Animal Planet

Animal Planet is an American basic cable and satellite television channel owned by Discovery Communications. Originally focused on more educationally-based television shows, the network has featured more reality programming since the late 2000s. It is available throughout the United States, as well as in over 70 countries around the world. Country-specific versions of the channel have been created in Canada, India, Japan, Taiwan and other countries.

As of February 2015, approximately 94,288,000 American households (81% of households with television) receive Animal Planet.

History

Animal Planet was launched on October 1, 1996; it was created by Discovery Communications in cooperation with the British Broadcasting Corporation. On January 1, 1997, Animal Planet's distribution grew as a result of Advance Entertainment Corporation selling the satellite transponder slot belonging to the WWOR EMI Service (a national superstation feed of Secaucus, New Jersey/New York City's WWOR-TV, that was implemented following the 1989 passage of the Syndication Exclusivity Rights Rule by the Federal Communications Commission) to Discovery Communications, replacing the feed with Animal Planet outright.

Animal Planet Europe

Animal Planet Europe is a feed of Animal Planet, which broadcasts to several countries in Eastern and Central Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Many regions in Europe that previously received the Pan-European version of the channel, now receive a specific version for their regions, such as:

History

In October 2008, Animal Planet adopted the new branding and current logo.

In March 2009, the on-air logo changed its colour from green to white and became transparent.

On September 4, 2012, Animal Planet improved its picture quality by increasing the resolution from 544x576 to 720x576.

Since October 2012, all of the programming - including promos - is broadcast in Anamorphic widescreen picture format.

Animal Planet (Benelux)

Animal Planet is a television channel broadcasting nature-related documentaries in the Benelux countries.

Animal Planet launched in the Benelux in 1997.

For its first ten years in existence, the channel used a logo with a globe and an elephant which was also used by its sister channels. On 1 October 2008, the channel switched to a new logo, which had previously been adopted by Animal Planet in the United States.

A European high-definition version of the channel, called Animal Planet HD, launched in the Nordic countries on 3 February 2009. In the Netherlands the high-definition version of the channel launched through Glashart Media on 19 March 2010.

On 1 July 2011 Discovery Networks Benelux launched TLC for the female audience in The Netherlands. Till 1 October 2012 TLC aired between 6pm and 2am on the standard-definition version of Animal Planet making this channel a time-sharing channel. On 1 October 2012 TLC extended its air time from 3pm till 2am. The HD simulcast of Animal Planet remains 24 hours.

Animal Planet Nordic

Animal Planet Nordic is a television channel broadcasting nature-related documentaries to the Nordic countries.

Animal Planet was launched in the Nordic region in 1997. In 2001, the channel received a license to broadcast in the digital terrestrial network in Sweden. By 2008, the channel had regularly been one of the twenty most watched channels in Sweden for a few years. From 2007, the channel is also broadcast terrestrially in Norway via the RiksTV package.

For its first ten years in existence, the channel used a logo with a globe and an elephant which was also used by its sister channels. On October 1, 2008, the channel switched a new logo, which had previously been adopted by Animal Planet in the United States.

A high-definition version of the channel, called Animal Planet HD, was launched on February 3, 2009. That made the Nordic region the first region to get a high-definition version of Animal Planet after the United States. The high-definition channel has a separate schedule in order to broadcast only high-definition programmes.