PREMIER — Regardless of what happens in the next three months, the upcoming 10-part Spike TV series titled “Coal” will premiere in Premier.

“When we signed the contract with Original Productions, we received pre-screening rights,” Mike Crowder, vice president of Cobalt Coal Corp., said. “We’ll get to see it five days before the broadcast.”

Crowder is a longtime businessman, but a newcomer to the McDowell County coalfields. Cobalt president Thomas Roberts has 44 years’ experience in coal mining. The mine itself — the Westchester Mine located in Big Sandy, between Roderfield and Marytown — is also relatively new, with production just starting in June.

“It’s not a gassy mine,” Crowder said. “We’ve never had a methane reading in our mine. When we were first contacted by Original Productions about this project, we talked with people from the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training. MSHA and the state inspectors have checked out what the crew will be taking underground to make sure it’s safe.”

Crowder and Roberts got a call from Original Productions in January, exchanged e-mails and phone calls with Original Production staff members and found it hard to believe.

“I remember thinking: ‘That kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me.’ But then when the president (Philip Segal), chief executive officer (Thom Beers) and chief financial officer (Tim Beers) flew out here to talk to us, I knew it was the real thing.”

Original Productions specializes in productions that emphasize the real thing in unscripted reality television. The company has 15 series currently in production on nine U.S. TV networks, including “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men,” the top two rated programs on the History Channel, according to the company’s website. Other series include the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” as well as “Monster Garage,” “Black Gold,” “1,000 Ways to Die” and “IRT: Deadliest Roads.”

“The way we understand it, they are ready to take their next step forward with this project for Spike TV,” Crowder said of the new production.

Crowder said he and Roberts were naturally cautious about the idea, but decided to hear them out.

“What they said to us was that they wanted to celebrate the work of coal miners,” Crowder said. “They said they wanted to shine a light on the brave men and women of the coal industry. What they said resonated with us. They want to learn about safety, the science and technology of the equipment and the rigors of the profession. The key for us was that they want to celebrate the work of coal miners.

“A lot of people know that coal keeps their lights on, but the coal we’re mining here is used to make steel, and there is no substitute for coal in the steel-making process. I decided I was on board and Tom Roberts, our president, said he was on board. Together, we decided it would be a good impact for the coal industry, and hopefully, it will have a good impact on our little business.”

Cobalt Coal is a publicly traded company that trades on both the Canadian and U.S. stock exchanges. The company trades under the symbol of CBT-V in Canada and CCCXF.PK in the U.S.

“We don’t know how this will impact our company, but before Spike TV’s press release a couple weeks ago, our stock was trading at .04 cents per share with 0 to 40,000 shares per day, but on the day after the announcement, more than 2.6 million shares moved and the price doubled. That was all based on just one three-paragraph Spike TV press release.

“I know Spike is taking it seriously, too. They told me that they have a schedule of press releases when they introduce a new show, but after they were overwhelmed with interest following the initial press release, they decided to change their schedule.

“It’s difficult to quantify the positive economic impact that this will have on our small corporation, but our intention is to help our workers build a legacy for future generations of their children. We also hope to leave an improved image of the coal industry and the people that the industry supports.”

According to Crowder, Original Productions assembled about 18 of its top photographers, sound personnel and producers who are veterans of shows like “The Deadliest Catch,” “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men” to develop the raw materials for a 10-episode series.

“Of course, we hope it will run longer,” Crowder said.

All Original Productions personnel completed the mandatory 80-hour underground mine safety course, and only three crew members are allowed underground with Cobalt’s coal miners on any shift.

The shows are tentatively slated to start airing on Spike TV in April 2011, according to information on Cobalt’s website.

— Bill Archer is a member of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph editorial staff.