This is a timeline of
Discovery, a network of television channels owned by
Discovery Inc. that broadcast in the UK.
1980s and 1990s
1989
1 April –
Discovery Channel Europe launches. UK viewers could only receive the channel from
Intelsat satellites at 27.5° West and via cable systems.
1990
No events.
1991
No events.
1992
9 March –
TLC launches as a daytime service, timesharing with the Discovery Channel. As with Discovery, it is only available in the UK via
Intelsat and on cable.[1]
1 September – Discovery becomes a pay channel when it joins the newly formed
Sky Multichannels package. It broadcasts on the platform for eight hours each day, timesharing transponder space with
CMT Europe.
1994
5 September –
TLC launches on Astra and timeshares with Discovery, broadcasting daily from 9am until 4pm. Discovery extends its broadcast hours by two hours and is now on air between 4pm and 2am.
1995
No events.
1996
No events.
1997
3 April –
TLC is relaunched as Discovery Home & Leisure.[2]
1998
1 September –
Animal Planet launches on Astra satellite and analogue cable.[3]
1 October – The launch of
Sky Digital sees the launch of new channels from Discovery –
Discovery Civilisation,
Discovery Sci-Trek,
Discovery Travel & Adventure and Discovery Channel +1. Discovery Channel and Discovery Home & Leisure expand their broadcast hours to coincide with the launch, now being on air for 18 hours a day.[3]
1999
No events.
2000s
2000
1 February –
Discovery Wings and
Discovery Kids launch. They are created for the
OnDigital platform.[4] Discovery Kids broadcasts during the day with Wings taking over for the evening and are initially exclusive to OnDigital.
18 November –
Discovery Wings and
Discovery Kids are replaced on
ITV Digital by the Discovery Channel. Kids and Wings continue as full time channels on other platforms.
The closure of Sky's analogue service sees Discovery ending its part-time analogue transmissions.
Discovery Home & Health and
Discovery Real Time replace Discovery Health and Discovery Home & Leisure respectively, the former expanding into a female-orientated lifestyle channel.
1 March –
Discovery Turbo replaces Discovery Wings and Discovery Kids.[5]
25 June – Discovery Channel +1.5 launches.
November –
Discovery Knowledge replaces Discovery Civilisation and the schedule expands to also cover programming on engineering, crime and technology.
30 September –
QUEST launches. It is the first non-Discovery branded channel to launch in the UK and is established as a free-to-air showcase of programming from across the Discovery channel portfolio.
15 October –
QUEST begins broadcasting a 24-hour schedule on all platforms except Freeview.
7 November –
Discovery History and Discovery History +1 replace Discovery Knowledge and Discovery Knowledge +1.[8]
2011
30 June –
QUEST begins broadcasting a 24-hour schedule on Freeview after
Gems TV, with whom QUEST had shared apace, acquired a 24-hour Freeview stream.
March – Following
Discovery, Inc.'s purchase of Scripps Networks Interactive, Discovery adds three lifestyle channels to its portfolio -
Food Network,
HGTV and
Travel Channel. The acquisition also sees Discovery taking a 50% stake in
UKTV.[11]
2019
16 January –
DMAX becomes a free-to-air channel and launches on
Freeview and
Freesat.
1 April –
Discovery Inc. announces that it will acquire
BBC Studios' stakes in
Good Food,
Home and
Really, while BBC Studios will acquire Discovery's stakes in the seven remaining
UKTV networks for £173 million.[12]
This is a timeline of
Discovery, a network of television channels owned by
Discovery Inc. that broadcast in the UK.
1980s and 1990s
1989
1 April –
Discovery Channel Europe launches. UK viewers could only receive the channel from
Intelsat satellites at 27.5° West and via cable systems.
1990
No events.
1991
No events.
1992
9 March –
TLC launches as a daytime service, timesharing with the Discovery Channel. As with Discovery, it is only available in the UK via
Intelsat and on cable.[1]
1 September – Discovery becomes a pay channel when it joins the newly formed
Sky Multichannels package. It broadcasts on the platform for eight hours each day, timesharing transponder space with
CMT Europe.
1994
5 September –
TLC launches on Astra and timeshares with Discovery, broadcasting daily from 9am until 4pm. Discovery extends its broadcast hours by two hours and is now on air between 4pm and 2am.
1995
No events.
1996
No events.
1997
3 April –
TLC is relaunched as Discovery Home & Leisure.[2]
1998
1 September –
Animal Planet launches on Astra satellite and analogue cable.[3]
1 October – The launch of
Sky Digital sees the launch of new channels from Discovery –
Discovery Civilisation,
Discovery Sci-Trek,
Discovery Travel & Adventure and Discovery Channel +1. Discovery Channel and Discovery Home & Leisure expand their broadcast hours to coincide with the launch, now being on air for 18 hours a day.[3]
1999
No events.
2000s
2000
1 February –
Discovery Wings and
Discovery Kids launch. They are created for the
OnDigital platform.[4] Discovery Kids broadcasts during the day with Wings taking over for the evening and are initially exclusive to OnDigital.
18 November –
Discovery Wings and
Discovery Kids are replaced on
ITV Digital by the Discovery Channel. Kids and Wings continue as full time channels on other platforms.
The closure of Sky's analogue service sees Discovery ending its part-time analogue transmissions.
Discovery Home & Health and
Discovery Real Time replace Discovery Health and Discovery Home & Leisure respectively, the former expanding into a female-orientated lifestyle channel.
1 March –
Discovery Turbo replaces Discovery Wings and Discovery Kids.[5]
25 June – Discovery Channel +1.5 launches.
November –
Discovery Knowledge replaces Discovery Civilisation and the schedule expands to also cover programming on engineering, crime and technology.
30 September –
QUEST launches. It is the first non-Discovery branded channel to launch in the UK and is established as a free-to-air showcase of programming from across the Discovery channel portfolio.
15 October –
QUEST begins broadcasting a 24-hour schedule on all platforms except Freeview.
7 November –
Discovery History and Discovery History +1 replace Discovery Knowledge and Discovery Knowledge +1.[8]
2011
30 June –
QUEST begins broadcasting a 24-hour schedule on Freeview after
Gems TV, with whom QUEST had shared apace, acquired a 24-hour Freeview stream.
March – Following
Discovery, Inc.'s purchase of Scripps Networks Interactive, Discovery adds three lifestyle channels to its portfolio -
Food Network,
HGTV and
Travel Channel. The acquisition also sees Discovery taking a 50% stake in
UKTV.[11]
2019
16 January –
DMAX becomes a free-to-air channel and launches on
Freeview and
Freesat.
1 April –
Discovery Inc. announces that it will acquire
BBC Studios' stakes in
Good Food,
Home and
Really, while BBC Studios will acquire Discovery's stakes in the seven remaining
UKTV networks for £173 million.[12]