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The Learning Channel

TLC
TLC Logo.svg
Launched 1972; 45 years ago (1972) (as Appalachian Community Service Network)
November 1980; 36 years ago (1980-11) (as The Learning Channel)
1992; 25 years ago (1992) (as TLC)
Owned by Discovery Communications
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV)
Slogan Everyone Needs A Little TLC
Country United States
Language English
Spanish (via SAP audio track)
Broadcast area United States
Canada
Headquarters Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Formerly called Appalachian Community Service Network (1970–80)
The Learning Channel (1980–92)
Sister channel(s) Discovery Channel
Oprah Winfrey Network (50%)
Animal Planet
Destination America
Discovery Family (60%)
Discovery Life
Investigation Discovery
American Heroes Channel
Science
Velocity
Website www.tlc.com
Availability
Terrestrial
evotv (Croatia) Channel 502
Digata (Finland) Channel 18
Satellite
Dish Network 183 (HD/SD)
C-Band (4DTV Digital) AMC-10 - 604
DirecTV 280 (HD/SD)
Canal Digital (Finland) Channel 12
Cable
Available on most cable providers Check local listings for details
Verizon FIOS 639 (HD)
139 (SD)
DNA (Finland) Channel 18
Elisa (Finland) Channel 18
Sonera (Finland) Channel 18
IPTV
AT&T U-verse 1250 (HD)
250 (SD)
Streaming media
PlayStation Vue Internet Protocol television

TLC (an abbreviation of its former name, The Learning Channel) is an American basic cable and satellite television network that is owned by Discovery Communications. Initially focused on educational and learning content, by the late 1990s, the network began to primarily focus towards reality series involving lifestyles, family life, and personal stories.

As of February 2015, approximately 95 million American households (81.6% of households with cable television) receive TLC, although this does not indicate TLC's viewership as of February 2016.

The channel was founded in 1972 by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and NASA as the Appalachian Community Service Network, and was an informative and instructional network focused on providing real education through the medium of television; it was distributed at no cost by NASA satellite.

ACSN was privatized in 1980, and its name was changed to "The Learning Channel" in November of that year; the name was subsequently shortened to "TLC." (NASA immediately launched NASA TV as the ACSN's internal replacement.) The channel mostly featured documentary content pertaining to nature, science, history, current events, medicine, technology, cooking, home improvement, and other information-based topics. These are often agreed to have been more focused, more technical, and of a more academic nature than the content that was being broadcast at the time on its rival, The Discovery Channel. The channel was geared toward an inquisitive and narrow audience during this time, and had modest ratings except for the boating safety series Captain's Log with Captain Mark Gray (hosted by Mark Graves, a USMC Vietnam Vet 1967–70, Entertainer, Escape Artist, Magician, and TV Writer/Producer/Host). Captain's Log aired on TLC from 1987 to 1990. It achieved between a 4.5 to 6 share in the ratings and was the highest compensated series in the history of TLC with over 30 times the compensation of any other TLC series. Mark Graves AKA "Captain Mark Gray" was also allowed to sign yearly rather than quarterly contracts. He decided to not seek another contract renewal when Discovery acquired TLC in 1990 and moved its operations from Virginia to Denver, Colorado.


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Wikipedia

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