DISCOVERY CHANNEL TOPS MAMMOTH RATINGS WITH WALKING WITH DINOSAURS
(PRWEB) April 20, 2000
--For the second month in a row, network makes ratings history, with 8.0 household rating and average viewership of 10.7 million people –
--Nearly 40 million Americans watched some part of the three-hour special
During its two Sunday telecasts--
--Discovery Channel scheduling encore presentations of Walking With Dinosaurs Thursday, April 20, from 8-11PM and 11PM-2AM--
Bethesda, MD – Discovery Channel’s three-hour special, Walking With Dinosaurs, shattered the all-time cable ratings records set last month by the network’s special, Raising the Mammoth, when Walking With Dinosaurs garnered an 8.0 household rating during its Sunday night premiere telecast, translating into average delivery of 10.7 million people. Based on preliminary numbers, nearly 40 million Americans watched some part of the special during its two telecasts Sunday night (7PM, 10PM).
The premiere telecast of Walking With Dinosaurs (7-10PM) was the most-watched, non-sporting event on cable during the 1999-2000 television season to date and was the most-watched documentary ever on cable television, beating out the records set March 12 by Discovery ChannelÂ’s Raising the Mammoth. The initial telecast of Walking With Dinosaurs also received a higher household rating than FoxÂ’s Sunday line-up and NBCÂ’s Sunday movie, The Chamber. The film delivered more children 2-11 and adults 18-49 than any program on cable Sunday night, and the film outdelivered broadcast networks CBS and NBC among adults 18-49.
The 10 PM. rebroadcast of Walking With Dinosaurs earned a 3.5 household rating, delivering more than 4 million viewers.
DiscoveryÂ’s previous highest-rated program, Raising the Mammoth, premiered on March 12, 2000, with its initial airing (8-10 PM) garnering a 7.8 household rating that translated into average viewership of 10.1 million people.
Discovery Channel has scheduled encore presentations of Walking With Dinosaurs for Thursday, April 20, from 8-11 PM and 11 PM-2 AM.
“When you combine the highest-quality programming with Discovery’s cross-promotional muscle via our on air, online and retail platforms, we have proved we can create the kind of successful events we’ve seen both with Raising the Mammoth and Walking With Dinosaurs,” said Discovery Communications President and Chief Operating Officer Judith A. McHale. “Walking With Dinosaurs was a compelling film and a shining example of our global partnership with the BBC.”
Walking with Dinosaurs has been a major, multi-platform entertainment event. In addition to the television premiere on April 16, people can visit the Discovery Channel website for a special area devoted entirely to dinosaurs; Discovery Kids, the weekend morning block on Discovery Channel, is featuring kid-based activities, sweepstakes and special programming -- both on-air and online -- and there has been a full array of Walking With Dinosaurs related products available in stores, including a four-color coffee table book published by Dorling Kindersley. Outside of the U. S., Walking with Dinosaurs premiered April 16 on the Discovery Channel in Latin America and Canada.
“Dinosaurs rule!” said Discovery Channel Executive Vice President/General Manager Mike Quattrone. “Seriously, we wanted to create a family event around this spectacular series, and by all indications, we were successful. We are very proud and pleased to have been able to do this.”
Walking With Dinosaurs, a coproduction with the BBC, depicts dinosaurs in the wild, just as if they were lions, rhinos or monkeys. One of the most ambitious television ventures ever undertaken, the three-hour special covers 155 million years of prehistory and uses advanced computer animation, state-of-the-art animatronics and the latest scientific findings to recreate the sights and sounds of dinosaurs walking the Earth.
Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) is a privately held, global diversified media company headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Powered by the worldÂ’s largest original, non-fiction production engine, DCI operates three distinct business units including:
Discovery Networks, U. S., consisting of Discovery Channel (78 million subscribers), TLC (72.5 million subscribers), Animal Planet (57 million subscribers), Travel Channel (39 million subscribers), Discovery Health Channel, Discovery People, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Science Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure Channel, Discovery Civilization Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, and Discovery en Español. The unit also markets and distributes BBC America;
Discovery Networks, International, consisting of 33 different feeds transmitted worldwide in 24 languages includes Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Home & Leisure, Animal Planet, People+Arts, Discovery Sci-Trek, Discovery Travel & Adventure, Discovery Civilisation and Discovery Wings;
Discovery Enterprises Worldwide, consisting of Discovery Channel Interactive Media, Discovery Channel Video, Discovery Channel Publishing, Discovery Channel Education and Discovery Channel Retail;
DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders -- Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: LMG. A/LMG. B), Cox Communications (NYSE: COX), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the company's founder, chairman and CEO.
Contact: Karen Baratz 301/771-5711
-OR - Lynn McReynolds 301/771-4795
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