New Series to Provide Aerial View of U.S.

NEW YORK/LONDON, December
8: Smithsonian Channel and British indie Skyworks are teaming up to produce Aerial
America, a new HD series that
looks at each of the 50 states from a "birds eye view."

In 50 hour-long programs, Aerial America will cover every state in
the union. The series will be shot in a Smithsonian Channel-branded helicopter
equipped with a gyro-stabilized Cineflex HD camera system, the same setup used
for Planet Earth. With about six
months of shooting planned, the series is anticipated to premiere in summer 2009 on
Smithsonian Channel.

"This
show represents the biggest aerial series ever attempted and the most ambitious
project the channel has produced," said David Royle, the executive VP of
production and programming for the Smithsonian Channel. "We are embarking
on a voyage of discovery and revelation, and who better to show America our
nation in a new way than Smithsonian Networks. Skyworks is a perfect partner
for us on this."

Richard
Mervyn, the founding director if Skyworks, added: "The idea of Aerial America is to tell the complex
and intriguing history of the country but in a way never before attempted.
Skyworks brings the expertise in capturing all the elements that makes this
great story and from a view rarely before seen. This is a great commission for
Skyworks and cements our relationship with the Smithsonian Network."

—By
Kristin Brzoznowski