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[03/31/09 - 01:50 PM]
Discovery Communications Posts Ratings Gains Among All Networks in Q109
The Discovery networks spin the numbers for the first quarter of 2009.

[via press release from Discovery]

Discovery Communications Posts Ratings Gains Among All Networks in Q109

March 31, 2009

(New York, N.Y.) Discovery Communications' portfolio of seven Nielsen rated networks continued to outpace broadcast and all other non-Discovery ad-supported cable networks in key demos in 1Q09 vs. 1Q08, increasing 6% in primetime among P2+ delivery versus 1% among cable and flat among broadcast. In P18-49, Discovery Communications is up 5%, while cable is down -1% and broadcast down -2%.

Discovery Communications' fully distributed and emerging networks experienced significant quarter-over-quarter growth in key demos, consecutive monthly wins and best-ever claims.

* All data below based on Primetime delivery, 1Q09 vs. 1Q08.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL

P2+ +5% (1.226k vs.1.167k)

P25-54 +8% (617k vs. 572k)

M25-54 +8% (399k vs.370k)

W25-54 +8% (219k vs. 202k)

P18-49 +7% (637k vs. 598k)

M18-49 +6% (416k vs. 392k)

March marked Discovery Channel's 6th consecutive month of year-over-year gains among P2+ and Persons, Men and Women 25-54.

Discovery Channel remains a Top 10 ad-supported cable network every night of the week among Men 25-54 and 18-49.

Network experienced its best 1Q among:

P18-34 on Mondays since 1Q05

P2+, Persons and Men 25-54 and 18-49 on Thursdays since 1Q01

M18-49 and Persons and Men 18-34 on Saturdays on record

M25-54, P18-49, W18-34 on Saturdays since 1Q00

P25-54 on Saturdays since 1Q01

"Destroyed in Seconds" and "Man vs. Wild" had their best quarters ever among Men 18-49 and 18-34

New series, "American Loggers" (Fridays 10 p.m.) experienced double-digits increases vs. its 1Q08 timeslot in P2+, P/M/W 25-54, P/M/W 18-49, and in March, the series was #2 in its timeslot among M25-54 behind only SyFy's "Battlestar Galactica."

TLC

HH +5% (760k vs. 721k)

P2+ +3% (970k vs. 938k)

W18-49 +4% (341k vs. 329k)

W18-34 +8% (185k vs. 172k)

March marked TLC's 6th consecutive month of year-over-year prime delivery growth among P2+ and HH, and 7 consecutive months of year-over-year gains among W18-34

TLC is a Top 10 ad-supported cable network among Women 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34

Season finale of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" (March 23, 9-10 p.m. ET/PT) was the highest rated Jon and Kate Plus 8 episode ever among P2+, P25-54, W25-54, P18-49 and W18-49, delivering 1.837k W18-49 and 1.096k W18-34, beating NBC's "Heroes" and CW's "One Tree Hill" in W18-49 (3% and 70%, respectively), topping NBC, CW, CBS's "Two and a Half Men"/"Rules of Engagement" and FOX's 24 in W18-34 (32%, 41%, 16% and 23%, respectively)

TLC's newest family, "Table For 12" (March 23, 10-11 p.m.) debuted higher than any other new series premiere in the past year among P2+ (1.607k), P25-54 (782k), W25-54 (608k), P18-49 (1008k), W18-49 (817k) and W18-34 (493k).

ANIMAL PLANET

P2+ +7% (589k vs. 551k)

P25-54 +12% (245k vs. 218k)

W25-54 +3% (121k vs. 121k)

M25-54 +23% (121k vs. 98k)

P18-49 +15% (236k vs. 205k)

P18-34 +12% (101k vs. 86k)

March marked Animal Planet's 11th consecutive month of year-over-year growth among M18-34 and 6th consecutive month among P25-54, M25-54, P18-49 and M18-49.

Animal Planet experienced its best quarter among P 25-54 and 18-49 since 3Q06

"Yellowstone: Battle For Life" was the network's best performing Natural History program among P2+ (1.1M) since March 04 (excludes any Steve Irwin related programs that aired after his passing in Sept. 06).

INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (ID.)

P2+ +22% (230k vs. 188k)

P25-54 +34% (115k vs. 86k)

M25-54 +22% (50k vs. 41k)

W25-54 +44% (65k vs. 45k)

P18-49 +26% (92k vs. 73k)

W18-49 +36% (53k vs. 39k)

1Q09 marked ID's 5th consecutive quarter of growth among W25-54 and W18-49 (since its launch in 1Q08)

March marked ID's 14th consecutive month of year-over-year gains among W25-54, P18-49, HH and P2+ (since its launch in late Jan 08)

ID continues to be the fastest growing cable network among HH, P2+, W25-54 and W18-49 (excluding news and kids networks).*

SCIENCE CHANNEL

P2+ +10% (76k vs. 69k)

P25-54 +11% (98k vs. 88k)

M25-54 +7% (65k vs. 61k)

P18-49 +14% (87k vs. 76k)

M18-49 +16% (59 vs. 51k)

1Q09 was Science Channel's best quarter ever among HH, P2+, P25-54, M25-54 and P18-49

March marked Science Channel's 7th consecutive month of year-over-year growth among P2+ and HH.

MILITARY CHANNEL

1Q09 marked Military Channel's 11th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in P2+ and P25-54 and 3rd consecutive quarter among HH

1Q09 was also Military Channel's best quarter ever among HH, P2+, P25-54, M25-54 and M18-49.

DISCOVERY HEALTH

Discovery Health continues to stay healthy among key women demos, posting increases among Persons and Women 18-34

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.





  [march 2009]  
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M
T
W
T
F
S


· AMERICAN LOGGERS (DISCOVERY)
· BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SCI FI)
· DESTROYED IN SECONDS (DISCOVERY)
· HEROES (NBC)
· JON & KATE PLUS 8 (TLC)
· MAN VS. WILD (DISCOVERY)
· ONE TREE HILL (CW)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· TABLE FOR 12 (TLC)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)





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