January 18, 2008

360 Update: Planet Green's Big Ten

Planet Green Gains Weight, WealthTV Gains Carriage, Nathansons' Naming and other news

By Cable 360 Staff

Discovery’s Planet Green has joined forces with 10 environmental nonprofits, including The Nature Conservancy, Earthwatch Institute and National Wildlife Federation. The partnerships are broad, encompassing grassroots community outreach, public affairs and content creation. Other groups partnering with Planet Green include Ashoka, Earth Pledge, Environmental Media Association, Global Green USA, Global Inheritance, Oceana and Ocean Conservancy. “By joining the media resources of Discovery’s Planet Green with the extensive knowledge and connections of our new partners, it is our intent to find exciting new ways of inspiring people of all ages and lifestyles to take action,” said Eileen O’Neill, president and general manager, Planet Green. 

HBO led nominees with 10 nominations in the 14th annual NAMIC Vision Awards. More than two hundred entries were submitted by twenty-nine networks competing in fifteen award categories. Disney Channel snagged five nominations, TV One took four. Among the nominees are Queen Latifah for HBO’s Life Support and Whoopi Goldberg in Bravo’s The World According to  Whoopi. Best shows included ABC Family’s Lincoln Heights, TBS’ Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and HBO’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. The awards will be presented April 16 at the Beverly Hilton.

Briefly Noted
WealthTV gained carriage on Hood Canal Communications in Washington state.  Hood Canal is providing WealthTV in digital basic and in HD.

Charter board member/cable icon Marc Nathanson and wife Jane will have their names on a gallery at the LA County Museum of Art's Broad Contemporary Art Museum, The LA Times says. The Nathansons made a $10 million gift. [The LA Times]

Programmers are getting creative about briefing TV writers now that TCA has fallen victim to the writers strike. On Feb 1, Discovery has invited reporters to join "a virtual TCA," a Webcast really, at noon ET, where they’ll be able to speak with astronaut Buzz Aldrin regarding a new show about the Moon. The show “will top [hit series] Planet Earth,” Discovery says.

Outdoor Channel’s fourth annual Offshore Classic (Jan 14-16) at Islamorada, Florida, raised $15,000 for the Paralyzed Veterans of America Heritage Fund. Similar to SkiTam, the sailfish tournament allows outdoorsmen to catch and release fish alongside PVA members as they raise money. Some 67 anglers participated aboard 19 boats.
 
Did you think E!’s Giuliana Rancic ad-libbed her Golden Globe intro? Joel Stein says he crossed the picket line and wrote it for her. [The LA Times]

We don't normally tout broadcast fare, but in the case of WWE chief Vince McMahon we'll make an exception. McMahon, who lost his hair to Donald Trump during last April's WrestleMania 23, will be a judge on next week’s Celebrity Apprentice (NBC, Thurs, 9pm). We're told that Trump makes nice to Vince as he joins Trump daughter Ivanka as a judge. Vince also gets to show off a new head of hair. Now do we bring you the most vital news or what?
 
Editor's Note:  In  observance of  Martin Luther King  Day, Cable360 will be updated sparingly until Tuesday morning, January 22.