Can we get an outdoor adventure channel?

Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

-- Bruce Springsteen

Those lyrics are spot on. Maybe it's just me, but cable TV is absolutely horrible anymore. Except for NCAA Basketball, the Tour de France, a weather update, the news and an occasional movie, TV has become increasingly unwatchable.

I have no desire to keep up with the Kardashians. I don't need some abrasive British dude to tell me who the next invented American Idol is. I'm tired of watching Man Versus Food, Myth Busters and Deadliest Catch marathons. When was the last time network TV had a sit-com that was actually funny?

I know the chances of someone from one of the big cable networks reading this blog is next to nil, but maybe the "7 degrees of separation" theory will prevail in this instance. If anyone knows of anyone that works for ESPN, Disney or the Discovery Channel, could we ask if there's anyway that we can get a channel dedicated to the great outdoors? I'm not referring to more fishing and hunting programs, I'm referring to programming centered around adventure.

There's already plenty of content that could be used as filler as this point - such as Bear Grylls (which I don't care for), Survivorman, or the handful of reality type shows that have been on Discovery, such as the Alaska Experiments. The Travel Channel has also produced a few programs on various national parks that would be a great fit.

You could also throw in a few movies, such as Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, The Edge, White Fang, etc...

The channel would also be a great place for films from the Banff Film Festival or the Reel Rock Tour to land after their respective tours are over with.

My vision for such a channel would include "how to" skills programs, outdoor travel destinations, and programs that focus on an array of different pursuits, such hiking, camping, skiing, climbing, cycling, mountaineering, survival, kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, etc.

You could even throw in biographies of famous outdoor celebrities, such as Sir Edmund Hillary, John Muir, Lynn Hill, Ed Viesturs or even Grandma Gatewood.

I can't be the only one who thinks there has to be a market for something like this. I mean, if ESPN can make money broadcasting poker and cheerleading tournaments.....

Thoughts?? Anybody with a good plan on how we could make something like this happen.....other than investing our own money!!




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.