Discovery Makes Turbo Move
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/18/2006 4:58:00 PM
Discovery Communications will move its popular motorcycle series American Chopper from the Discovery Channel to its sister network TLC, and launch “Turbo,” a programming block, a broadband channel and a video-on-demand (VOD) package to complement the show.
Chopper has earned the Discovery Channel a healthy 2.1 million viewers with new episodes this year, but network executives have said they are looking to return Discovery’s programming to its roots in science and nature. The motorcycle reality show, currently on Mondays at 10 p.m. on Discovery, has been on the network exclusively since 2003 and will move to TLC in December.
Chopper will run in a new programming block on TLC called Turbo, along with current TLC series Overhaulin’ and a third series. TLC will also launch a motor-themed “Turbo” broadband site July 4th with more than 250 short-form video clips on motor sports info, advice and technology, along with blogs, photos and podcasts.
Discovery will also offer cable operators content from the Turbo block for the VOD platform during fourth quarter. The Turbo content will be packaged to be included as part a VOD offering for Discovery’s suite of cable networks, rather than as a separate VOD channel.
