On Target for Hunting Season: Outdoor Channel Introduces Q4 Lineup of Fresh Original and Returning Series Featuring Top Talent

TEMECULA, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- There's no better way to usher in a new hunting season than with Outdoor Channel's fresh roster of outdoor lifestyle programming. As America's leader in outdoor TV, the network is introducing its fourth quarter (Q4) lineup of hunting, fishing, shooting and adventure entertainment, featuring the most popular celebrities in the outdoor arena; including legendary professional hunter Jim Shockey and country music sensation Craig Morgan.

"As we kick off hunting season and our final quarter of programming for the year, we are excited to once again offer a roster of shows that highlight our celebrity talent, in addition to the action-infused storytelling that define our brand and connection with viewers," said Tom Hornish, President and CEO, Outdoor Channel.

Kicking off on October 1^st, the quarter will feature 90 shows, including the original series premiere of "MidwayUSA's Rapid Fire." A brand new Outdoor Channel original series, "MidwayUSA's Rapid Fire" seeks to answer the age old question of which era in history produced the best firearms. Each intense thirty-minute episode pits weapons from different eras in history against each other in the ultimate rapid-firing adventure.

This quarter also marks the all-new season premiere of Outdoor Channel's hit reality competition, "Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge." Hosted by country music star Craig Morgan, the show has expanded from a four-part special to 13 riveting half-hour episodes, giving audiences even more action this season. A total of fourteen finalists, including some returning competitors from last season, battle it out in the ultimate outdoor competition.

Among the other network favorites returning with a new season are: "Grateful Nation," "Savage Wild," "SCI Expedition Safari" and "The Choice with Ralph and Vicki." And in case you missed them while you were casting a line this summer, Outdoor Channel will also be re-airing episodes of many network favorites, such as "Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures" and "Sasquatch."

"Outdoor Channel will continue to distinguish itself as 'America's leader in outdoor TV' through the debut of new shows that will catapult our unique, original brand of outdoor entertainment to broader levels as we explore new aspects of the outdoor lifestyle," said Jeff Wayne, EVP, Programming and Production, Outdoor Channel.

Notable Series in Q4 Include:

Field & Stream Total Outdoorsmen Challenge – New Season Premiere, Wednesday, October 3^rd at 9:30 p.m. ET
Fourteen competitors from all corners of the United States go head-to-head in 17 grueling events to win $50,000 and the bragging rights to be called the Total Outdoorsman. Hosted by country music star Craig Morgan, "Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge" is a one-of-a-kind competition that highlights the dramatic journeys of the competitors as they prove their mettle at various skills. It's the ultimate outdoor test of skill, nerve, might and agility, and there's only one winner – who will take home the title of Total Outdoorsman?

MidwayUSA's Rapid Fire – New Original Series Premiere, Wednesday, October 3^rd at 8:00 and 11:30 p.m. ET
History's greatest weapons, from two different eras, battle it out for supremacy in the all-new "MidwayUSA's Rapid Fire." Hosted by season one "Top Shot" winner Iain Harrison and U.S. Shooting Academy Director of Training Mike Seeklander, the show will light up the night with 30 high-octane minutes that feature the best of automatic weaponry, military hardware and the fascinating stories behind the world's most popular rapid-firing weapons.

Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures – Returns Sunday, October 7^th at 8:00 p.m. ET
Host Jim Shockey travels the world to offer the best hunting adventures around. The show takes viewers on a moose hunt to the Alaska-Yukon region; polar bear hunting by dogsled with the Inuit people of the Arctic; Cape buffalo and crocodile hunting in Tanzania; gazelle and white bearded wildebeast hunting in Maasailand; and Muskox hunting in the Arctic with a muzzleloader. Audiences just never know where Jim's next adventure will take them.

Sasquatch – Returns Tuesday, October 2^nd at 7:30 p.m. ET & Friday, October 5^th at 9:30 p.m. ET
Born deep in the Rocky Mountains stands a man today who reaches 6'7" and weighs in at 270 pounds of solid mountain man. He hunts and survives as the mountain men did in the mid-1800s. Laramy "Sasquatch" Miller uses only a hand-made bow and a traditional .54 caliber Hawken rifle to travel deep in the Canadian Rockies to the plains of the Midwest. On his show, produced by Trev Gowdy, Miller does it all the hard way, the "Sasquatch" way. In a world of high-tech hunters, weapons and technology, he hunts, traps and survives off the land, and shows us what real hunting and living in the great wilderness truly is.

SCI Expedition Safari – New Season Premiere, Tuesday, October 2^nd at 7:00 p.m. ET & Saturday, October 6^th at 11:30 p.m. ET
Join host Mike Rogers on exciting hunts from around the world, including the African savannah, arctic tundra, Southern Alps, Rocky Mountains and whitetail woods. Produced in partnership with Safari Club International, on the eighth season Rogers plans to top all previous seasons in drama, action and conservation stories from around the world. In addition to the hunting excitement, each episode also looks at the many facets of SCI's conservation programs and how hunters are protecting the freedom to hunt worldwide.

Outdoor Channel continues to offer a number of thematic primetime programming blocks that combine the network's top shows with notable outdoor brands, offering audiences hours of non-stop action. Among the top branded programming blocks making a return for Q4 are: "Friday Night at the Lodge presented by Dick's Sporting Goods," "MidwayUSA Wednesday Night At The Range," "Nosler's Tuesday Trophy Room" and "In Season Thursdays presented by The Sportsman's Guide."

For the full Q4 programming schedule, please visit: http://outdoorchannel.com/Schedule.aspx. Check local listings or log on to OutdoorChannel.com to find out how to get the network in your area.

About Outdoor Channel
Taking viewers across America and around the world on unparalleled adventures since 1993, Outdoor Channel is America's leader in outdoor TV. Dedicated to the outdoor lifestyle and conservation, the independent cable network is a division of Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OUTD) and provides a complete spectrum of riveting hunting, fishing, shooting and adventure entertainment. Outdoor Channel reaches 38 million U.S. households – the largest outdoor TV footprint in the country – and is available in more than 45 countries internationally. Outdoor Channel can be viewed in HD and is accessible by broadband, mobile platforms. For program times and other information, visit www.outdoorchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook, and download our iPhone and iPad app.

About Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc.
Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OUTD) owns and operates Outdoor Channel, America's leader in outdoor TV, and Winnercomm Inc., an Emmy Award winning production and interactive company. Outdoor Channel offers programming that captures the excitement of hunting, fishing, shooting, adventure and the Western lifestyle and can be viewed on multiple platforms including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a dynamic broadband website. Winnercomm Inc. is one of America's leading and highest quality producers of live sporting events and sports series for cable and broadcast television. Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. also owns and operates the SkyCam and CableCam aerial camera systems which provide dramatic overhead camera angles for major sports events, including college and NFL football. For more information, please visit www.outdoorchannel.com.

SOURCE Outdoor Channel