TEN’s long green weekend

The TEN Network is having a long weekend of ‘environmentally-friendly programming.’

It has lined up a series of shows beginning today under the banner ‘Making Your Mark’ that will seek to elevate awareness of climate change and environmental issues. It kicks off with 9am with David and Kim and includes Rove, Big Brother, Video Hits, The Simpsons, Ready Steady Cook and Good News Week.

TEN programmer David Mott said, “We want to deliver environmental messages in a way our viewers can easily understand and relate to so we have tailored them to fit the shows they watch.”

Press Release:

Network Ten’s Making Your Mark weekend-long programming campaign starts tomorrow with the aim of accelerating awareness of climate change and other environmental issues.

From confronting interviews to lighthearted sketches, TEN is tackling climate change in its own way.

Over the coming weekend and to coincide with World Environment Day popular TEN shows, including Big Brother, Rove, Ready Steady Cook, Video Hits, 9am with David and Kim and Good News Week will carry environmental messages and provide viewers with a wealth of information and advice on caring for the environment.

TEN’s chief programming officer, David Mott, said: “One of the greatest contributions we can make as a television network is by what we do and say on air.

“On average we reach six million people daily and if, through our campaign, we can influence positive environmental behaviour in just a fraction of these six million then we are making a small, but valuable contribution.”

Mr Mott added that climate change was one of the biggest challenges facing this country but acknowledges that for most, the subject and solutions can seem daunting.

“We want to deliver environmental messages in a way our viewers can easily understand and relate to so we have tailored them to fit the shows they watch,” he said.

The long weekend kick starts with David and Christi Malthouse (filling in for Kim) from 9am and they will be speaking with resident gardening expert David Kirkpatrick live from the Going Green Expo in Melbourne.

The event comes to a close on Monday, June 9 when Good News Week welcomes comedian and ‘Who on Earth Cares’ ambassador Sammy J onto the show.

The full line up for the Making Your Mark long weekend, which will be broadcast on TEN’s main and HD channels, includes:

9am with David and Kim Thursday, June 5: David Kirkpatrick checks out the Going Green Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The Going Green Expo will showcase easy ways in which every Australian household and business can reduce their environmental footprint.
Friday, June 6: David and Kim interview Don Henry, executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Mr Henry marks his tenth year in the job and talks about World Environment Day.

Ready Steady Cook
Wednesday, June 4: To celebrate World Environment Day, Dr Rob host of SCOPE and Wes Denning from Totally Wild will don their aprons and go head to head in the kitchen.
Thursday June 5: Sandra Sully from TEN News will be pit against Jon Dee from Planet Ark in this environmental special.

The Oprah Winfrey Show
Thursday, June 5: Oprah is joined by Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore for this earth day special. Her celebrity guests share their views on the environment and what they’re doing in their own lives to make a positive environmental impact.
Friday June 6: Two families who live a life of excess are challenged to cut back for a week and live with only the bare necessities. Oprah finds out how the experience affects both families, and will provide viewers with practical tips on what they can do to cut back excessive consumption in their own life.

Big Brother Friday Night Live
Friday, June 6: The theme of the show is “superheroes save the world”. Big Brother housemates will dress-up as global crusaders and play games involving saving water, green wheelie bins and recycling.

SCOPE
Saturday, June 7: Dr Rob presents a very special episode on alternative energy. Dr Rob divulges how we can extract diesel from plants, hydrogen from water and electricity from the tides.

Video Hits
Saturday, June 7: Nathan and Fuzzy will be joined by Felix from the Cat Empire at Forest Lodge Primary School in Sydney, one of the few schools in Australia which is powered by solar energy.
The Cat Empire donated all of the solar panels to the school.
Sunday, June 8: Nathan and fuzzy will join Xavier Rudd in his clay-built, environmentally inspired home in Victoria. They will also feature clips from green supporters: John Butler Trio, Jack Johnson, Beautiful Girls, Missy Higgins, Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly.

AFL
Saturday, June 7: TEN and AFL Films, the producers of TEN’s AFL coverage, in conjunction with Origin are offsetting emissions from the production of TEN’s AFL games for the 2008 season – a first for the Code.

Rove
Sunday, June 8: In usual Rove fashion, he takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to the environment.

The Simpsons
Sunday, June 8: Lisa helps Mr. Burns build a recycling centre after a series of bad investments cost the multimillionaire his fortune.

Good News Week
Monday, June 9: Comedian and ‘Who on Earth Cares’ ambassador Sammy J joins Paul McDermott and the Good News Week team.

In addition, there is a raft of activity happening throughout the week in the lead up to TEN’s Making Your Mark long weekend:
· On Tuesday, June 3 ttn will air a special episode that looks at everything from climate change and recycling to carbon economies and the history of world environment day. ttn will also be crossing live to TEN’s national environment reporter Emily Rice
· In the week leading up to World Environment Day, TEN News at Five’s favourite weather presenters will be catching up with different environment groups including Coastcare, Australian Conservation Foundation and Standby Saturday, to deliver a variety of simple tips to save energy and help the planet
· TEN, Origin and Cascade Green are also running a competition to help viewers move towards a low carbon lifestyle. One lucky household will get the chance to win a “Green Your Home” pack from Origin, which includes a solar hot water system and a rainwater tank valued at over $10 000. Five viewers can also win a 12-month supply of Cascade Green, Beer of the Earth (100% carbon offset). Entry is via the ten.com.au/makingyourmark.

The Making Your Mark long weekend is part of TEN’s broader environmental project, Making Your Mark, which was launched in April.

Viewers who want to take action can go to ten.com.au/makingyourmark for environmental tips, including five top tips specially put together for the June long weekend by the Australian Conservation Foundation.