America’s Port Documentary
Posted by Eugene Kovshilovsky
Consumers nationwide are about to get an in-depth look at the complex, water-borne supply chain that stocks America’s store shelves and often runs through the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest container port. On Sunday, April 6, 2008, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, before moving to its regular time of Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) premieres America’s Port, a new eight-part weekly series that delivers an insider’s view of the massive Port of Los Angeles complex and the intrepid individuals charged with keeping it running smoothly and securely 365 days a year.
While Los Angeles is known more for entertainment than global trade, 20 miles south of downtown L.A. is
one the most important trade gateways in the world. It’s a city within a city, brimming with a workforce of
thousands and potential crises ‘round the clock: longshoremen urgently offloading cargo; customs officials
investigating suspicious containers; a port pilot circumnavigating busy and unpredictable waterways; police
divers searching for missing persons; a counterterrorism chief inspecting target points — and a tireless
woman at the helm of the Los Angeles Harbor Department.
“I think people will be amazed at the sheer magnitude of our operations,” said Port of Los Angeles (L.A.
Harbor Department) Executive Director, Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “And I’m certain they will embrace the
individual character, dedication and pride of the people who work here, as they get a solid sense of the
inherent danger, security measures and daily pressures of getting it right, every time.”
At the epicenter of the Port’s whirlwind of activity, Dr. Knatz is the Port’s first female executive director and
has been credited with making environmentalism a top priority — pledging to curb the port’s air pollution from trucks, ships, locomotives and other equipment by at least 45 percent in five years as part of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, L.A.’s unprecedented clean air initiative in collaboration with the neighboring Port of Long Beach.
America’s Port provides an unblinking view of this vibrant and colorful nerve center for global trade. Gain
access to the high-tech control rooms that coordinate thousands of calculated ship movements each year.
Climb aboard a container ship with chief port pilot Michael Rubino, who stays calm while chaos erupts
around him, and comb through cargo with U.S. Customs Port Director Todd Hoffman. Stay alongside the LA
Port Police, one of the few police forces in the nation dedicated exclusively to 24/7 port activities, as they
investigate a rape case, conduct bomb sweeps under wharfs or dive into the harbor in search of missing
persons.
Episodes of America’s Port will take viewers behind the scenes of the port — from bomb squad deployment
in a post-9/11 world, to capturing counterfeits and illicit drugs, to the massive “green growth” campaign
focused on eliminating hundreds of tons of vessel, train and truck pollution. Hear the personal stories and
candid accounts from those in the heart of the operations who have seen and done it all.
America’s Port is being produced for National Geographic Channel by Original Productions, the acclaimed
producers of “Ice Road Truckers” and “Deadliest Catch.” For Original Productions, executive producer is
Thom Beers, producer is Molly Mayock. For the National Geographic Channel, executive producer is
Howard Swartz and senior vice president of special programming is Michael Cascio. Executive vice
president of content is Steve Burns.