UPFRONT PROGRAMMING
April 14, 2011
Military Channel is the only television network devoted exclusively to honoring and recognizing the U.S. Military from the past to the present. The channel showcases compelling, real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, technological breakthroughs and significant turning points in history, taking viewers "behind the lines" to hear the personal and heroic stories of servicemen and women. Complementing landmark specials and groundbreaking series, Military Channel has also partnered with the G.I. FILM FESTIVAL, the nation's most prestigious film festival devoted to the heroic service of American service members, to feature award-winning documentaries and narrative films.
Highlights for the 2011-12 upfront include:
NEW SERIES
TRIGGERS
Hosted by Wil Willis, former U.S. Army Ranger and Air Force Pararescueman, TRIGGERS is a new series about firearms connections that changed the world. Every episode tells the story of one weapon that transformed warfare, giving viewers key insight to both the history and technology of these revolutionary innovations.
RETURNING SERIES
AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE
AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE pairs Hollywood actor and Navy brat Lou Diamond Phillips with retired and active duty officers who lived through major battles or have an expertise in the conflicts depicted in notable Hollywood films. As each classic film makes its Military Channel premiere, AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE provides expert commentary that can only come from being "on the ground" during the action as these officers reflect on the themes of that night's film and also provide personal insight that puts each movie into a modern context. Movies this upfront include Three Kings, Windtalkers, The Dirty Dozen and The Big Red One.
MISSIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAR
Actor Gary Sinise narrates this exclusive series, which recounts the covert operations and brave soldiers that altered the face of World War II. Divided into three separate four-hour miniseries, MISSIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAR profiles: "The Doolittle Raid," a seemingly insignificant mission that was designed to boost American morale but in retrospect, had a vital effect on the war with Japan; "Germany's Last Ace," a first-person account of Gunter Rall, the most decorated aviator in Hitler's Luftwaffe; and "The Flying Tigers," a series of bombing missions that prevented the fall of China. Pivotal moments, high stakes operations and heroic missions that defined history are showcased in every episode of MISSIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAR.
GREATEST TANK BATTLES
The new action-packed series GREATEST TANK BATTLES brings to life the most gripping and monumental battles ever fought on the front lines with these weapons on wheels. Filmed on battlefields across the world, the series uses stunning, ultra-realistic CGI animation to recount the step-by-step maneuvers used in the most colossal combats from the last century. In each episode, viewers witness the gritty realism and experience the thunderous tanks from perspectives never before possible. Coupled with first-hand accounts from the eyes of the very soldiers who manned the guns and guided the monster machines, this new original series puts viewers right in the heat of the action and inside the tank's atmosphere.
INITIATIVES:
White House "Joining Forces" Campaign
Heeding the challenge set forth by the White House, Military Channel is supporting the "Joining Forces" campaign to generate awareness and support for returning troops and America's military families. Military Channel is producing an original PSA, in coordination with Skills for America's Future, focused on expanding employment for veterans and their spouses, as well as featuring "Send a Salute" on-air crawls and social media messages of user-generated salutes in support of military families. Additionally, AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE and host Lou Diamond Phillips commentary will regularly weave information about available resources for the "Joining Forces" campaign into programming.
Military Channel has teamed up with The American Legion - the country's largest veteran's service organization with about 2.5 million members worldwide - to honor troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including three soldiers who never made it back home. A series of ten, one-minute vignettes, "American Heroes" includes the dramatic and poignant stories of those who fell in battle, suffered severe injuries, helped repair war-torn communities, or made it home to help other wounded warriors.
Operation Baghdad Pups
As part of its ongoing support of military service members, Military Channel partners with the SPCA's "Operation Baghdad Pups" to tell the stories of military men and women who developed powerful and enduring relationships with dogs that they rescued while serving in Iraq. By the end of 2009, some 200 dogs and a small number of cats will have been rescued by the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups, which has been instrumental in arranging the safe transportation of many companion animals to the United States. Military Channel's special, NO DOG LEFT BEHIND tells a few of these emotional tales.
ONLINE:
The Military Channel's website has forums for passionate fans to dive deeper on topics covered in the network's popular series. In addition, photo-blogs like "Dispatches from the Front" are featured where servicemen and women share pictures and stories from the front lines.
This website is Military Channel's portal to organizations that support our armed forces. Reconnect America is a nationwide program that provides resources for Military Channel viewers to give back to the men and women who give it all, as a way to join forces to say "thanks" in ways that matter most.
EXECUTIVES:
Henry Schleiff
President & General Manager
Military Channel and Investigation Discovery
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kristin Brown
VP, Communications
240-662-5415
Kristin_Brown@discovery.com
David Schaefer
Director, Communications
240-662-2954
David_Schaefer@discovery.com
Debbie Gottschalk
Senior Publicist
240-662-2930
Deborah_Gottschalk@discovery.com
PARENT COMPANY:
Discovery Communications
One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, Md. 20910
BROADCAST HOURS:
24 hours per day
LAUNCH DATE:
January 10, 2005
BACKGROUND:
The Military Channel was previously the Discovery Wings Channel, which launched on June 30, 1998, and was focused on aviation and the wonders of flight.
SUBSCRIBERS:
57.3 million (Nielsen Universe Estimate, April 2011)