Music/Entertainment 411 - April 2007

In Honor Of Earth Day, National Geographic Channel Explores Mother Earth At Her Most Beautiful, Brutal ... And Vulnerable

Follow a Polar Bear Impacted by Global Warming, Explore Yellowstone's Secret Corners and Examine the Science of Extreme Climate Change

Earth Day Programming Also Includes Conservation Concert by Willie Nelson, Ben Harper and Grammy Nominee Jack Johnson

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 2, 2007) Miles away from city smog and congestion are wild spaces where human feet rarely tread - lands with thundering waterfalls, giant sequoias and voracious wildlife. They are places of mysterious beauty and inherent struggle. But are humans threatening the natural order and pristine landscape? Are pollutants forever altering the environment as we know it? Even worse, are the effects of global warming rapidly increasing?

Beginning this Earth Day, April 22,2007 the National Geographic Channel (NGC) presents a host of specials that go into the heart of the wild to show Mother Earth at her most majestic . and her most vulnerable. Go into the Alaskan wilderness to witness a brown bear's struggle to survive. Travel to Norway's frozen arctic desert to observe how climate change and pollutants are threatening a polar bear's survival. Then, venture into unfamiliar territory at Yellowstone National Park, where 90 percent of this remote backcountry is barely touched. See nature's Herculean wonders, including the largest living tree in existence, at Yosemite National Park. And uncover the science behind how climate change is altering the face of our planet.

Primetime premieres include the following:

Planet Carnivore: Polar Bears on Sunday, April 22, at 9:00 PM ET/PT

Go deep inside the arctic Norwegian islands, where an iconic mammal becomes victim of global warming and pollutants. "Binne" the polar bear is on the prowl for seals in this seemingly pristine frozen wilderness after eating sparsely during the winter months. This spring, however, is strangely warm - the first time in four years that seals are nowhere to be found on the west coast. The most visible local contributor of the threatening warming weather is Svalbard's coal mines, which, along with other coal mines around the world, release dangerous greenhouse gases. But there are other enemies: pollutants have been carried by air and ocean currents to Binne's arctic home. Will global warming and pollutants destroy the bedrock of this polar bear's existence?

Planet Carnivore: King Bear on Sunday, April 22, at 10:00 PM ET/PT

Brown bears once ranged widely across North America before humans wiped them out, but in Katmai, on the southwest Alaskan Peninsula, they thrive. In the nearly six thousand square miles of rugged wilderness, violence can erupt at any moment. "Tuyuq," a powerful Alaskan brown bear, has dominated the valley's corridors for 10 seasons. Now, a brash young challenger is waiting to overthrow him, and Tuyuq must fight to remain king bear. After the bounteous arrival of salmon in the streams, a killing frenzy is sparked. Powerful opponents will face off in one of nature's timeless codes of survival.

Secret Yellowstone on Monday, April 23, at 9:00 PM ET/PT

The name "Yellowstone" may have a backyard familiarity, but 90 percent of the national park's two million acres is barely touched and holds much more than what most people see. It's a giant swath of terrain - much of it remote, some of it dangerous, but all of it commanding awe and respect. Wolves, bison and bears roam freely. An incredible 300 waterfalls have been documented in recent years, and for the intrepid explorer, there await life-changing encounters with the natural world. We'll take you off the road and beyond the hot tourist spots to a see the hidden valleys and a 20-mile-long canyon in a Yellowstone you don't know.

Secret Yosemite on Monday, April 23, at 10:00 PM ET/PT

Yosemite National Park is a land of giants: El Capitan, a chunk of granite twice as tall as the Empire State Building; Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America; and the giant sequoia, the largest known living thing in existence. Few experience Yosemite's wild heart like the men and women you'll meet in Secret Yosemite. Alongside one of Yosemite's elite rock-climbers, we'll scale El Cap, the largest granite monolith on the planet. We'll follow the fateful steps of five men in 1985 during what became one of Yosemite's deadliest days. And we'll journey to the crown of a giant sequoia, which quite possibly was a sapling in Cleopatra's day. If you think you know Yosemite, think again.

Naked Science: Polar Apocalypse on Thursday, April 26, at 10:00 PM ET/PT

Imagine a world where melting ice caps have raised sea levels by 20 feet and where the great costal cities of the world are under water. As our earth's temperature continues to rise and our planet becomes increasingly crowded, a nightmare scenario could one day turn into reality - affecting life all over the planet. And recent research suggests that this reality is approaching at rapid speeds. Now, NGC's popular series Naked Science separates fact from fiction to discover the real science behind climate change and the melting ice caps.

Additional special premiere:

Jack Johnson: Kokua Concert on Sunday, April 22, at 12:00 PM ET

On Earth Day 2007, National Geographic Channel journeys to the annual Hawaiian Kokua Festival for a two-day concert for the planet. The music festival, which attracts people from all over the world, will feature popular singers Willie Nelson, Ben Harper and Damien Marley; soulful Hawaiian singer Paula Fuga; and Hawaii native and Grammy nominee Jack Johnson. The festival benefits the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports environmental education in the community and implements recycling and community garden/farming projects. In Jack Johnson: Kokua Concert, Johnson, Nelson and Harper perform their hit songs, such as "On the Road Again" and "With My Own Two Hands," and discuss the importance of sustainable living and environmental education programs.

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in January 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television. The network celebrated its fifth anniversary January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD, which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high-definition. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available to 64 million homes.

For more information log onto: .nationalgeographic.com/channel.