heal The Bay Takes on Role as Social Activation Partner With Online Petition to Restore EPA Funding for Climate Change Science
BURBANK, Calif. – Mar. 17, 2017 – KCETLink Media Group, a leading national independent non-profit public broadcast and digital network, announced today the launch of a multi-pronged campaign around two critical documentaries that explore one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth. KCET and Link TV will premiere a special installment of American television’s longest running environmental investigative series, EARTH FOCUS, titled “Vanishing Coral,” which uncovers the devastating effects of coral bleaching as the result of warming oceans, while BLUE PLANET “Coral Seas” on KCET explores the dramatic formation of a coral reef. EARTH FOCUS “Vanishing Coral” will premiere on Tues., Apr. 18 at 8:30 p.m. PT on KCET in Southern California and Link TV Nationwide (DirecTV 374 and DISH Network 9410). Additionally, the program will be available for streaming on kcet.org/coral and linktv.org/coral.
BLUE PLANET “Coral Seas” will make its KCET debut on Tues., April 18 at 9 p.m. PT for Southern California viewers.
At 8:30 p.m., EARTH FOCUS: “Vanishing Coral” comes during a pivotal time when coral reef populations are declining at a rapid pace. In 2016, a warm spell attributed to climate change caused bleaching of one-third of the Great Barrier Reef along the eastern coast of Australia that is 5,000 to 10,000 years old. Reefs in the Florida Keys have declined by 80% over the past three decades and scientists warn that all Caribbean coral could disappear in the next 20 years. One of the most diverse and complex ecosystems on the planet, the coral reefs provide livelihoods, food and important shoreline protection in many regions. Though they make up less than 1% of the oceans, reefs are home to 25% of fish and other marine life. “Vanishing Coral” presents the personal story of scientists and naturalists who are working with local communities to protect coral reefs that are being destroyed by warming seas, pollution, and destructive fishing practices. Featured in the documentary is the President of the Biosphere Foundation Abigail Alling, marine biologist and coral expert Phil Dustan, captain of the Mir research sailing vessel Mark Van Thillo, and Nono Suparno, a leading conservationist in Bali.
Then at 9 p.m. the critically acclaimed BBC series BLUE PLANET, the definitive natural history series hosted by Sir David Attenborough exploring the world’s oceans, offers some of the most visually stunning footage of the ocean’s darkest depths and boldly investigates uncharted territories, giving viewers a glimpse at never-before seen sea creatures and underwater ecosystems that are just now beginning to be understood. The episode “Coral Seas” uses incredible time-lapse photography to show the dramatic formation of a coral reef, portraying its myriad inhabitants and its ultimate destruction referring to them as “the rainforests of the sea.”
By joining forces with three outside partners, Air New Zealand, the Aquarium of the Pacific and Heal The Bay, KCET and Link TV aim to reach a wider audience with critical issues surrounding some of our most precious and beautiful underwater colonies.
“We are grateful to Air New Zealand for providing an amazing opportunity to travel to an area of the world where some of our greatest reefs inhabit the ocean; to Aquarium of the Pacific, which has made valuable contributions to marine education in our community; and to Heal the Bay, to help our viewers advocate for a healthier environment,” said President and Chief Executive Officer KCETLink Media Group Michael Riley. “With coral reef populations declining significantly in the past decade, this wide-reaching initiative supports our mission to increase the impact of our storytelling around environmental issues that affect the global community.”
Starting March 15, KCET will launch a special sweepstakes where a lucky winner and their guest will experience an Australian vacation, including round-trip airfare courtesy Air New Zealand and travel vouchers from Discover Queensland, giving travelers the flexibility to create the trip of their dreams. This once-in-a-lifetime trip to beautiful Queensland provides an opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest reef system stretching over 1,600 miles and dating back thousands of years. The winner has the opportunity to experience firsthand how coral reefs play such a crucial role in the well-being of our planet. By making a contribution to KCET via kcet.org/australia by April 30, 2017, entrants will be automatically entered to win. More details can be found by visiting kcet.org/coral starting March 15 and running through April 30, 2017. No donation is required for entry.
On Thursday, April 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific will host a screening of the new EARTH FOCUS “Vanishing Coral” special and BLUE PLANET’s "Coral Seas" in its Ocean Theater. For more information on attending the screening, call 747-201-5788 or email specialevents@kcet.org. The Aquarium of the Pacific, a nonprofit educational institution, displays coral in several exhibits and is involved in a coral restoration project in Guam.
KCETLink Media Group has partnered with Heal The Bay to give viewers of the coral reef programs and the online web content an outlet to take direct action. Heal the Bay uses science, education, community action, and advocacy to implement change and has recently started a petition to maintain funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The campaign is asking that EPA funding be restored for climate change science, as recent budget proposals under the new federal administration would dramatically slash funding for these critical programs. Viewers are also invited to participate in Heal the Bay’s biggest beach cleanup of the year, to be held Saturday, April 15, just north of the Santa Monica Pier. Thousands of volunteers will learn more about threats to our ocean ecosystems and how to protect our special places.
A dedicated EARTH FOCUS: “Vanishing Coral” online content hub for each KCETLink service at http://www.kcet.org/coral and http://www.linktv.org/coral will present an array of programming to highlight ocean conservation and coral reef information that provides viewers with an immersive and educational viewing experience. Content will include an introductory lesson on why coral reefs are important for our ecosystem and for human society, what can be done to protect the reefs, California’s native corals, as well as a look at how coral reefs and their inhabitants are represented in pop culture.
EARTH FOCUS is a weekly half-hour program that is the longest-running environmental series on U.S. television. In production since 2006, the series features in-depth reports on key issues such as endangered species, climate change, environmental health and sustainable practices. For more information and to watch episodes online, visit linktv.org/earthfocus or kcet.org/earthfocus.
Funding for this special edition of EARTH FOCUS was provided by a grant from the Orange County Community Foundation and individual donors. “Vanishing Coral” was produced and directed by Stephen Olsson.
To learn more, please visit kcet.org/coral or linktv.org/coral or on social media use #CoralReefs
ABOUT KCETLINK MEDIA GROUP
KCETLink Media Group, formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media, is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link TV – DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 – and on KCET in Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through various digital delivery systems. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org. Select programming from KCET and Link TV is also available for streaming on Hulu, Apple TV, and Roku platforms.
ABOUT AIR NEW ZEALAND
About Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand operates on average 500 flights a day connecting customers to 22 destinations within New Zealand and to international ports across Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and the Pacific Islands. North American services include non-stop flights to New Zealand from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Honolulu and Vancouver B.C., and Los Angeles non-stop flights to the Cook Islands and London. For more information about Air New Zealand visit http://www.airnewzealand.com
ABOUT AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
The Aquarium of the Pacific is the fourth most-attended aquarium in the nation. It displays over 11,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits that represent the diversity of the Pacific Ocean. Each year more than 1.7 million people visit the Aquarium. Beyond its world-class animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages from hands-on activities to lectures by leading scientists. Through these programs and a variety of multimedia experience, the Aquarium provides opportunities to delve deeper into ocean science and learn more about our planet. The Aquarium of the Pacific has redefined the modern aquarium. It is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and a place where important topics facing our planet and our ocean are explored by scientists, policymakers and stakeholders in the search for sustainable solutions. http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/
ABOUT HEAL THE BAY
Heal the Bay is a Santa Monica-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the health and safety of our local beaches, inland watersheds and ocean. The volunteer-driven organization has a 32-year track record of using sound science, passionate advocacy and community engagement to keep our coastline clean and vibrant. The group issues water quality grades for more than 500 beaches each week, conducts monthly beach cleanups and operates the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, among many other programs.
