Soledad O'Brien Joins National Geographic Channel Global Television Event LIVE FROM SPACE

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Geographic Channel today announced that celebrated journalist, producer and television host Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) has joined the network's global television event LIVE FROM SPACE as host and co-executive producer. O'Brien will broadcast live from Mission Control in Houston during the program, taking viewers into orbit, literally circling the globe, to offer a unique perspective on astronaut life and work aboard the ISS. The program will air LIVE on Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the National Geographic Channel in the U.S. and in 170 other countries, and on Channel 4 in the U.K. It will also simulcast on NGC's Spanish-language network in the U.S., Nat Geo Mundo.

"With more than 25 years of live television experience, Soledad is the perfect partner for this incredibly exciting television moment," said NGC president Howard T. Owens. "We are ecstatic to have her join us to bring to life the thrilling pulse of this live broadcast."

"It's an honor to be the host and co-executive producer of such an ambitious and important event. I'm thrilled to further my relationship with my partners at National Geographic to tell the untold story that unfolds above the sky each day," said O'Brien. "For those that were thrilled by Gravity, I think they'll be even more impressed by the incredible work being done every day aboard the ISS and the tremendous risks and sacrifices the astronauts undertake. We will get to witness the greatest show beyond earth."

A critically acclaimed journalist, documentarian, news anchor, producer and television personality, O'Brien has been on the forefront of the biggest breaking news stories of the past two decades, reported from around the globe for NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera America and HBO. In 2011 won an Emmy for "Crisis in Haiti Report" on Haitian orphanages, following the massive earthquake. In 2013 she won 2 Emmy awards for reporting on "Kids and Race" and for the networks reporting of the 2012 Presidential election. Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina earned her and CNN a George Foster Peabody award. She also received another Peabody award for her coverage of the BP Gulf coast Oil Spill. Her reporting on the Southeast Asia tsunami garnered CNN an Alfred I DuPont award. In June of 2013, O'Brien launched Starfish Media Group, a multi-platform media production and distribution company, dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories that take a challenging look at the often divisive issues of race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity, through personal stories.

O'Brien will return to the network in May as moderator of the National Geographic Bee, the National Geographic Society's annual geography competition for fourth-through eighth-graders.

With unique access to and footage from the ISS and Mission Control, on March 14 National Geographic Channel's LIVE FROM SPACE will go into orbit with astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata from the ISS. Astronaut Mike Massimino (most notably known for fixing the Hubble Telescope) will keep viewers grounded with O'Brien live from Houston. The ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes, meaning NGC will quite literally take viewers on a trip around the world, sharing incredible looks at the planet, from sunset and sunrise, to city lights and green aurora, to lightning storms and shooting stars. Mastracchio and Wakata will give viewers a fully guided tour of the space lab, showing how they live for months in microgravity. In their own words, learn how they sleep upside down, stay fit, maintain personal hygiene and, of course, (that question everyone is always curious about), how they use the toilet. They'll conduct never-before-broadcast experiments that demonstrate the real-world value of the science conducted on the floating laboratory. We'll also show how science in space is benefiting people on Earth such as the ISS's robotic systems, which are the inspiration for a neurosurgical robot that removes brain tumors. Astronauts, flight controllers and researchers will be featured in original segments from the ISS and NASA Mission Control during the course of the two-hour live event.

LIVE FROM SPACE follows the premiere of the highly anticipated COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY earlier in the week on Sunday, March 9 at 10 p.m. on 10 U.S. networks including Fox, National Geographic Channel, FX, FXX, FXM FOX Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo Mundo and Fox Life. COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY will also air on Monday, March 10 on National Geographic Channel with bonus content and behind the scenes footage. LIVE FROM SPACE premieres Friday, March 14.

LIVE FROM SPACE is created by Arrow Media. Creative director and executive producer at Arrow Media is Tom Brisley; Arrow Media executive producers are Al Berman and Sally Dixon. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Madeleine Carter, vice president of production is Char Serwa, senior vice president, production & development is Noel Siegel; executive vice president of programming and strategy is Heather Moran; and president is Howard T. Owens.

National Geographic Channels
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 83 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 435 million homes in 173 countries and 37 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

Arrow Media
Arrow Media is one of the U.K.'s fastest-growing production companies, specializing in creating high-quality and innovative content across TV, film and digital media. Established in 2011, the company was founded by Tom Brisley, John Smithson and Iain Pelling and operates in the U.K., U.S. and other key international territories, where all three partners have extensive experience.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel