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Discovery celebrates two decades of global presence (THE PENINSULA) It’s been 20 years since Discovery Channel broadened its horizons and took its captivating mix of top-notch factual entertainment beyond American shores to the rest of the world. Since then it has expanded into 170 countries across a number of regions around the globe, including the Middle East, and today maintains its position as the No. 1 provider of factual programming in the world. So how does a pay-TV cable company go from one channel in the USA to 21 brands and 1.5 billion subscribers across the world in such a short space of time? Discovery Networks achieves this by establishing a solid distribution network that delivers quality, fact-based programmes that inspire and entertain, to audiences across the world. The content takes viewers on journeys to extraordinary places and captures the most compelling footage and stories through fresh programming, amounting to 2,000 hours of new factual content produced annually. What would weeknights be without the stars of Deadliest Catch, Ultimate Survival, American Chopper and Mythbusters? Or weekends on the couch without the riveting accounts of Storm Chasers and Destroyed in Seconds? Shows like these have captivated audiences in the Middle East and kept them tuned in and coming back for more. “Hit series such as Ultimate Survival, Deadliest Catch and Mythbusters have high ratings, our authentic, passionate characters such as Bear Grylls, Adam and Jamie from the Mythbusters and the Teutuls from American Chopper generate much media attention and have great fan followings in the Middle East,” explains Paul Welling, VP, Head of Channels of Emerging Markets for Discovery Networks Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). Over the past 20 years, it has recorded significant media milestones and brought the world groundbreaking television firsts. Who could forget, when in 1998, Discovery Channel broadcast live from the Titanic; when in 2000 it funded and filmed a Siberian mammoth excavation in Raising the Mammoth, or in 2007, when it brought viewers the highly acclaimed 11-part epic, Planet Earth. “Our content has always been passionate and energetic; inspiring viewers to live extraordinary and more fulfilling lives by exploring the world around them. We continually look for exceptional and unusual stories, as well as new and cutting-edge stories that really make our viewers think. Our programmes have larger than life characters that, along with experts and inspiring individuals, bring this content to life,” says Caleb Weinstein, SVP and GM of Emerging Markets for Discovery Networks EMEA. This approach has proven successful given the fact that the programmes appeal to a wide-ranging international market. The content travels remarkably well, transcends all boundaries and finds audiences in even the most remote areas of the globe. “It’s about Living Life Large and exploring your world and how that relates to the human condition. Our top programmes are huge performers and appeal to a wide cross-section of viewers, no matter if they’re in Jeddah, Johannesburg or Beijing. This is one of our greatest strengths,” Weinstein adds. In April 2007, Discovery Channel put the spotlight on Dubai the premiere of back-to-back episodes showcasing two of the world’s man-made marvels in Building Dubai Stories. Going behind the scenes at the construction sites of Ski Dubai and The Palm Islands, the cameras capture the human effort involved in building the record-breaking structures and chronicle the obstacles, hazards and moments of success met by all those involved in the mega-projects. The world was introduced to the architecture and engineering feats of the Middle-East including the gleaming glass, steel and concrete structure that is currently the tallest-free-standing structure in the world, Burj Dubai on Discovery Channel’s Mega Builders. Dubai was also featured in programmes such as Really Big Things, Extreme Engineering and Kings of Construction. This October, Discovery Science will feature Oman in Mighty Ships, while in December 2009 on Extreme Engineering 5, global audiences will journey to the UAE capital with Architect Danny Forster to get up close and personal with mega-construction, exploring the design of some amazing structures there. “Critical part of our focus is connecting with our audiences in the different regions. Viewers in the Middle East have been avid Discovery Channel viewers since we launched in the over a decade ago. We have several channels with the newly merged Orbit Showtime, as well as ART. As our viewership has grown, so has our local content.” Weinstein adds further It’s this innovative approach to broadcasting that has made Discovery Channel a firm favourite among Middle Eastern viewers and the most widely distributed TV brand in the world. |
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