Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is a property of
Discovery Communications primarily packaged as a network entertainment brand distributed in virtually every pay-television market in the world.
The network brand is primarily known for its variety of
science programming, particularly
documentaries and
nature shows. The Discovery Channel network brand launched on June 17, 1985 in the
United States.
The Discovery Channel also is the branding for a multitude of stores in malls across America and also an online store. Educational gifts are its specialty.
Encyclopedia
Discovery Channel is a property of
Discovery Communications primarily packaged as a network entertainment brand distributed in virtually every pay-television market in the world.
The network brand is primarily known for its variety of
science programming, particularly
documentaries and
nature shows. The Discovery Channel network brand launched on June 17, 1985 in the
United States.
The Discovery Channel also is the branding for a multitude of stores in malls across America and also an online store. Educational gifts are its specialty.
United States
Discovery Channel
The Discovery Channel has added programs on mechanics and popular science including
American Chopper,
MythBusters,
Dirty Jobs, and
Monster Garage that widen the network's scope beyond its initial focus on science and because of it, have put it under scrutiny of presenting infotainment instead of educational television.
Discovery Networks U.S. has decided to return The Discovery Channel to its founding agenda after dropping out of the Top 10 of watched channels and ratings for two-year span have been low. Chris Moseley, Discovery Networks U.S.' Executive Vice President, has said that the channel will return programming to the channel's original intent, interesting science programming that educates.
On January 4, 2006, Discovery Communications announced that
Ted Koppel, longtime Executive Producer Tom Bettag and eight former
Nightline staff members were joining the Discovery Channel.
Discovery Channel Radio
Discovery Channel Radio is a channel on the major
United States satellite radio service,
Sirius Satellite Radio. Discovery was previously on
XM Satellite Radio but was dropped in early September 2005. The programming consists of
audio versions of popular programs from its multitude of TV channels.
Affiliated US Discovery TV channels
Discovery Channel is a property of
Discovery Communications whose
Discovery Networks U.S. properties include:
- TLC - .
- Animal Planet - Animals.
- Discovery Health Channel - Health & medical stories.
- Travel Channel - Vacation and travel.
- Discovery Times - History and current events.
- Discovery Kids
...
- Discovery Channel for kids.
- BBC America - Americanized BBC.
- The Science Channel - Exclusively science-related shows.
- Discovery Home - Home renovation and decorating.
- Military Channel - War.
- Discovery en Espaņol - Discovery Channel in Spanish.
- Discovery HD Theater - Discovery Channel in high definition.
- FitTV - Feature exercising and fitness programming.
Around the world
The Discovery Channel reaches over 450 million homes in over 160 countries. In a number of countries, Discovery's channels are available on digital
satellite platforms with multiple
language soundtracks or
subtitles and
Hindi. For example, subscribers of Cyfra+ in
Poland, at an extra $2 per month, can now switch between four Discovery channels with two language soundtracks: the original
English or the native Polish soundtrack. In
Bulgaria, Discovery has since 2001–2002 been displayed with
Bulgarian subtitles by all cable providers.
Canadian viewers receive almost identical English-language programming to the channel that
American viewers watch, but with some added Canadian content to suit the audience. Most notably,
Discovery Channel Canada carries the daily science news show
Daily Planet is a fictional [i] broadsheet [i] newspaper [i] that appears in Superman [i] storie ...
, originally
@discovery.ca, the first of its kind. Occasionally, several segments on similar topics are taken from various episodes and put together into one-hour specials that are broadcast on the original Discovery Channel.
In the
United Kingdom, Discovery broadcasts a bouquet of 14 channels on digital television, with a new HD channel also announced for Spring 2006.
In
Germany Discovery is part of the PREMIERE-digital-network and supplies specific programmes to other networks like
ZDF and Kabel-1. Discovery is also owner of the documentary-channel XXP. The channel was bought in spring 2006 from its former shareholders
Spiegel TV and "dctp". All programmes are dubbed into German. The channel will from September be known as "DMAX", presumably to associate the channel with Discovery.
In
Australia, Discovery is part of a 6 channel bouquet on digital subscription TV, available on
Foxtel, Optus TV and
Austar.
In the
Middle East,
North Africa, and the
Levant territories broadcasting via satellite, exclusively from the
Showtime Arabia pay-TV network.
In the
Netherlands, The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet are included in most cable subscriptions. All of the programmes are broadcast in their original language, but they are subtitled in
Dutch as is the policy of all Dutch television stations.
In
New Zealand, Discovery is broadcast on
SKY Network Television.
Marketing and branding
Shortly before the 2004
Tour de France, the Discovery Channel company announced it would become the primary sponsor of the
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team starting in 2005, featuring seven-time champion
Lance Armstrong.
They are also funding the construction of the , in partnership with
Lowell Observatory.
The Discovery Channel has also used a variety of guerrilla techniques to promote their shows.
Taglines
Discovery Channel's previous tagline had been "
There's no thrill like discovery." However in lieu of its changing attitude toward more reality-based programming and away from strictly educational programming the slogan was changed to "
Entertain Your Brain". This change coincided with the creation of The Science Channel and was likely due to Discovery Channel's desire for more entertaining television, leaving the more informative shows for its sister channel. After 2 years of dropped ratings, an attempt has been made to return Discovery Channel to its initial agenda for educational programming. The new tagline for the revamped Discovery Channel is "
Let's All Discover...", with a continuing phrase or sentence that relates to a show.
See also
- Discovery HD Theater
- List of Discovery Channel programs - list of television programs formerly or currently broadcast by Discovery Channel.
- Discovery Channel Canada
- Beastly Countdown [i]
...
- a Canadian cable television service devoted to science and nature programming.
- Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team - a US-based professional road bicycle racing team. It is the continuation of the 2004 US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team.
- Conspiracy of Silence- a 56 minute documentary set to be aired on May 3, 1994, that was canceled after being listed in TV Guide, an unprecedented or since repeated anomaly.
- The Bad Touch - a song by the Bloodhound Gang, which makes humorous references to the Discovery Channel.
- Dish Network Channel Grid
- List of DirecTV channels
References
External links
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Main;
Other
