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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

‘Coal’ TV show being previewed in Appalachia

The producer of the new documentary-style show "Coal" gave a sneak preview to a Pikeville, Ky., audience Tuesday, the first of several previews in Appalachia before it premieres on the cable-and-satellite channel Spike TV March 30 at 10 p.m.

The show is produced by Thom Beers, who also produces "Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers" and "Ax Men." He said Tuesday that he had the idea of the show in his mind for several years but finally had found the right people to work with in Tom Roberts and Mike Crowder of Cobalt Coal, whose underground mine in West Virginia is the focus of the program, Bill Archer of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports. You can see our previous item about the show here.

Roberts and Crowder fielded questions from journalists at the event about a variety of issues, including mine safety, state and federal mine-safety agencies, and reaction from the environmental community about the show, Archer writes. "My job is to make everyday heroes out of these coal miners," Beers said. "Coal’ is not about politics. It’s about these men." (Read more) For more on Beers, from Luaine Lee of McClatchy-Tribune, go here. For his company's release on the show, here.

2 comments:

  1. Betty Dotson-Lewis8:22 PM

    I can't wait to watch this. I think it will be great. I like Appalachia presented as the truth, nothing more, nothing less.

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  2. I watched the "COAL" tv show. It was very interesting. My husband, who is a coal miner, also watched the show. He wasn't very impressed though. "Not very impressive" is what he had to say about their "Best Miner Operator in WV". He's now a section boss, but before he was a miner man, when asked he said that his all-time best was 14 cuts in one shift. Usually, he got 10 to 12 cuts per shift. Said that he also saw alot of violations during the one show that has been viewed. I am very proud to say that I am married to a coal miner, he works hard every day, but I'll be damned if I let my son set one foot inside of a coal mine. Due to my husbands' hard work and our determination to want better for our children, a college education is what is in store for my children.

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