Warner Bros. Discovery Networks

Last updated

Warner Bros. Discovery Networks U.S.
Formerly
  • WarnerMedia Entertainment (2019–2020)
  • WarnerMedia Studios & Networks (2020–2022)
Company type Division
Industry
PredecessorsDiscovery Networks U.S.
Turner Broadcasting System
Scripps Networks Interactive
FoundedMarch 4, 2019;5 years ago (2019-03-04)(original)
2022;2 years ago (2022)(merger with Discovery Networks)
Headquarters
New York City
,
U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
 Kathleen Finch (chairwoman and CEO)
Brands
Services
  • Broadcasting
  • Television
Parent WarnerMedia (2019–2022)
Warner Bros. Discovery (2022–present)
Subsidiaries
Website wbd.com

Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, formerly known as Turner EntertainmentNetworks, [1] is an American mass media division of Warner Bros. Discovery that oversees the operations of many of its television channels and assets owned and operated in the United States. Its related international division is Warner Bros. Discovery International.

Contents

History

Turner Broadcasting System

In 1970, Ted Turner purchased WJRJ-Atlanta, Channel 17, a small, Ultra High Frequency (UHF) station, and renamed it WTCG, for parent company Turner Communications Group. [2] [3] During December 1976, WTCG originated the "superstation" concept, transmitting via satellite to cable systems. [2]

On December 17, 1976, at 1:00 pm, WTCG Channel 17's signal was beamed via satellite to its four cable systems in Grand Island, Nebraska; Newport News, Virginia; Troy, Alabama; and Newton, Kansas. All four cable systems started receiving the 1948 Dana Andrews – Cesar Romero film Deep Waters already in progress. The movie had started 30 minutes earlier. WTCG went from being a little television station to a major TV network that every one of the 24,000 households outside of the 675,000 in Atlanta was receiving coast-to-coast. WTCG became a so-called Superstation and created a precedent of today's basic cable television.

HBO had gone to satellite transmissions to distribute its signal nationally in 1975, but that was a service that cable subscribers were made to pay extra to receive. Ted Turner's innovation signaled the start of the basic cable revolution.

In 1979, the company changed its name to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) and the call letters of its main entertainment channel to WTBS.

WarnerMedia Studios and Networks (2018–2022)

On March 4, 2019, AT&T would reorganize its broadcasting assets to effectively dissolve Turner Broadcasting System withs its assets moving to the newly created WarnerMedia Entertainment with the unit consisting of HBO, TBS, TNT, TruTV, and an upcoming direct-to-consumer video service with Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, and Turner Classic Movies would be moved under Warner Bros. Entertainment via the new "Global Kids & Young Adults" business unit. [4] [5]

On August 10, 2020, the WarnerMedia Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment television assets were merged to form WarnerMedia Studios & Networks Group with several of its units being reaorginazed in a major corporate revamp that resulted in TBS, TNT and TruTV being brought back under the same umbrella as Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Boomerang and TCM with Casey Bloys—who was with WarnerMedia since 2004 (as director of development at HBO Independent Productions), being elevated to President of Programming at HBO and Cinemax in May 2016—added oversight of WarnerMedia's basic cable networks and HBO Max to his purview. [6] [7]

Discovery Networks U.S.

Discovery U.S. Networks logo Discovery Networks logo.svg
Discovery U.S. Networks logo

In October 1996, Discovery Networks was formed by Discovery Communications to launch several networks, including Animal Planet, and the digital cable channels Discovery Kids, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, and Science Channel, with two years later being followed by the 1997 purchase of a 70% stake in Travel Channel, and the 1998 launches of Discovery en Español, Discovery Wings, and Discovery Health Channel. [8] [9] [10]

On July 31, 2017, Discovery announced it would acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and DIY Network, for $14.6 billion, with Discovery's brands being reorganized under different executives chief brand officers: SNI's chief programmer Kathleen Finch became chief brand officer of Lifestyle, overseeing TLC, the six former Scripps channels, and Discovery's other lifestyle networks, with Rich Ross, who formerly served as group president of Discovery and Science, stepping down, and being replaced by TLC president Nancy Daniels as chief brand officer of Discovery & Factual. [11] [12]

Merger as Warner Bros. Discovery Networks

On May 17, 2021, three years after the acquisition, AT&T decided to sell its ownership of WarnerMedia in a merger with Discovery, Inc. to form a new publicly traded company, Warner Bros. Discovery. On April 8, 2022, WarnerMedia was divested by AT&T and merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). All linear networks owned by the company, besides CNN, Turner Sports, HBO, and Magnolia Network, being overseen by Kathleen Finch as head of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks. [13] [14] [15]

On August 16, 2024, it was announced that Kathleen Finch would retire as the head of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks at the end of the year. She would be succeeded by Channing Dungey, who is the chairwoman of the Warner Bros. Television Group division. [16]

Channels list

Current channels

Broadcast and FAST channels

Cable channels

Former parentNameNotesLaunch
Entertainment Group
Turner Broadcasting System TBS September 1, 1967
TNT October 3, 1988
TruTV July 1, 1991
Turner Classic Movies April 14, 1994
Discovery, Inc. Discovery Channel June 17, 1985
Discovery en Español 1998
Animal Planet April 1, 1994
Oprah Winfrey Network January 1, 2011
Scripps Networks Interactive Travel Channel February 8, 1987
Factual & Lifestyle Group
Discovery, Inc. American Heroes Channel July 15, 1998
Destination America October 7, 1996
Discovery Life February 1, 2011
Investigation Discovery October 7, 1996
TLC October 1980
Science Channel October 7, 1996
Scripps Networks Interactive HGTV December 30, 1994
Hogar de HGTV June 30, 2020
Food Network November 23, 1993
Cooking Channel August 21, 2002
Kids & Family Group (The Cartoon Network, Inc.)
Turner Broadcasting System Cartoon Network October 1, 1992
Cartoonito September 13, 2021
Boomerang April 1, 2000
Discovery, Inc. Discovery Family October 7, 1996
Discovery Familia November 1, 2007

Former channels

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References

  1. ↑ "Businesses & Brands – Discovery, Inc". corporate.discovery.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Ted Turner's Former Superstation TBS Has Been Sold". adweek.it. February 23, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  3. ↑ Wu, Tim (November 11, 2010). "Ted Turner, the Alexander the Great of Television". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  4. ↑ Feiner, Lauren (March 4, 2019). "WarnerMedia reorganizes its leadership team after AT&T acquisition". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  5. ↑ "AT&T to HBO, Turner: No More Fiefdoms". The Wall Street Journal. March 1, 2019. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  6. ↑ Hayes, Dade (August 10, 2020). "WarnerMedia Begins Layoffs In Latest Streamlining Effort". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  7. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (August 7, 2020). "Bob Greenblatt, Kevin Reilly Out Amid Major WarnerMedia Restructuring". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  8. ↑ Parsons, Patrick (2008). Blue Skies: A History of Cable Television. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN   978-1592137060.
  9. ↑ Kirchdoerffer, Ed (April 1, 1999). "Digital Play in the U.S. of A". Realscreen. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Discovery seeks 70% interest in Travel Channel Paxson Communications would get $20 million". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ Szalai, Georg (July 31, 2017). "Discovery to Acquire Scripps Networks for $14.6 Billion". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (March 1, 2018). "Rich Ross Out At Discovery In Exec Shakeup; Scripps' Kathleen Finch Adds To Oversight". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (April 9, 2022). "Chip & Joanna Gaines' Road From HGTV To HBO As 'Fixer Upper' Stars Switch Sides Post-WB/Discovery Merger". Deadline. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (April 8, 2022). "What Warner Bros. Discovery Looks Like on Day 1". Variety. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  15. ↑ Hayes, Dade (April 9, 2022). "Warner Bros Discovery Merger: Who's In, Who's Out In The Executive Ranks". Deadline. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Warner Bros. Discovery Announces Retirement of Chairman and CEO of US Networks Kathleen Finch | Warner Bros. Discovery". www.wbd.com. August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  17. ↑ Keys, Matthew (August 4, 2023). "WBD affirms plan to exit regional sports business by end of year". The Desk. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  18. ↑ Lafayettepublished, Jon (August 3, 2023). "Warner Bros. Discovery Expects To Exit RSN Business by Year-End". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Mariners to take full control of ROOT Sports NW, clouding team's financial outlook". The Seattle Times. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
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