"National Geographic Today"
- National Geographic Channel
- 1145 17th St. NW
- Washington, DC 20036-4688
- 202/912-6500
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com
NBC's "Today" show set - that prime real estate for media relations gimmicks - may have a contender. If National Geographic Channel president Laureen Ong has her way, her
station's new, $12 million, glass-encased studio in downtown DC will spawn similar mischief during live broadcasts of the network's signature news program, "National Geographic
Today." Ong says the fact that the studio is street-level is intentional. "We wanted to create a sense of place," for the 113 year-old society's campus, she says. The studio
(appropriately deemed "base camp" by the PR sherpas at Geographic) also hopes to lure the interest of tourists and rush hour commuters by showcasing its plasma screens and piping
audio from newscasts out onto the street. And anchoring the network's "place" in the heart of the district is an outdoor news ticker that's updated hourly with the latest
headlines concerning global science, nature and environmental developments.
Content
"National Geographic Today" airs Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. EST, serving up timely news - albeit often through the lens of a microscope, an underwater camera or telescope.
Anchored by former ABC news correspondent Tom Foreman and Emmy-winning anchor Susan Roesgen (formerly with WDSU-TV in New Orleans), the show promises a mix of breaking news, in-
depth features and field reports courtesy of more than 200 correspondent teams around the world. Segments in the news mix delve into natural history, science, technology,
exploration, international cultures and adventure topics.
Not surprisingly, producers plan to draw on the National Geographic Society's venerable coffers of expertise, including explorers, researchers and scientists. But the show
will also rely on AP news feeds and outside pitches to flesh out each news hour. Hot topics might include news such as, "the earthquake in El Salvador, the discovery of a new
aboriginal tribe, the devastation of some plant life, or the extinction of an animal species," Ong says. Look for a fair amount of content sharing among the Society's four
magazines, its cable network and its Website.
Contacts/Pitch Tips
If you've got a hot cultural news peg or an expert who's primed to comment on a timely science topic, contact booking producer Mark Allen at [email protected]. Or query the assignment desk team - Simone Swink ([email protected]) and Kevin Enochs ([email protected]). But your expert
had better be stellar. Keep in mind he or she will be competing with the Society's renowned "Explorers in Residence" such as primatologist Jane Goodall, historian Stephen Ambrose
and paleontologist Paul Sereno.
Lead-time for stories is one day before airtime. If possible, squeeze your pitch in before noon. Producers also keep a "futures" file, so the more advance notice you can give
on stories, the better.
Once you've emailed your idea, take the Zen route and let it go. Producers say their biggest peeve is being pestered. They promise to call if they're interested.
The National Geographic Channel launched Jan. 7 in partnership with Fox Cable Networks and targets adults 25-54, and especially families. The station currently reaches10
million homes, but will soon reach 25 million+ subscribers through commitments from additional broadband operators.
Comments
In the Geographic world, haute expertise is at a premium. "Our news operation gives us access to a ton of activity," says Russell Howard, VP Communications. "When that
Russian submarine went down, [marine explorer] Bob Ballard could talk about deep sea reclamation in a way that a typical news anchor could never offer."
In the Geographic tradition, "National Geographic Today" hopes to differentiate itself with the depth and quality of its coverage. Where network newscasts might only scratch
the surface, this show promises to dig deeper. As evidence, Howard notes that when news crews flocked to cover last year's fires out West, Geographic teams were able to buttress
helicopter file footage from news feeds with behind-the-lines images of firefighters in action. (Not surprisingly, the Society's shooters got special credentials to enter danger
zones.)
"That enabled us to cover not only the science of how the fires spread and the effects on the ecosystem, but also the lifestyles of the people who were fighting the fires. We
offered more insight, whereas another news operation might just have focused on the loss of people's homes."