MASN Goes to Bat for the Chesapeake Bay

MASN, the television home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, announced today a partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to launch a public service campaign to "Go to Bat for the Bay." The network will launch a series of television and online ads to increase awareness about the Chesapeake Bay and to encourage responsible use of nature's resources. The network will deploy its most valuable resources -- an All-Star talent team as well as Nationals and Orioles players and coaches -- to promote the year-long campaign on MASN. Adam Dunn, Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Jones, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, and MASN broadcaster Johnny Holliday have already recorded PSA's, and other Nationals, Orioles and MASN personalities will join them in the months ahead. The network's television footprint closely mirrors the vast Chesapeake Bay watershed, the 64,000 square miles and 150 rivers and streams that drain into the Chesapeake. This synergy enables the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to reach a target audience - the 17 million citizens who live within the watershed - who can make a difference in the long-term health of the Bay. Viewers will be educated about the watershed and encouraged to take small but meaningful steps to "Go to Bat for the Bay." These steps can be as simple as buying locally-grown foods, reducing the use of lawn fertilizers and chemicals, planting trees and conserving water. MASN is contributing a significant amount of on-air and online inventory to promote the campaign, to raise awareness of the fragile environmental treasure, and to encourage positive action. In one of the PSAs, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman explains that the Chesapeake Bay has lost half of its forested shoreline, more than half its wetlands and 90 percent of its underwater grasses. Riggleman urges viewers to Go to Bat for the Bay and to join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In another spot, Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie describes the blue crabs, oysters, clams and rockfish that make up the 500 million pounds of seafood harvested from the Bay annually. Guthrie reminds viewers that a cleaner Bay means better seafood and more jobs for those who bring the Bay's bounty to our tables. "The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure that is a vital part of the life and livelihood of the mid-Atlantic region," said Will Baker, President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "MASN's commitment to this partnership will help CBF enhance awareness and educate millions of sports fans who live in the Chesapeake region." Launched in 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the only independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated solely to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers. The Bay and its rivers and streams are in critical condition, overwhelmed by the impact of 17 million people living on the land that drains into the Chesapeake. The Chesapeake Bay watershed extends throughout most of MASN's seven state territory including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, DC and West Virginia. "The Chesapeake Bay is one of our region's most cherished resources," said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. "MASN is proud of this partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation which is working to restore the health of the Bay. 'Go to Bat for the Bay' is an important way for MASN to play a leadership role in helping to improve the quality of life for residents throughout our region." MASN is the television home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. The network carries over 600 live sporting events every year including more than 275 NCAA Division I football, basketball, and lacrosse games. MASN is currently carried on 23 cable and satellite providers throughout a seven-state region. In recent years, MASN has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington, D.C., BoysTown, The University of Maryland Children's Hospital, The Washington Area Bicyclist Association, The National Association of Mental Health, the USO and many other leading charitable organizations. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.masnsports.com/cbf. Follow MASN on Twitter, @masnsports. Follow the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Twitter, @savethebay