Discovery Communications

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Incoming Owners Shut Down Streaming Service a Month In
CNN+ Is Shutting Down
2 Days Early
UPDATED

CNN+ Is Shutting Down 2 Days Early

Streaming service's last day will be April 28

(Newser) - Update: Streaming service CNN+ is going to be even shorter-lived than expected. The service—which cost $300 million to set up and was launched with much fanfare on March 29—is going to have the plug pulled on April 28, two days earlier than employees were told last week, the...

Cable Merger May Dominate Among Female Viewers

Discovery, Scripps merger combines Food Network, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, more

(Newser) - Discovery Communications will buy Scripps Networks for close to $12 billion, tying together two powerful stables of TV shows ranging from Animal Planet to the Food Network. The deal, announced Monday, puts the combined company in a strong position to draw female viewers, per the AP . The Wall Street Journal ...

Oprah Winfrey Network Could Lose $143M This Year

SNL Kagan analyst: Are we looking at 'Oprah's last chapter'?

(Newser) - Yet more bad news for the Oprah Winfrey Network: SNL Kagan estimates that its losses could hit $142.9 million this year. Low ratings and bad press could make trouble with advertisers as well as cable operators, says an analyst at the research and investment firm. "We're expecting...

Oprah Confident on Brink of New Network's Launch

It will be up against plenty of competition, high channel number

(Newser) - The Oprah Winfrey Network is ready to launch January 1, following three years of planning and delays. It will face competition from at least 12 other networks targeting the same female audience, but supporters say it stands out from the rest thanks to, well, Oprah. The Los Angeles Times looks...

Kate Plus 8 Fueled Discovery Gunman's Wrath

James J. Lee hated network for encouraging population growth

(Newser) - The gunman shot dead after taking hostages at Discovery Communications headquarters yesterday hated the network's shows because he believed they promoted population growth. James J. Lee—who had a history of protesting around Discovery HQ —demanded an end to shows like Kate Plus 8 and 19 Kids and Counting...

Police Kill Discovery TV Gunman, Free Hostages

Suspect objected to network's programming

(Newser) - Police shot and killed an armed man who took three people hostage in the Discovery Channel network's headquarters in suburban Washington today. All of the hostages escaped safely. Authorities say an explosive device may have detonated during the shooting, and other explosives may still be in the building.

Suspected Gunman Has History of Protests

He's well-known around Discovery HQ

(Newser) - This is apparently the mindset of the hostage-taker police are negotiating with at Discovery Channel headquarters: "All programs on Discovery Health-TLC must stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions." The suspect identified as James J. Lee, 43, wrote...

Discovery Closes In on Sarah Palin's Alaska Show

Series reportedly titled 'Sarah Palin's Alaska'

(Newser) - Sarah Palin's Alaska is looking more and more like a sure thing: Discovery Communications has edged out rival A&E in bidding for the show, the Hollywood Reporter notes. Palin doesn't come cheap: If Discovery pays anything close to her $1.2 million per episode asking price, the former governor's...

By Ending Show, Oprah Bets Big on Cable
By Ending Show, Oprah Bets Big on Cable
Analysis

By Ending Show, Oprah Bets Big on Cable

Move will wound ABC, CBS—and Winfrey?

(Newser) - Oprah's decision to end her network show in 2011 is a risky bet on cable TV that will cost CBS millions of dollars and ABC stations millions of viewers. Oprah will concentrate solely on her long-delayed cable channel, OWN, though it’s not clear how yet. She’s told her...

Oprah Sets Date for Cable Launch, Show Move

Discovery Channel to media mogul: 'Move it or lose it'

(Newser) - The long-awaited launch of Oprah's cable network is set for early 2011, and her syndicated talk show will move to the new Oprah Winfrey Network—and from Chicago to Los Angeles. The switch from Discovery Health Channel to OWN was originally set for mid-2009, and Discovery threatened to rescind the...

Discovery Will Go Public
Discovery Will
Go Public

Discovery Will Go Public

Educational channel's IPO will bring freer financial hand—and Wall Street scrutiny

(Newser) - Discovery Communications will go public, upping the media company’s ability to make deals while opening it to shareholder and Wall Street opinion. The “MythBusters” and “LA Ink” broadcaster will be able to spend more on new programming and acquire other businesses more readily. Analysts expect shares to...

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