Shades of Gray: Living with Wolves, Produced by Link TV’s Earth Focus.

Living With Wolves

Original investigative report on Earth Focus series

Shared by Wolfwatcher with expressed permission

Premieres on Link TV on Monday, March 11 at 9:30pm PT (12:30am ET)

Thursday, March 14 at 9:00pm ET (6:00pm PT)

The future of the gray wolf is uncertain. The polarized debate over killing wolves and the search for a middle ground is the subject of a new investigative TV special Shades of Gray: Living with Wolves, produced by Link TV’s environmental news magazine Earth Focus.

Earth Focus travels to Montana and Wyoming to gauge the views of ranchers, hunters, scientists, taxidermists, conservationists and a former Governor of Montana. It explores the complex middle ground of hard truths and innovative solutions in the polarized battle over the place of wolves in the American West. The program is produced by Earth Focus, in collaboration with the Ecologist Film Unit in the UK.

Gray wolves once ranged across North America. But by the 1930s, they were nearly extinct — trapped, poisoned and hunted by ranchers, farmers and government agents. With protection under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the wolf population rebounded. But when wolves lost federal protection in 2011 and wolf management became an issue for the states to decide, hunting was again permitted in many areas. Recently trapping and snaring were also allowed in some states, leading many to question the fate of this once endangered species.

Shades of Gray: Living with Wolves will be broadcast nationally in the US on Link TV (DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410) on Monday, March 11 at 9:30pm PT (12:30am ET); Thursday, March 14 at 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET); and Thursday, March 14 at 6:00pm PT (9:00pm ET). It is also available for streaming at www.linktv.org/earthfocus.

The Earth Focus special report was produced by UK investigative reporter Jim Wickens of the Ecologist Film Unit, and filmed and edited by Brian Kelley of Link TV’s Earth Focus. It was made possible with generous support from Elaine Broadhead.

ABOUT EARTH FOCUS:

Earth Focus is an original broadcast and web series on Link TV that reports on urgent environmental issues and features organizations working to find solutions. Broadcast in a weekly primetime slot, with new episodes each month, the magazine format video program is the longest running environmental current affairs program on US television. Earth Focus includes original investigative reports, acquired content, and interviews with environmental leaders, policymakers, activists, filmmakers and authors. The series is designed to encourage citizen participation by linking viewers to groups that promote environmental, health related and social justice causes. http://www.linktv.org/earthfocus

ABOUT LINK TV:

Link TV uses the power of stories to engage, inform and inspire its audiences to participate in transformational, sustainable change on issues of global importance. Founded in 1999, the Link TV national satellite network and the websites LinkTV.org, LinkNews and ViewChange.org are operated by KCETLink, based in Burbank CA and San Francisco. An independent and non-commercial media company, KCETLink acquires, produces and delivers global news, documentaries and cultural programming over broadcast, Web and mobile devices in Southern California on KCET and nationally on Link TV.

Link TV is available as a free basic service on DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410, reaching more than 33 million US households. Select Link TVprogramming also airs on 220 cable outlets, including in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, reaching an additional 22 million homes. Linkalso streams much of its content online at LinkTV.org. For complete background information, program schedule and Internet streaming, go to LinkTV.org. Follow on Twitter @linktv, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/linktv.