| Discovery Channel | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1 April 1989 |
| Owned by | Discovery Networks Western Europe |
| Picture format | 16:9, 576i (SDTV) |
| Audience share | 0.2% 0.1% (+1) 0.0% (HD) (June 2011, BARB) |
| Slogan | "TV Worth Watching." |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Ireland and the United Kingdom. |
| Sister channel(s) | Animal Planet Discovery HD Discovery History Discovery Home & Health Discovery Real Time Discovery Science Discovery Shed Discovery Travel & Living Discovery Turbo DMAX Investigation Discovery Quest |
| Timeshift service | Discovery Channel +1 |
| Website | www.discoveryuk.com |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Top Up TV | Programmes available on-demand |
| Satellite | |
| Sky | Channel 520 Channel 521 (+1) Channel 520 (HD) |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 212 Channel 213 (+1) Channel 214 (HD) |
| Smallworld Cable | Channel 520 Channel 521 (+1) |
| UPC Ireland | Channel 209 (+1) Channel 219 (HD) |
| IPTV | |
| BT Vision | Programmes available on-demand |
| Freewire | Channel 180 |
Discovery Channel operated by Discovery Networks Western Europe produces an English speaking channel which targets the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel's programming is based on programming produced by Discovery Networks Europe, Discovery Channel Canada and Discovery Channel from the US.
It first became available in the UK on April 1, 1989 when Discovery Channel Europe launched. It was the first extension of the Discovery Channel outside the United States.[1]
Prior to 1993, UK viewers could receive the channel from Intelsat satellites at 27.5° West. In July 1993, the Discovery Channel launched on the Astra 1C analogue satellite on the popular 19.2° East position where it used to broadcast only in the evening, starting at 4pm. On Astra, the daytime space was filled by CMT Europe until 1994, when TLC (later on Discovery Home & Leisure) moved there. Eventually, Discovery Home & Leisure would broadcast from the morning to 4pm when Discovery Channel took over and would broadcast for ten hours until 2am.
With the launch of Sky in October 1998, Discovery Channel moved its start time to 8am, broadcasting for 18 hours per day. The time-shift channel, Discovery Channel +1, launched at the same time, as did several sister channels.[2] Analogue broadcasts were terminated in 2001.
On May 22, 2006, Discovery HD was made available on Sky as part of the Sky+ HD launch line up. It was also made available on Virgin Media's cable service on April 1, 2010.[3] From June 30, 2011 Discovery HD began to simulcast Discovery Channel in high-definition rather than use a separate schedule.
The channel briefly had a 90 minute timeshift, called Discovery Channel +1.5. It launched on June 25, 2007.[4] It was replaced by Discovery Science +1 on April 21, 2008.
On January 2011, Discovery Channel UK released its new look which places its emphasis on the D-globe logo. The project was created by DixonBaxi and Double G Studios.[5][6]
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