Discovery Channel to Get Korean Service

SEOUL: Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has partnered with Central Multi Broadcasting (CMB) to launch Discovery Channel Korea as a 24-hour locally licensed service.

Discovery Channel Korea will launch with an initial distribution of more than 8 million subscribers, increasing to more than 10 million subscribers by 2012. The lineup will include shows such as Hip Korea, focusing on the rising popularity of Korean pop culture; River Monsters, which follows biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade as he goes in search of intriguing freshwater fish; Ghost Lab, following paranormal investigators at some of America’s most haunted locations; and Extreme Forensics, featuring real-life cases and forensic drama. Discovery Channel Korea will also bring viewers local content, provided by CMB.

Tom Keaveny, the executive VP and managing director of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “We are excited to partner with CMB, a market leader in cable services, as we continue to bring the best in high-quality nonfiction programming to our Korean audience. This partnership marks a significant milestone for us—having first launched in Korea as a programming block in 1994 to having a 24-hour localized channel with 40-percent Korean content.”

Han Dam-Lee, CMB’s CEO, added, “Our partnership with Discovery has enabled us to highlight the dynamic cultural and economic development transpiring in Korea, and I anticipate the new Discovery Channel Korea to be the forerunner in building Korean viewers’ awareness of international media content; in the process, CMB will be a wave-maker in revolutionizing Korean broadcast networks.”