Watchdog

WFN HD: World Fishing Network HD, North America’s only 24-hour high definition fishing lifestyle network, announced today that it is launching two new non-traditional fishing shows this winter featuring high-profile fishing personalities – Charlie Moore TV, featuring Boston-based angler/comedian Charlie Moore and Hookin’ Up hosted by the sexy second-generation angler Mariko Izumi.

“Mariko and Charlie are the ideal personalities to help us achieve a broader audience,” said Mark Rubinstein, President of WFN HD. “While serious fishermen will appreciate Charlie’s skill with rod and reel, other viewers may enjoy the opportunity to simply sit back, appreciate the stunning scenery, and have a good laugh. Similarly, Mariko is every guy's fishing fantasy: she's smart, sexy, and loves to be out on the water but importantly as the daughter of champion anglers Wayne Izumi and niece of Bob Izumi, Mariko has the credibility to be there.”

Even for the hardcore fishing fan, the fish tales spun by Moore and his Boston-based production crew (Extreme Entertainment) in the new reality-TV series Charlie Moore TV will prove as irresistible as the first strike of the day. Every Friday night, Charlie Moore TV provides viewers a peek inside the mind of one of the country's most unpredictable, and funniest, television hosts during his zany fishing escapades. The show premieres on Friday, Oct. 24, at 8 pm ET. For a complete schedule, visit www.WFN.tv.

Charlie Moore TV can be loosely described as "The Mad Fisherman meets The Office," with a minimal storyline and even less of a script. Each half-hour episode features Moore scouting out a new fishing location, with the host's own creative monologues interspersed with interviews of his crew and wife Angela as they try to keep pace with Moore. In the first episode, Moore fishes in the lake outside his parent’s Florida retirement community.

Affectionately known as The Mad Fisherman, Moore has been entertaining New England audiences for the past decade on Charlie Moore Outdoors on the New England Sports Network (NESN), bringing in a series of celebrity guests and creating his own off-beat characters, such as the Codfather. Six years ago, Moore went national, with his Beat Charlie Moore challenge show on ESPN. Today, the show is the network's highest-rated outdoor program. Now WFN HD feels Moore is ready for prime time.

"Make no mistake about it our focal point is 100 percent entertainment," says Moore. "We want people to laugh first, be entertained second, and then everything else is gravy. There are plenty of fishing shows, but there's only one me. It's about being a personality. It's about being that Alice Cooper, that Ted Nugent, that Elvis Presley. It's music, but it's also showmanship."

"It's nothing like anything you've seen before, and it's not the show your grandfather used to watch," says Rubinstein. "I'm very confident that when the show airs, it's going to please our existing viewers and, most importantly, bring new viewers into the network. In that sense, we win, Charlie wins, and the industry wins, because we're seeding the next generation to stay active in the sport."

Just a few weeks after WFN HD viewers meet Moore, they will then have the opportunity to hook up with WFN Personality Mariko Izumi. Host of the network’s popular 5-Cast segments, Hookin’ Up gives the lovely Izumi her own show to travel the globe in search of the coolest places to wet a line. Whether it's cooking with a world famous chef, partying at the wildest hotspot in town or fishing with some of the best anglers, Mariko is sure to get viewers excited.

In her visit to Illinois, Mariko will visit the Salmon Derby in Waukegan, IL., a Chicago Bears tailgate party and then visit with three Chicago Blackhawk players who love to fish. In episode #2, she’ll hit the hottest fishing spots and nightlife in Tampa, FL. Hookin’ Up is a WFN Original Production.

“Fishing and instruction with such well known anglers as Dave Mercer, Jimmy Houston, George Poveromo, Aaron Martin and JP DeRose is a big part of the network,” admits Rubinstein. “By being dedicated to fishing 24/7 we are able to expand our schedule to also include non-traditional fishing shows like Charlie Moore TV, Hookin’ Up, Reel Road Trip and Gillz N’Fins.”

Available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, WFN HD provides recreational and sport fishing enthusiasts with an entertaining and comprehensive line-up that covers a wide range of programming, including American and Canadian angling, saltwater and freshwater fishing, professional competitions, expert advice, international tournaments, travel destinations and conservation.