Science Channel


Blink hires Discovery exec for US expansion

UK-based Blink Films has hired Science Channel exec Brad Kohlenstein as senior VP, development to head a new US office. Kohlenstein (pictured) will be senior VP, development, working closely with Blink’s executive team of Dan Chambers, Justine Kershaw and Sarah Sapper. The launch of an East Coast office comes after Rockpool Investments-owned Tin Roof Media […]

Discovery launches US streaming service

Discovery Communications has launched its first US TV everywhere streaming service, Discovery Go, with a content offering spanning nine US channels. The networks are Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science Channel, Velocity, Destination America, American Heroes Channel and Discovery Life. The launch of the service was timed to coincide with today’s worldwide premier […]

Discovery’s Mythbusters given a final season

Discovery Channel’s longest-running series, Mythbusters, will come to an end after a final, fourteenth, season. The show’s send-off run will start on Discovery in the US in mid-January. The pop-science series bowed on Discovery 13 years ago. It is fronted by special effects artists Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who carry out wild scientific experiments, […]

Discovery restructures US nets

Discovery Communications has placed Rich Ross into a networks group president role as it realigns its US channels structure. Ross, who joined Discovery at the turn of the year as president of Discovery Channel, is now group president of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel. Discovery has grouped the channels together as it believes […]

David Zaslav on cutting beards and growing 4K and international

New Discovery Channel boss Rich Ross was lauded early this year for calling time on ‘faux factual’, a category of programming that had grown to include ‘real life’ mermaids, and snakes (attempting to) eat people live on air. The “pivot” back to core programming values actually started before then, David Zaslav tells TBI in Paris. […]

Blue chip to new chip: natural history with bite

Stewart Clarke speaks to commissioners, producers, distributors and digital pioneers about their efforts to reimagine the natural history genre. Alastair Fothergill is the embodiment of blue-chip, making landmark series for the BBC and films for Disney Nature, but he is now seeking to reinvent the genre, out of necessity as much as anything. “When I […]

Discovery takes on Impossible Engineering

Discovery Networks has acquired UKTV factual series Impossible Engineering for various international channel feeds. UK-based distributor Twofour Rights has sold the 6x60mins to Discovery nets in EMEA, including France, Benelux, Iberia and Italy; Science Channel in the US; and Discovery Networks Asia Pacific for numerous territories. Impossible Engineering explores the history behind modern-day mega-structures. UKTV’s […]

O’Neill gets global Discovery role, All3 board seat

Eileen O’Neill has been promoted to global group president of Discovery Studios, and is set join All3Media’s board as a reult. This hands her control of Discovery Communications’ worldwide production arm, its international producers Raw TV and Betty, and in-house production divisions. O’Neill was previously group president of Discovery Channel, Science Channel and Velocity. To […]

Discovery replaces Science Channel’s Myers

Discovery Communications has upped veteran programmer Rita Mullin to replace Debbie Adler Myers at US cable net Science Channel. Mullin, who is executive VP, programming and development at Discovery/Oprah Winfrey joint venture channel OWN, will take up the new post on June 2. She replaces Myers, who was general manager and EVP of Science Channel […]

Discovery orders Filipino Typhoon Haiyan doc

Discovery Networks International has ordered Megastorm: World’s Biggest Typhoon, a one-off documentary about weather phenomenon, which wrought havoc in the Philippines earlier this month. Discovery commissioned the doc from UK news and current affairs specialist ITN Productions. It will have never before seen footage from ITN’s crews on the ground insight from scientists in the […]