Discovery Renaming Fit & Health to Life

Discovery Communications is renaming its Discovery Fit & Health network to Discovery Life Channel on Jan. 15, 2015, the programmer said ahead of a morning presentation July 9 at the Television Critics Association summer tour in Beverly Hills.

 

The change is targeting audiences ages 25-54, especially women, with programming that expands beyond a current lineup of health, medical and factual shows with new series that "explore life's unexpected challenges and the moments that really matter," the network, which is under Discovery group president Henry Schleiff's purview along with several other Discovery brands, said. Jane Latman remains as general manager and continues as senior VP of development for Investigation Discovery.

 

Medical anthologies such as Medical Mysteries, Trauma Drama and Medical Incredible will initially be the Discovery Life focus, and similarly titled series Mystery Diagnosis, Medical Detectives and Untold Stories of the ER will carry over from Fit & Health. The channel has more than 10 new series and specials in development, it said. Three initial titles it's developing are Families On The Brink, about issues that form into a crisis point; Ripped Kids, about kids who compete for strength on stage; and Tales From The Maternity Ward, about what happens inside busy hospital delivery rooms.