R 182017Z APR 12 ALCOAST 180/12 COMDTNOTE 5700 SUBJ: SEASON TWO PREMIERE OF COAST GUARD ALASKA ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL COMDTNOTE 5700 A. PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANUAL, COMDTINST M5728.2D B. 14 U.S. C. 659 1. THIS ALCOAST ALERTS ALL SERVICE MEMBERS TO THE FORTHCOMING SEASON PREMIERE OF COAST GUARD ALASKA. SEASON TWO OF THE POPULAR AND CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED PRIME TIME TELEVISION SHOW WILL PREMIERE ON WEDNESDAY, 18 APRIL 2012 ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL NETWORK. PLEASE CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS TO CONFIRM THE EXACT TIME. 2. BACKGROUND: THE FINAL EPISODE OF COAST GUARD ALASKA SEASON ONE AIRED IN MID-JANUARY ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL NETWORK. THE SHOW REACHED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILLION U.S. VIEWERS CUMULATIVELY AND PROVIDED SEVEN EPISODES WHICH INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS OF YOUR SERVICES OPERATIONS IN ALASKA. BOLSTERED BY THE SUCCESS OF SEASON ONE, THE WEATHER CHANNEL PURCHASED THIRTEEN NEW EPISODES FOR SEASONS TWO AND THREE. THESE THIRTEEN EPISODES ARE BEING FILMED IN THE DISTRICT SEVENTEEN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (AOR) FROM JANUARY THROUGH LATE JULY 2012. 3. FUTURE: THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THIS NEW SERIES LED TO THE CREATION OF YET ANOTHER REALITY-DOCUMENTARY SHOW FOCUSED ON THE U.S. COAST GUARD. THE WEATHER CHANNEL PURCHASED FROM AL ROKER ENTERTAINMENT THIRTEEN ONE-HOUR EPISODES OF COAST GUARD FLORIDA IN FEBRUARY. THE NEW SHOW IS CURRENTLY FILMING IN THE DISTRICT SEVEN AOR FROM EARLY APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER. THAT SERIES WILL PREMIERE ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL IN PRIME TIME HOURS DURING AUTUMN 2012. THE PREMIERE DATE WILL BE POSTED ON THE SERVICES OFFICIAL BLOG, COAST GUARD COMPASS. TO VIEW THIS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.USCG.MIL. 4. EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: IT IS UNPRECEDENTED FOR OUR SERVICE TO HAVE 26 HOURS OF DEDICATED PRIME TIME PROGRAMMING IN ONE CALENDAR YEAR. THIS REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT BUILDS ON THE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS OF ALL OUR SERVICE MEMBERS WHO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY AND PORT PARTNER ENGAGEMENT, TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA INTERACTION, TO THE BURGEONING CAPABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND TO OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION THROUGH SUPPORT TO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES AND TELEVISION SHOWS. THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MISSION IS A TEAM EFFORT AND YOU ALL ARE PART OF THIS TEAM. 5. RELATIONSHIPS: NOTEWORTHY IS THE STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. COAST GUARD, AL ROKER ENTERTAINMENT AND THE WEATHER CHANNEL NETWORK. PUBLICITY SURROUNDING THE TWO SERIES AND CONSEQUENTLY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON OUR MEMBERS, MISSIONS AND ASSETS IN DISTRICT SEVENTEEN, DISTRICT SEVEN AND THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 500 INDIVIDUAL NEWS OUTLETS INCLUDING WEBSITES, BLOG POSTS, RADIO INTERVIEWS, TELEVISION INTERVIEWS, NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES. FURTHER, WHEN COAST GUARD ALASKA PREMIERED IN NOVEMBER 2011, THE WEATHER CHANNEL WORKED WITH THE COAST GUARD FOUNDATION INDEPENDENTLY TO GENERATE A LARGE CONTRIBUTION THAT ULTIMATELY BENEFITS OUR MEMBERS. ALSO, MR. AL ROKER VOLUNTARILY SUPPORTED A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TO INAUGURATE THIS YEARS CAMPAIGN FOR COAST GUARD MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. TO SEE THIS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CGMAHQ.ORG. 6. INSIGHT: U.S. COAST GUARD SUPPORT TO ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS IS A COMPLEX PROCESS. IN COORDINATING SUPPORT TO THESE PROJECTS, OUR ENTERTAINMENT LIAISONS IN LOS ANGELES ADHERE TO STRICT CRITERIA IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCES A AND B, AND TO ENSURE THIS SUPPORT IS PROVIDED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE U.S. TAXPAYER. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO EDUCATE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ON THEIR COAST GUARD. THESE COLLABORATIONS REQUIRE PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE, AND PROFESSIONALISM. FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT ON TELEVISION THAT CONTAINS COAST GUARD CONTENT, THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSALS FOR DOCUMENTARIES, EPISODIC SHOWS, AND FEATURE LENGTH FILMS. ONCE A PROJECT IS CONFIRMED FOR DISTRIBUTION ON A TELEVISION NETWORK, IT TAKES ALMOST 300 MINUTES OF FILMING TO CAPTURE ONE MINUTE OF FINISHED PRODUCTION THAT AIRS. WHEN OUR SERVICE MEMBERS WATCH A FINISHED PROJECT ON AIR, THEY SHOULD APPRECIATE THE WORK BY ALL OUR OPERATORS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL INVOLVED, MOST OF WHO DO NOT APPEAR ON CAMERA. 7. CONCLUSION: WE REMAIN VERY PROUD OF ALL OUR MEN AND WOMEN SERVING IN DISTRICT SEVENTEEN AND DISTRICT SEVEN FOR THE GREAT WORK THEY DO EVERY DAY AND FOR REPRESENTING US TO THE PUBLIC. ENTERTAINMENT PROJECTS LIKE COAST GUARD ALASKA AND COAST GUARD FLORIDA ARE INVALUABLE FOR THEY TELL OUR STORY DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ON PRIME TIME. NO MATTER WHICH MEMBERS, COMMUNITIES, COMMANDS, ASSETS, AND MISSIONS ARE AIRED, THE STORY OUR FELLOW AMERICANS SEE IS THE STORY OF THEIR COAST GUARD. 8. POC: THE POINTS OF CONTACT AT OUR MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION LIAISON OFFICE ARE CDR SEAN CARROLL, EMAIL: SEAN.M.CARROLL(AT)USCG.MIL, CDR KEVIN JONES, EMAIL: KEVIN.A.JONES(AT)USCG.MIL, CWO2 CHAD SAYLOR, EMAIL: CHAD.M.SAYLOR(AT)USCG.MIL, AND CWO2 DANA WARR, EMAIL: DANA.L.WARR(AT)USCG.MIL. 9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED. 10. RDML K. L. SCHULTZ, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SENDS.