Oregon Field Guide
| Oregon Field Guide | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Steve Amen |
| Presented by | Steve Amen |
| Theme music composer | Cal Scott |
| No. of seasons | 27 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Steve Amen |
| Producer(s) | Ed Jahn Vince Patton Jule Gilfillan |
| Cinematography | Todd Sonflieth Nick Fisher Michael Bendixen |
| Release | |
| Original network | KOPB-TV |
| Original release | 1990 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Oregon Field Guide is a weekly television program produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting focusing on recreation, the outdoors, and environmental issues in the state of Oregon. The show has become part of the Oregon zeitgeist. Steve Amen is the show's host and executive producer. Named for the field guides used to identify plants, animals, and natural phenomenon, the wide-ranging series covers Oregon natural history, outdoor recreation, conservation, agriculture, rural life, and other local subjects. Produced with deep narratives rather than short segments, 13 half-hour and one full-hour episodes are shown per year.
Oregon Field Guide started as a partnership between Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The pilot first aired in 1989. The program became the sole production of OPB with the series premier in 1990, which began with the impact of drift netting for tuna on dolphins. Using the information from this story, Amen also produced an award-winning Frontline episode, titled "To The Last Fish", which aired in 1991. Oregon Field Guide was kept during major state budget cuts in 2003 that affected OPB. In that year, the show budget was $300,000, with the majority of funding coming from the viewers.
Most stories are narrated by the lead producer/reporter, though Steve Amen has also narrated reports produced by others. Jim Newman produced over 250 Oregon Field Guide segments, and was brought on when Amen got the greenlight on the series.
From the series premier in 1990, Oregon Field Guide remains one of the highest rated of any locally produced PBS show in the nation, and The Oregonian called it "the crown jewel in OPB's otherwise lackluster record of locally produced programming." In 1998, the show was the most-watched local TV series in the PBS system.
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