Discovery Communications
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: DISCA, NASDAQ: DISCB, NASDAQ: DISCK) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1985, Bethesda, Maryland |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, MD |
| Key people | David Zaslav (CEO) John S. Hendricks (Founder & Chairman) |
| Industry | Broadcasting & Cable TV |
| Products | Media Holding Company |
| Website | http://corporate.discovery.com/ |
Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) (NASDAQ: DISCA, NASDAQ: DISCB, NASDAQ: DISCK) is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 29 network entertainment brands on over 100 channels in over 170 countries in 33 languages for over 1.5 billion subscribers around the globe.[1] Discovery Communications is based in Silver Spring, MD. The company's slogan is: "The number-one nonfiction media company."[2]
DCI both produces original programming and acquires content from producers worldwide. This non-fiction programming is offered through DCI's 28 network entertainment brands, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Health Channel, Travel Channel and a family of digital channels. DCI also distributes BBC America and BBC World to cable and satellite operators in the United States.
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[edit] Corporate governance
[edit] Officers
Judith A. McHale was President and Chief Executive Officer until NBC Universal executive David Zaslav took over the position on November 16, 2006. [5]
In February 2007, Zaslav ordered a restructuring of the top executives. The executives leaving include: Billy Campbell, former president of Discovery Networks U.S.A., Dawn McCall, former president of Discovery Networks International, Maureen Smith, former president and general manager of Animal Planet and David Abraham, former president and general manager of TLC.
Zaslav hired Greg Ricca to run Discovery Networks Intl. as president and CEO. He promoted Mark Hollinger to president of global businesses and Operations, Marjorie Kaplan to president and general manager of Animal Planet Media and Discovery Kids Media, and Jane Root to prexy general manager of the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel. [6]
[edit] Ownership
Prior to September 18, 2008, DCI's ownership consisted of three shareholders:
- Discovery Holding Company
- Advance/Newhouse Communications[7] which is affiliated with Advance Publications
- John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman.
On December 13, 2007, Discovery Holding Company announced a restructuring plan. Under the plan, the Discovery Holding's Ascent Media business would be spun-off, and the remaining businesses, Discovery Communications, LLC and Advance/Newhouse Communications, would be combined into a new holding company [8]. The reorganization was completed on September 17, 2008. The new Discovery Communications, Inc. is now fully public company and trades on the NASDAQ stock market.
[edit] Divisions
DCI operates its businesses in four groups: Discovery Networks U.S., Discovery Networks International, Discovery Commerce, and Discovery Education.
[edit] Discovery Networks U.S.
Discovery Networks U.S. operates 12 English-language channels, three Spanish-language channels [9]. According to SEC filings, the division "also operates web sites related to its channel businesses and various other new media businesses, including a video-on-demand offering distributed by various cable operators." All of the channels are in the process of being overhauled and "made over".[10] Many channels already have new logos such as the Science Channel, and Animal Planet to follow in February 2008. [11]
The division's channels include:
| Channel | Launch Date | US Households | HD Simulcast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Channel | 1985 | 98 million | Yes | |
| TLC | 1972 | 97 million | Yes | acquired by Discovery Communications in May 1991 |
| Animal Planet | 1996 | 95 million | Yes | |
| Discovery Health Channel | 1999 | 69 million | late 2009 | will be relaunched as OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network in late 2010, a 50-50 joint venture with Harpo Productions |
| Discovery Kids | 1996 | 61 million | No | |
| Science Channel | 1996 | 55 million | Yes | |
| Investigation Discovery | 1996 | 52 million | No | Formerly Discovery Times and CBS Eye on People |
| Military Channel | 2005 | 52 million | No | |
| Planet Green | 1998 | 51 million | Yes | Formerly Discovery Home and Discovery Home and Leisure |
| FitTV | 2003 | 35 million | No | |
| HD Theater | 2002 | 18 million | N/A | Broadcasts in HD 24 hours per day |
| Discovery en Español | 1998 | 8 million | No | Spanish-language version of the Discovery Channel |
| Discovery Familia | 2007 | 1 million | No |
[edit] Discovery Networks International
Discovery Networks International, or Discovery international networks offers "a portfolio of channels, led by Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, that are distributed in virtually every pay-television market in the world." The division offers over 100 separate feeds in 35 languages with "channel feeds customized according to language needs and advertising sales opportunities."[12]
DCI owns most channels offered by Discovery Networks International, with the exception of:
- (1) the international Animal Planet channels, which are "generally 50-50 joint ventures with the BBC"[13]
- (2) People+Arts, which "operates in Latin America and Iberia as a 50-50 joint venture with the BBC"
- (3) several channels in Japan and Canada, which "operate as joint ventures with strategically important local partners."
"As with the U.S. networks division, the international networks operate web sites and other new media businesses."
On January 10, 2006, the Discovery Networks International announced[14] a joint-venture with Spiegel TV and DCTF to provide global free-to-air television to more than 20 million households in Germany and neighboring countries.
Discovery International Channels include [15]:
- Asia/Pacific: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Science, Discovery World, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Real Time, People+Arts, Discovery Geschichte, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Historia, Discovery HD
- Latin America: Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids, People+Arts, Animal Planet, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Shed, Discovery Knowledge, Discovery Science, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery HD
- Canada: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Civilization Channel, Discovery Health, Discovery Kids, Discovery HD
[edit] Discovery Commerce
Discovery Commerce operates a catalog and electronic commerce business (located at shopping.discovery.com[16]) offering lifestyle, health, science and education-oriented products, as well as products specifically related to programming on Discovery's networks. In addition, the e-commerce site serves as a licensing business that licenses Discovery trademarks and intellectual property to third parties for the purpose of creating and selling retail merchandise. The Discovery shopping website offers products similar to those previously sold in the Discovery Channel retail stores. Recently the Discovery Channel retail stores were closed, however, the products are still available online.
[edit] Discovery Education
Discovery Education is a division which offers "streaming educational video material into schools via the internet." Discovery Education operates unitedstreaming, a "leading educational broadband streaming service in the United States." In April of 2006, Discovery Education acquired a premier assessment company, ThinkLink Learning, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Now called Discovery Education Assessments, the program is designed to help students improve on state standardized tests.
Discovery Education also sells DVD, VHS, CD-ROM, and Multimedia kits with the same content.
Other products include COSMEO -an online homework subscription help site, Discovery Health Connection, Discovery Science Connection and they recently purchased other video streaming companies.
They have two free services. One is their website, Discovery School and the other is a teacher community, the Discovery Educator Network, commonly referred to as the DEN.
[edit] Other interests
On October 15, 2007, Discovery Communications completed their purchase of HowStuffWorks for US$250 million.[3] The company later chose to use the name HowStuffWorks as the title of a television series on Discovery Channel. The series, which focuses on commodities,[4] premiered in November 2008 and is similar in style and content to other "how it works" programs like Modern Marvels.[5]
On March 17, 2009, Discovery revealed that it owned the rights to several patents related to e-books, in announcing a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon.com, maker of the Kindle e-book reading device. The patents were originally developed by the company's founder John Hendricks; the specific patent in question in the suit was applied for in 1999 but issued in late 2007.[6][7]
[edit] Controversy
Visual effects artists who worked for the now bankrupt Meteor Studios, a company established by Discovery Communications of Virginia and Evergreen Films of Pacific Palisades, have not been paid fully for their work on Journey to the Center of the Earth[8][9][10]. Maryland-based Discovery VP and spokesperson Katie Wolfgang has stated that Discovery holds a "passive non-controlling interest" in Meteor, and that "matters related to the management of Meteor Studios, its employees and operations were handled by Meteor Studios' principals."[11]
[edit] Competitors
[edit] References
- ^ Discovery news
- ^ http://www.discovery.com/
- ^ "Discovery Buys HowStuffWorks.com" by the Wall Street Journal
- ^ - "Precious Commodities". - Discovery Channel
- ^ Wasko, Janet and Calderon, Carlos. - "Modern Marvels: Celebrating How It Works". - University of Oregon. - May 7,2008
- ^ Discovery Communications, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc. - Complaint for Patent Infringement in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, March 17, 2009
- ^ Discovery hits Amazon with Kindle patent suit, CNet News, March 17, 2009
- ^ [1]FXGuide. Labor Series Part One: Unpaid Artists. July 28, 2008.
- ^ [2]Press release: Journey 3D, FX Artists of Former Meteor Studios seeking $1 Million in Back Pay.
- ^ [3]NY Post. A Journey in Search of Pay. August 1, 2008.
- ^ [4]Playback Magazine. Ex-Meteor Studios workers seek pay. July 21, 2008.
- SEC filings are by the Discovery Holding Company [17].
[edit] See also
- Antenna Audio, acquired in 2006
- National Geographic Society
- A&E Television Networks
[edit] External links
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