National Geographic and New York Times Announce Science Times

Posted on June 25, 2001

The National Geographic Channel and New York Times Television announced that their new weekly, hour-long news magazine show Science Times, will debut Tuesday, June 26 at 9 p.m. ET. The premiere episode, ``The Gift of Life,'' examines the scientific forefront of organ transplants from live donors and raises the question: Would you sacrifice part of your own lungs or liver to save a loved one, a friend, or even a stranger?

Each episode of Science Times will include up to three different stories examining how new discoveries in science, medicine and technology will affect people's lives, and will follow scientists at work as they reveal the latest discoveries. A total of 26 episodes of Science Times will be produced as part of the two-year agreement between the National Geographic Channel and New York Times Television.

``The Gift of Life'' looks at efforts to save the life of a 31 year-old mother dying of cystic fibrosis. Doctors at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis perform a rare lung transplant - taking one lobe each from the patient's sister and a close friend. This pioneering and controversial procedure gives hope to those who desperately need transplants in the face of organ shortages, but raises many ethical and emotional dilemmas for those who may feel pressure to undergo high-risk surgery to help another.

``Science Times, the show, will deliver the same vivid and penetrating reporting to viewers that Science Times readers experience every Tuesday in the newspaper,'' said Michael Oreskes, assistant managing editor, electronic news, The New York Times. ``We are very pleased that the Science Times program has found in the National Geographic Channel a broadcast partner that shares our commitment to pursuing and delivering the highest-quality news and information in a meaningful way to a television audience.''

``We are delighted to premiere this important new series in conjunction with New York Times Television,'' said Andrew C. Wilk, executive vice president of programming, production and news, National Geographic. ``Backed by the legendary reporting skills of The New York Times, the series provides a unique resource for our viewers, enabling them to participate in today's most exciting scientific discoveries as they happen.''

Online components to Science Times will provide viewers with program descriptions, archived materials from the weekly print edition of The New York Times's Science Times section, links between nationalgeographic.com and NYTimes.com, and opportunities to request the Channel in areas where it is not currently carried. People can learn if the Channel is carried in their area by entering their zip code into the site. The response will either list the name of the carrier or give the option to immediately email or fax the local cable carrier to request coverage.