Sportsman Channel Deploys Lt. Col. Oliver North as Host for Season Two of “Saving Private K-9” – Premiering Thursday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Series chronicles stories of military and law enforcement service dogs and handlers

 NEW BERLIN, WI (April 2, 2015) – Lt. Col. Oliver North is well known to Americans familiar with U.S. military activities and beyond. Among his prestigious honors, Lt. Col. North is a combat-decorated U.S. Marine, best-selling author, military correspondent for FOX News and – the new host of the award-winning original series Saving Private K-9 on Sportsman Channel.

Join Lt. Col. North for the powerful stories about fearless American service dogs and their handlers. Season Two of Saving Private K-9 – produced by Pilgrim Studios – premieres on Thursday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

 “Service dogs are a vital part of our military and I’m excited to highlight their bravery on Saving Private K-9,” said North. “This program gives Americans a true understanding about service dogs and their remarkable actions. These furry warriors are life-savers for our troops and I’m proud to bring these stories to the public.”

Lt. Col. Oliver North is a Texas native who graduated from the United States Naval Academy and served 22 years as a U.S. Marine. For his service in combat, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds in action.

From 1983-1986, North served on the National Security Council Staff as the U.S. Government’s counter-terrorism coordinator. He was involved in planning the rescue of 804 medical students on the island of Grenada and played a major role in the capture of terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro. President Ronald Reagan described him as “an American hero.”

Currently, North serves on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and is the founder of the Freedom Alliance, a foundation providing college scholarships to the sons and daughters of U.S. military personnel killed in the line of duty.

“Lt. Col. North has done so much for this country and is the perfect fit to host Saving Private K-9,” said Marc Fein, executive vice president of programming and production for Sportsman Channel. “A prolific storyteller, Lt. Col. North will bring audiences into the action during Season Two and honor the service of these heroic dogs and their handlers.”

Viewers will see inspiring accounts of battlefield service and heroic acts of valor that military dogs perform, as told by those who fought beside them. Viewers also will learn about canine courage and gain unique insights about the training and bonding process of the dogs with their handlers – and discover what happens to the dogs’ lives post-service. In some cases, these four-legged friends are put through a rigorous rehabilitation process to overcome injuries suffered during service. The show also documents the adoption process when these heroes retire. These gripping, emotion-packed stories are filled with bravery and unbreakable bonds.

More than 2,500 trained canines serve America’s military and law enforcement without flinching in the face of adversity. Saving Private K-9 calls attention to the dogs’ battlefield training, courageous achievements, and relationships with their handlers.

About Pilgrim Studios: Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios produces a wide variety of unscripted and scripted programming for television, including hit series Fast N’ Loud, Misfit Garage and Street Outlaws for Discovery; Ghost Hunters for Syfy; The Ultimate Fighter for FOX Sports 1; Down East Dickering for History; Swamp Pawn for CMT; Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s and Raising Whitley for OWN; David Tutera’s CELEBrations for WEtv; Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: North vs. South for National Geographic Channel; Amazing America with Sarah Palin and Saving Private K-9 for Sportsman Channel; Bring It! for Lifetime; Somebody’s Gotta Do It with Mike Rowe for CNN; and the recently launched My Big Fat Fabulous Life for TLC. The company also produced the breakout movie Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives for Discovery’s 2013 Shark Week, as well as the movie Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine and the special Megalodon: The New Evidence for the channel’s Shark Week 2014. In the scripted realm, Pilgrim has produced the pilot Recovery Road ABC Family, recently picked up for a full season. The company’s original movies for Lifetime include Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy; Abducted: The Carlina White Story, which earned a 2012 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing In A Motion Picture; and the crime thriller Stalkers.

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of KSE Outdoor Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of “Red, Wild & Blue America” – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Sportsman Channel reaches more than 36 million U.S. television households. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

To find Sportsman Channel in your area click here.

 ********

 MEDIA CONTACTS:

Tom Caraccioli, Sportsman Channel, P: 212.852.6646, tcaraccioli@thesportsmanchannel.com

Shannon Kolpin, Sportsman Channel, P: 262.432.9100 x102, skolpin@thesportsmanchannel.com