IN PRODUCTION

IDAHO REPORTS: New Year, New Legislature, New Host

The West's longest running legislative program, Idaho Reports, returns in January to once again connect Idahoans to their lawmakers.

This year there will be a few new faces around the weekly table, including a new host, Thanh Tan, who brings a wealth of knowledge to her moderator duties.

"I'm looking forward to covering the Legislature's response to the current challenges facing all Idahoans," says Thanh. "The state is grappling with a grim economic forecast, and that will certainly have a major influence on the decisions that are made next session. I realize how important this show is to Idahoans, and I'm confident we can shed some light on the legislative proceedings - and the lawmakers who drive the agenda."

Idaho Reports kicks off with the Governor's State of the State speech on Monday, January 12th. Thereafter, the show airs every Friday evening during the session, at 8 p.m.

"There will be a few changes in the format this year," says Thanh, including going from half an hour to an hour in length later in the session and an enhanced presence on idahoptv.org.

Idaho Reports has won dozens of awards for journalistic integrity since its inception in 1972.

OUTDOOR IDAHO Special explores the world of extreme sports

"Xtreme Sports" Introduces Viewers to BASE jumping, Bouldering, Cyclocross, Snow Yakking, and Hang Gliding

Premiered Sunday, December 7, 2008

Idaho enjoys a reputation as one of the destination spots for 'extreme' athletes looking for intense outdoor experiences. Evel Knievel helped catapult Idaho into the spotlight when he attempted to jump over the Snake River canyon near Twin Falls in a specially-built motorcycle.

But it's the state's remarkable geology that has kept that spotlight shining brightly, as individuals continue to test themselves with technically challenging and extreme - some say stupid - activities, like jumping off the perfectly good Perrine bridge, catapulting down the snowy Sawtooth mountains in kayaks, and trying to break distance records high above the Lost River Range in a 75-pound hang glider.

In this Outdoor Idaho extended-length Special, you'll also meet some athletes who have helped usher in some new words to our vocabulary, like bouldering, cyclocross and BASE jumping.

Learn more about the sports and their participants at the Xtreme Sports website.

OUTDOOR IDAHO and DIALOGUE Explore State's Mining Resurgence

"Mining Idaho" Takes Viewers to the State's Mining Hotspots to Examine What Mining Means to Idaho

Premiered Thursday, October 30, 2008

It's the stuff of legends, the maker of dreams. Nothing seems to motivate the adventurous like gold and silver. And nearly 150 years ago, in a wild untamed country, it changed everything.

Eventually the magic faded, but not completely, not everywhere. Today mining activity is on the rise, in places like Wallace and Atlanta, near Challis and Sandpoint, and in eastern Idaho.

We pose the question: what role should mining play in a society that now puts a premium on clean water and clean air?

The Outdoor Idaho crew shot interviews with individual prospectors, as well as CEOs and managers of large-scale mining operations. In some communities mining is welcomed with open arms. In other communities, there is concern about water quality and environmental degradation.

"I can guarantee everybody in south Idaho and everywhere else, the industry we've got in the Coeur d'Alene right now is not your father's mining industry," says Earl Bennett, former state geologist for Idaho.

"There may be gold up in the mountains near Atlanta, but the real treasure is clean drinking water," says John Robison of the Idaho Conservation League. "It certainly is more precious than gold."

Visit "Mining Idaho" website for video clips and extended interviews. Visit the Dialogue website to watch Joan Cartan-Hansen's interview with Earl Bennett and Justin Hayes.