JUNEAU, Alaska, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- "360" in snowboard lingo usually means a full vertical loop accomplished while airborne. On a compass, '360 North is True North. In TV terms, a "360" is a periscope-like continuous pan across the horizon.

Faithful to its title, 360 North is a new full time TV panorama of what's happening in Alaska. Making it 24/7, KTOO-TV, the PBS channel in Juneau (AK) has managed what snowboard hotdoggers only dream about. "Dude ... full time 360 ... it's, like, unbelievable!"

"For the first time, Alaskans have a TV channel to call their own," said Bill Legere, President and General Manager of KTOO. "Our philosophy is to collect as much Alaska interest programming as possible, and make it available everywhere, 24 hours a day."

360 North evolved from the popular "Gavel to Gavel Alaska," KTOO's long-running televised coverage of the Alaska Legislature, patterned after C-Span. New programming will offer expanded coverage of state government, as well as public affairs specials, documentaries, historical programs, Native interest shows and more.

The January schedule includes a variety of programming of interest to every Alaskan:

    --  The Alaska Film Archives Television
    --  Discovering Alaska
    --  The Alaska Short Forum, short films by Alaska filmmakers.
    --  Science for Alaska
    --  Northwest Indian News, a weekly news magazine and Native Report
    --  New Fly Fisher
    --  Small Business School
    --  Angling Alaska, a series about sport fishing in Alaska
    --  Alaska Magazine TV, stories of life on the last frontier
    --  Evening at Egan, Lectures from University of Alaska Southeast
    --  Heartbeat Alaska with Jeannie Greene
    --  Alaska Resource Issues Forum

In addition, 360 North will provide a full spectrum news and information on a fulltime basis, including expanded gavel to coverage of events like the Governor's Health Care Forums, the Permanent Fund Board of Trustees meetings and the Alaska Supreme Court. Funded by a start-up grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the new statewide TV channel has been in development for the past two years. Airing is possible on every cable TV system in Alaska, broadcast on KAKM-DT in Anchorage and KTOO-DT in Juneau. Likewise, the service is also available to Dish Network and DirecTV satellite subscribers, and can been seen "streaming" on the Internet at < http://www.360north.org/ >. For more information about 360 North programming visit the website: < http://www.360north.org/ > or call 360 North on 800-478-4646.

Source: KTOO-TV