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Discovery World to become Discovery Velocity Feb. 12, 2015

23K views 46 replies 25 participants last post by  Dr.Dave 
#1 ·
Discovery World is shifting gears to become Discovery Velocity, beginning Thursday, Feb. 12. Discovery announced today that the ultimate insiders club for viewers with a thirst for adventure debuts with an extended 48-day national freeview from Feb. 12 – March 31. As Canada’s only home for Factual Turbo programming, Discovery Velocity drives the passion for all things automotive, along with diverse travel, survival, and cultural world content. Canadians are also invited to take Discovery Velocity out for an online test-drive when DiscoveryWorld.ca becomes DiscoveryVelocity.ca, offering interactive online features beginning Monday, Feb. 2.

“The decision to rebrand to Discovery Velocity is motivated by our viewers’ desire for Factual Turbo programming on our channels, a gap in the Canadian marketplace, and proven success for the brand outside the country,” said Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery. “Already exploring life’s amazing journeys through travel and culture, it’s a natural fit for the service to offer the best in automotive –one of the world’s most revolutionary inventions – all at one destination.”

The exclusive Canadian home to hundreds of hours of live broadcasts of BARRETT-JACKSON, the world’s leading collector car auctions,Discovery Velocity takes off with premieres of all-new seasons of WHEELER DEALERS, WHAT’S IN THE BARN, CHASING CLASSIC CARS, CLASSIC CAR RESCUE and AMERICARNA, as well as such “classics” as PATRICK DEMPSEY: RACING LE MANS, and INSIDE WEST COAST CUSTOMS. Additionally, Discovery Velocity will be the one-stop auto shop for all of Discovery’s Factual Turbo programming, including CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, LAST CAR STANDING, DON’T DRIVE HERE, HOW IT’S MADE: DREAM CARS, and more. All of these join existing channel favourites like DUAL SURVIVAL and WATERFRONT CITIES OF THE WORLD.
Press Release.

Discovery Velocity primetime programming grid
 
#8 ·
Not really. SPEEDVISION was originally a primarily motorsports channel. Evolving, SPEED was still focused on motorsports, with transportation-themed programming. When SPEED was purchased by Fox, it picked up a lot of NASCAR overflow (qualifying, etc) that Fox didn't show on their main net, and the quantity of international/obscure motorsports coverage on SPEED dropped.

Velocity will be transportation-themed, without live motorsports coverage. However, I think they have the perfect opportunity to pick up coverage of events that don't air in Canada. Like the current Dakar!
 
#9 ·
...Velocity will be transportation-themed, without live motorsports coverage. However, I think they have the perfect opportunity to pick up coverage of events that don't air in Canada...
Yep, the US version of Velocity appears to have a very minimal amount of racing, yet that programming grid for this Canadian version and the description Bell provides seems to specifically avoid it.
And that silly phrase they used to describe this channel's genre of programming also made me laugh.
Sounds like a bunch of reality show reruns about cars. Might be interesting if it was a racing channel, but meh.
If this or some other niche channel wanted to pick up all the racing available on TV in the US (and much of the rest of the world for that matter, but not in Canada) seen on CBS Sports Network, NBCSN, Fox Sports 1 and 2, MavTV, and the US Discovery Velocity, then that might be a worthwhile channel.
 
#10 ·
Discovery World is not allowed to carry any sports broadcasts (category 6). Velocity will be operating under the same licence.

Conditions of licence for the specialty Category B service Discovery World HD

2. (a) The licensee shall provide a national English-language high definition specialty Category B service devoted to science and technology, nature and the environment, adventure, animal behaviour, pet care, wildlife, travel and world cultures.

(b) The programming shall be drawn exclusively from the following categories set out in item 6 of Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, as amended from time to time:

1 News
2(a) Analysis and interpretation
(b) Long-form documentary
3 Reporting and actualities
5(a) Formal education and pre-school
(b) Informal education/Recreation and leisure
7 Drama and comedy
(a) Ongoing drama series
(b) Ongoing comedy series (sitcoms)
(c) Specials, mini-series or made-for-TV feature films
(d) Theatrical feature films aired on TV
(e) Animated television programs and films
(f) Programs of comedy sketches, improvisations, unscripted works, stand-up
comedy
(g) Other drama
10 Game shows
11(a) General entertainment and human interest
(b) Reality television
12 Interstitials
13 Public service announcements
14 Infomercials, promotional and corporate videos

(c) No more than 15% of all programming broadcast during each broadcast week shall be drawn from category 7.
 
#14 ·
This change to DW has been going on for quite some time. At one time it was a great source of HD programming. Today with almost all specialty/cable channels in HD it has lost its reason for existing. Its current programming has no appeal to me. I'll be dropping it from my Bell TV subscription. I'd bet that I'm not alone in doing so.
 
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