Discovery Channel

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Discovery Channel
Launched June 17, 1985
Owned by Discovery Communications, Inc.
Slogan The World is Just Awesome
Country United States
Language English
Headquarters Silver Spring, MD
Sister channel(s) Discovery Networks
Website Discovery Channel USA
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV Channel 278
Channel 1278 (VOD)
Dish Network Channel 182
C-Band AMC 10-Channel 21
EastLink Channel 15
Cable
Available on most cable systems Check local listings for details
IPTV over ADSL
Sky Angel Channel 313

Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable TV channel (also delivered via IPTV, terrestrial television and internet television in other parts of the world), founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It provides documentary programming focused primarily on popular science, technology, and history. In the U.S., the programming for the main Discovery network is primarily focused on "reality-based" television themes, such as speculative investigation (with shows such as Mythbusters, Unsolved History, and Best Evidence), automobiles, and occupations (Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch); it also features documentaries specifically aimed at families and younger audiences.[1]

Contents

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by Discovery Channel

Popular programming on the channel today includes Shark Week, an annual week of programming dedicated to facts about sharks; Deadliest Catch, about fishing for crab in the Bering Sea; the popular science shows MythBusters and How It's Made; Dirty Jobs about blue collar occupations; a quiz show Cash Cab, FutureWeapons, about cutting edge weapons technology and Man vs Wild, showing how a man can survive in the wild. Christopher Lowell won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 for The Christopher Lowell Show, which aired on the Discovery Channel from 1998-2001.

Name Launch Country Language Content focus Bias
Discovery Channel 1985 USA English Technical Cars / Woaw / USA
The Science Channel 1999 USA English Technical, Astronomy USA
Discovery Knowledge 1999 UK English WWII
Discovery Home & Health 1999 USA English Health and wellness
Discovery Travel & Living 1999 USA English Traveling, how-to travel, hotel and cities touring
Animal Planet 1996 USA English Wildlife, animals, relation between humans and animals
Military Channel 1998 USA English Wars
Travel Channel 1987 USA English travel entertainment
Investigation Discovery 2008 USA English Crime

Non-television ventures

Pro Cycling Team

Main article: Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

Shortly before the 2004 Tour de France, Discovery Channel announced it would become the primary sponsor of a professional bicycling team starting in 2005, featuring seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. However, after the 2007 victory with the Spaniard Alberto Contador Discovery Channel announced its retirement from cycling sponsorship. This sponsorship ended after the 2007 cycling season.

Radio

The Discovery Channel Radio logo

Discovery Channel Radio was a channel on the both major United States satellite radio services.

The programming consisted of audio versions of popular programs from its multitude of TV channels. Discovery was previously on XM Satellite Radio but was dropped in early September 2005. Sirius Satellite Radio dropped Discovery Radio from its slate on February 21, 2007.

Store

Discovery Channel also lent its branding to retail stores in malls and other locations across America, as well as an online store. Educational gifts were the store's specialty. On May 17, 2007, Discovery Communications announced it was closing its stand-alone and mall-based stores. Hudson Group will continue to operate the Discovery Channel Airport Stores, and the website remains in operation. [2]

Telescope

Discovery Channel is also funding the construction of the Discovery Channel Telescope, in partnership with Lowell Observatory.

Marketing and branding

Taglines

Discovery Channel's previous taglines had been "Explore Your World" and "There's no thrill like discovery." However in view of its changing focus towards more reality-based programming and away from strictly educational programming, the slogan was changed to "Entertain Your Brain". The new tagline for the revamped Discovery Channel was "Let's All Discover...", with a continuing phrase or sentence that relates to a show. For example, when advertising for MythBusters, the commercial would end, "Let's All Discover, Why No Myth Is Safe". With the 2008 logo change came a new tagline: "The World is Just...Awesome." The newest commercials include the song "Wonders Never Cease" by Morcheeba, from the album entitled The Antidote and the song Typical by Mute Math. Their most recent commercial I Love the World, created by the 72andSunny agency, contains amended verses and the refrain from the traditional campfire song "I Love The Mountains".


Logos

1985-1995 1995-2000
2000-2008 2008-present

International

Discovery Channel reaches 431 million homes in 170 countries. Currently, Discovery Communications offers 29 network brands in 33 languages. In a number of countries, Discovery's channels are available on digital satellite platforms with multiple language soundtracks or subtitles including Spanish, German, Czech, Hindi, Tamil, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Arabic, Slovenian and Serbian. In Bulgaria, Discovery has since 2000–2001 been displayed with Bulgarian subtitles by all cable providers.

Canada

Main article: Discovery Channel (Canada)

Discovery Channel Canada has an ownership structure different from Discovery Channel. 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, the Canadian channel carries the daily science news show Daily Planet, 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. Canadian channels Discovery HD, Discovery Health, Discovery Kids, Discovery Civilization, and Animal Planet are also seen. All channels are under different ownership, with Discovery Communications having a 20% share in each.

Europe

In the United Kingdom, Discovery Channel UK has some programs in common with the US version, including MythBusters, American Chopper, How It's Made and Deadliest Catch. The channel is carried as a basic subscription channel on digital satellite and digital cable. Discovery UK also operates many additional channels: Discovery HD, Discovery Knowledge, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Home & Health and Discovery Travel & Leisure. Many of these channels also have timeshifted versions. Discovery UK is due to launch Discovery Quest in 2009, a free to air channel which has been confirmed as being carried on the Freeview digital terrestrial service but will likely also be carried on digital satellite and cable.

In the Republic of Ireland the UK edition is available on most cable/digital operators but with some local content.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland Discovery Channel is part of the PREMIERE-digital-network and supplies specific programs to other networks like ZDF and Kabel 1. Discovery Communications is also owner of the documentary-channel XXP. The channel was bought in spring 2006 from its former shareholders Spiegel TV and "dctp". All programs are dubbed into German. The channel is now known as "DMAX", presumably to associate the channel with Discovery.

In the Netherlands, the Discovery Channel is included in most cable subscriptions. Nearly all of the programs are broadcast in their original language, but they are subtitled in Dutch as is the policy of all Dutch television stations.

In Poland, the Discovery Channel is included in most cable television offers. It is also available on satellite digital platforms (sometimes requiring an additional fee). Cyfra Plus makes it possible to see the programs in Polish as well as in English. Also on digital platform "n" there is an additional channel Discovery Historia produced in cooperation with one of the biggest Polish broadcaster - TVN.

In Slovenia, the Discovery Channel was one of the most popular channels, with a very wide audience, especially after subtitling in Slovene was introduced. However, the popularity - and rating - of the channel dropped sharply after 2005, when it dropped most of its history and popular science documentaries[citation needed], shifting to series about motoring and mechanics, the appeal of which seems to be very limited.[citation needed]

In Serbia, the Discovery Channel is distributed via cable television providers with Serbian subtitles. It enjoys moderate popularity, with shows like MythBusters and American Chopper being especially well received.

In Spain, the channel shares a schedule and programs with Portugal and is available through most satellite and cable platforms, making it possible to broadcast both in Spanish and Portuguese. All programs are dubbed into Spanish, and some in Portuguese.

Australia and New Zealand

Main article: Discovery Channel Australia

In Australia, the Discovery Channel is part of a six channel bouquet (not including timeshifts) on digital subscription television, available on Foxtel, Optus TV and AUSTAR.

In New Zealand, the Australian version of Discovery is broadcast on SKY Network Television.

South East Asia

In India, China, Malaysia, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia, the S.E. Asian version of the Discovery Channel is available on digital subscription television. The most popular programs include American Chopper, Man Vs. Wild, Mythbusters, How It's Made and Dirty Jobs.[citation needed] Discovery Channel Asia still shows crime programs e.g. Most Evil, The FBI Files, etc. There also is a large number of programming featuring development and society in Asian countries, especially in India and China.

South-Africa

In South-Africa, the Discovery Channel is the same as the Discovery Channel in Europe.

Controversy

The shift in focus of the channel away from purely educational programming to mostly reality TV style shows has lead to a perception that the station has significantly dumbed down its programming in favor of higher ratings.

In August 2008 it was revealed [3] that the Discovery Channel had stopped their popular MythBusters program from airing an episode examining RFID security in regard to its implementation in credit cards. The rationale behind the ban was that the episode would upset the credit card companies, who are major advertisers on the Discovery Channel.

See also

References

  1. ^ MediaPost Publications - Discovery Rebrands, Upgrades Marketing Efforts - 07/24/2007
  2. ^ Discovery to close 103 stand-alone, mall locations - May. 17, 2007
  3. ^ http://consumerist.com/5043831/mythbusters-gagged-credit-card-companies-kill-episode-exposing-rfid-security-flaws

External links

Main

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Free-to-air television in Australia · Television in Canada · Television in New Zealand · Television in the United Kingdom · Television in the United States
Webby Awards
Award
Nominee, 1997 award in the category Science
Awards Ceremonies
1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Channel"

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