Discovery investigates new look for channel

Discovery Communications has quashed plans to sell or seek an equity partner for its Discovery Times channel, and instead will rebrand it as Investigation Discovery, focusing on crime and forensics programming.

John Ford, chief executive of the channel, said Investigation Discovery will produce 200 hours of original programming for 2008. It will also draw on its crime library with shows such as The FBI Files and Most Evil, and is understood to be in talks with majors to acquire other top shows.

The channel will be rebranded from January 27 next year. Discovery Times was launched in 2003 as a joint venture between Discovery and The New York Times Company, which pulled out of the partnership in 2006. Discovery had been in talks with parties such as CBS about partnering on the new channel, but no agreement was reached.

The rebrand is part of a shake-up instigated by Discovery’s new chief and former NBC exec David Zaslav, who replaced Judith Mchale earlier this year.

Other Discovery networks, including Discovery Kids, Military Channel, Discovery Science and Discovery Health, are also set for makeovers. Planet Green, the remaining Discovery-owned network, was formerly the Home Channel and was first to rebrand this year.