Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery (stylized as ID since 2020) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Discovery, Inc. As of February 2015, approximately 86,062,000 American households (73.9% of households with television) receive Investigation Discovery.[1]

This article is about the US channel. For the European channel, see Investigation Discovery (European TV channel).
Investigation Discovery
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersMaryland U.S.
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerDiscovery, Inc.
Sister channels
History
LaunchedOctober 1996 (1996-10)
Former names
  • Discovery Civilization Network: The World History and Geography Channel
  • (1996–1998)
  • Discovery Civilization Channel
  • (1998–2003)
  • Discovery Times
  • (2003–2008)
Links
Website
Availability
Satellite
Orby TVChannel 147 (HD)
Dish NetworkChannel 192 (HD)
DirecTV (US)Channel 285 (HD)
4DTV C-Band
IPTV
Verizon FiOS
  • Channel 123 (SD)
  • Channel 623 (HD)
AT&T U-verse
  • Channel 260 (SD)
  • Channel 1260 (HD)
Streaming media
TVPlayerWatch live (UK only) (TVPlayer Plus subscription required)
PhiloInternet Protocol television
YouTube TVInternet Protocol television
Sling TVInternet Protocol television

History

The channel launched in 1996 under the name Discovery Civilization Network: The World History and Geography Channel. It was one of four digital cable companion networks rolled out by Discovery Communications simultaneously in October 1996.[2] Plans for the channel had surfaced in November 1994, when its working name was "Time Traveler".[3]

In April 2002, New York Times Television and Discovery Communications announced a joint venture to run the Discovery Civilization Channel. By then, it was available in 14 million households. The partnership aimed to complement the historical shows, with programming about current events and contemporary history.[4] On March 25, 2003, the channel was rebranded as Discovery Times, focusing more on the culture of the United States, as well as other miscellaneous programming. The previous name was described as "a little off-message" by executives.[5]

In April 2006, The New York Times sold its stake in Discovery Times back to Discovery Communications, ending its ownership in the channel.[6] On January 27, 2008, Discovery Times was relaunched as Investigation Discovery (ID), oriented towards true crime programs.[7]

In 2016, owing to a resurgence in popularity within the true crime genre, ID was the second-highest-rated cable network among women 25-54.[8] In 2018, ID was the sixth-highest-rated basic cable network in full-day viewership.[9]

Streaming

ID is associated with parent company Discovery Communication's Discovery + streaming service where much of its original content can be found.

Programming
Main article: List of programs broadcast by Investigation Discovery

Most of ID's programs are original productions, but it also airs re-titled off-network reruns, including ABC's 20/20, CBS' 48 Hours, and NBC’s Dateline.

ID's longest-running series is On the Case with Paula Zahn which debuted in 2009. Other long-running shows on the network include Disappeared and Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda.

On June 7, 2015, ID aired its first ever scripted mini-series; Serial Thriller: Angel of Decay chronicled the investigation of convicted (and later executed) serial killer Ted Bundy. A second installment, Serial Thriller: The Chameleon, premiered as a two-part miniseries in December 2015, chronicling the crimes that resulted in the execution of American serial killer Stephen Morin. A third installment, Serial Thriller: The Headhunter, about serial killer Edmund Kemper (which possibly includes the story of serial killer Herbert Mullin), premiered on February 20, 2016.

International versions
Main articles: Investigation Discovery (Canada), Investigation Discovery (European TV channel), and Investigation Discovery (Latin America)

References
  1. Seidman, Robert (February 22, 2015). "List of how many homes each cable network is in as of February 2015". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  2. "Digital Play in the U.S. of A." Realscreen. April 1, 1999.
  3. "Discovery plans launch of four newly created nets. (Discovery Communications Inc.)". Multichannel News. November 1994.
  4. "The New York Times Company and Discovery Communications, Inc. Announce Joint Venture in Discovery Civilization Channel" (Press release). The New York Times Company. April 5, 2002.
  5. "'Civilization' Seeks Current-Affairs Niche". Multichannel News. November 4, 2002.
  6. "Discovery Times to Sell Stake". New York Observer. April 13, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  7. "Discovery Investigates". Newsday. January 26, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  8. "The Oxygen Channel Is Becoming A True-Crime, All The Time Network". HuffPost. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  9. "2018 Year-End Cable Ranker: Fox News, MSNBC, Hallmark Channel Are Among Top Networks to Also Post Audience Growth". TVNewser. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
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