ABC O&O KGO-TV San Francisco headed to the Philippines with local Bay Area scientists to give viewers a breath-taking look at one of the world’s richest and endangered biological hotspots. The result was a locally-produced special, “Reefs to Rainforests: The Great Expedition,” scheduled to air in primetime.
The special exploring one of the planet’s most spectacular – and threatened – ecosystems was due to air Saturday, October 22nd at 10:00 pm.
Accompanying the California Academy of Sciences on its largest expedition ever, ABC7 (KGO) followed researchers as they hiked through tropical rainforests, dived in coral reefs and trawled the ocean in and around the Philippines in search of new species and their habitats. ABC7’s Dan Ashley hosted the one-hour telecast from the Academy, where viewers also saw how aquarium biologists maintain environmentally sustainable exhibits, including a living model of a Philippine coral reef.
“This primetime special exemplifies the longstanding commitment of our ABC7 news team to follow ground-breaking developments and discoveries, whether they’re occurring across the globe in the Philippines or close to home at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park,” said William Burton, ABC7 president and general manager.
Kevin Keeshan, ABC7 vice president, news director, added: “The extraordinary work by the California Academy of Sciences here and abroad is expanding the boundaries of scientific research. ‘Reefs to Rainforests: The Great Expedition’ is a unique opportunity for ABC7 viewers to witness the beauty and challenges of one of our planet’s most spectacular ecosystems.”
“Reefs to Rainforests: The Great Expedition” will also be available on demand at www.abc7news.com.
RBR-TVBR observation: Kudos to KGO management for some out-of-the-box thinking. Just as reporters headed overseas with US troop deployments, there are other “local” stories happening outside the range of your transmitter. You just have to look for them. Budget is a consideration, of course, but things like this can really boost a station’s profile.
