Discovery Kids on NBC was a six-hour block of Saturday morning television children's programming broadcast by NBC from September 14, 2002 to September 2, 2006. The block featured programming from the Discovery Kids cable network, and all of its programming met the FCC's "E/I" requirements.^[1] The block was replaced on September 9, 2006 with the Qubo block.

History[link]

Children's programming has played a part in NBC's programming since its initial roots in television. The block is preceded by TNBC, which was a live-action teen programming block. On January 6, 2002, NBC began a deal with Discovery Communications' Discovery Kids. Several days later, it began to return any children's programming, which was absent entirely from 1993 to 2002.

All programming during the block, as is standard for Saturday morning network programming, was labeled as meeting E/I requirements. Most of the television programming was imported from Discovery Kids. As the block launched on September 14, 2002, it consisted of only live-action series, including a kid-themed version of Trading Spaces and J. D. Roth's Emmy-nominated reality game show Endurance.

In later years, the block was expanded to include some animated series such as Kenny the Shark, Tutenstein, and Time Warp Trio. Meanwhile, in 2004, NBC became a subsidiary of NBC Universal, when its parent company, General Electric, acquired 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment from Vivendi.

Transition to Qubo[link]

At the beginning of 2006, NBC began its talk to ION Media Networks, Scholastic Press, Classic Media and Nelvana for planning to launch a new children's block, which was later called Qubo.^[2] The deal was started in May 2006. Qubo includes blocks that air on NBC, Telemundo (the Spanish-language network owned by NBC Universal), and ION Media Networks's ION Television, as well as a 24/7 digital broadcast channel, video on demand services and a branded website.

Discovery Kids on NBC block was aired for the final time on September 2, 2006.

Programming[link]

See also[link]

• Discovery Kids
• NBC
• Discovery Communications

References[link]

External links[link]

• Discovery Kids :: Saturdays on NBC

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Discovery Kids is a brand name owned by Discovery Communications. Started as a television channel in the United States, the brand was expanded into different areas. Most of channels, including one in the U.S., were replaced by another, but the brand still exists as a division of Discovery Toys.

Television channels[link]

United States[link]

Discovery Kids is a American digital cable specialty channel owned by Discovery Communications that broadcast television programming for education of children. It was launched in October 1996. Discovery Kids aired programming for children with an emphasis on real-life adventures, nature, science and wildlife from all over the world. It has since been reformed and rebranded into The Hub.

In 2002, Discovery Kids began airing its first reality television show entitled Endurance. The show is similar in nature to Survivor, whereby teams compete in exotic locales (such as Hawaii and Tehachapi). The last first-run episode aired on March 8, 2008.

On October 10, 2010, Discovery Kids showed its last program at 6:00 am ET (3:00 am PT), a four-hour marathon of Kenny the Shark, before it was replaced with The Hub at 10:00 am ET (7:00 am PT). Kenny the Shark was also one of a few Discovery Kids programs to be part of The Hub's schedule until it was removed on March 26, 2012.

Discovery Kids has had a Spanish language audio track through SAP since 2006.

Discovery Kids broadcast a Saturday morning E/I programming lineup for children, which replaced TNBC, called Discovery Kids on NBC, which ran from September 14, 2002, until September 2, 2006, when NBC ended the partnership and created a new E/I block called Qubo.

Latin America[link]

Discovery Kids was launched in April 1996. It is targeted to preschool audiences.

United Kingdom[link]

Discovery Kids was launched on February 1, 2000 and was replaced by Discovery Turbo on February 28, 2007.

Canada[link]

Discovery Kids was launched on September 3, 2001 and was replaced by Nickelodeon on November 2, 2009.

Asia[link]

Discovery Kids was launched on April 15, 2012 with current Latin American branding.

See also[link]

• Discovery Channel
• Discovery Kids (Canada)
• Discovery Kids (UK)
• Discovery Kids (Latin America)
• Discovery Kids On Demand
• Discovery Kids on NBC
• The Hub
• Ready Set Learn

External links[link]

• Official website

Luke Russert
Luke Russert at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, 2008
Born	Luke Russert (1985-08-22) August 22, 1985 (age 26) Washington, D.C.
Education	B.A. degree in communications, Boston College
Occupation	Broadcast Journalist

Luke Russert (born August 22, 1985) is an American television and radio personality. He has followed in the footsteps of his father, Tim Russert, who was prominent in the television news industry.^[1] His mother is Maureen Orth, special correspondent for Vanity Fair. He has co-hosted a sports talk program on XM radio with James Carville called 60/20 Sports. While in college, he worked for the ESPN program Pardon the Interruption.^[2]

Russert graduated from St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. in 2004.^[3] In 2008, following his graduation from Boston College and the subsequent death of his father, NBC News hired Russert as a correspondent covering youth issues in the 2008 presidential election. He was assigned to the Democratic and Republican conventions.^[4][5] Since May 2009, Russert has worked for NBC News on Capitol Hill as a congressional correspondent covering the House of Representatives. Russert also reported for NBC during Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Luke has embraced charitable causes championed by his late father, serving as emcee of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington's 25th Annual Tim Russert Congressional Dinner on April 20, 2010. The event honored Senator Susan Collins and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for their prolonged commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

On May 19, 2012, Luke debuted as a news anchor on Weekend Today. ^[6]

References[link]

Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray in 2007
Born	Rachael Domenica Ray (1968-08-25) August 25, 1968 (age 43) Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality, businesswoman, author, celebrity chef[1]
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	John Cusimano (2005–present)
Website
"rachelray.com". http://www.rachaelray.com.

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won two Daytime Emmy Awards.

Personal life[link]

Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York.^[2][3] Her parents are Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American, and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent.^[4] She moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where her family owned four restaurants. When Ray was 8, her family moved to Lake George, New York. Her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.^[2]

In 1995 Ray moved to New York City.^[5] One of her first jobs there was at the candy counter at Macy's, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

On September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, an American lawyer and lead singer of the rock band "The Cringe." She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.^[6][7]

Career[link]

Cooking[link]

Ray teaches simple recipes that she says can be completed in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim that her concept does not include preparation.^[8]

Ray says that her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry serve as a strong influence on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic and chicken stock to boost flavors. She believes that measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking" and instead favors approximations such as "half a palmful". To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had."^[5] She acknowledges that she cannot bake because it requires measured ingredients, that she cannot make coffee, and that she burns bread under the broiler.

On her television programs, she has used catchphrases such as "E-V-O-O" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o," "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew),^[9] and "choup" (thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder).^[10] In 2007, The Oxford American College Dictionary announced the addition of the term EVOO, short for extra-virgin olive oil, which Ray had helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.^[11][12]

The set of 30 Minute Meals uses a yellow Model 61C Chambers stove from the 1950s, notable for its top-opening broiler, super-insulated oven, and unique Thermowell.

On November 12, 2006, Ray and Mario Batali defeated the team of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on an episode of Iron Chef America during which cranberries were the secret ingredient. On March 18, 2007, Food Network debuted a Rachael Ray episode of its special Chefography series, on which she stated that "the worst day of [her] life" was Iron Chef America, admitting to being anxious about it for weeks before. She also told commentator Alton Brown that she was "a cook, not a chef."

Television[link]

In 2005, Ray signed a deal with Oprah Winfrey and King World Productions to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show.^[13] The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006. Recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to Oprah.^[14] The show tapes in New York City. In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share."

Ray has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Nightline, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Larry King Live, Cake Boss, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Dr. Oz Show.

For Sesame Street’s 38th season, Ray appeared in an episode to present "pumpernickel" as the word of the day.

On January 12, 2008, Ray's television series Rachael's Vacation premiered on the Food Network.^[15] The show is a five-part food travelogue shot in various European countries.^[16]

In 2008, Ray became a television executive producer^[17] of a short-ran Latin cooking show on the Food Network called Viva Daisy!, starring Daisy Martínez.

In August 2009, Ray appeared as herself on Million Dollar Password for charity for Yum-O! and her own charity for animal rescue with Regis Philbin.

Ray also appeared on the hidden-camera show I Get That a Lot, pretending to be an employee at a dry cleaners.

In September 2010, a new show, her first new cooking show in eight years, Rachael Ray's Week In a Day began airing on the Cooking Channel.

In January 2012, Rachael will be one of the two team captains (along with Guy Fieri) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.^[18]

Magazines[link]

In 2003, she posed for the men's magazine FHM. A writer for The New York Times wrote, "The shots feature Ray in short-shorts with an exposed midriff, licking chocolate off a big wooden spoon, eating a strawberry and sitting in a sink, laughing as suds cascade down her thighs."^[5] In a March 2009 interview with Nightline co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, Ray defended her decision to pose in the magazine.^[19]

The Reader's Digest Association launched Ray's eponymous magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray on October 25, 2005. The magazine featured seven issues in 2006, and increased to ten issues in 2007.

On October 12, 2011, it was announced that Meredith Corporation had reached an agreement to acquire Every Day with Rachael Ray. ^[20]

Product endorsements[link]

In November 2006, Ray became a spokeswoman for Nabisco crackers. She appears in commercials and on boxes for the many Nabisco products. Many boxes with Ray's picture have her recipes.

In February 2007, WestPoint Home launched sheets, blankets, and coverlets designed by Ray.^[21] Within six months, WestPoint expanded Ray's bed and bath line to include the "Moppine", a two-in-one dish towel/oven mitt, as Ray is often seen with a kitchen towel over her shoulder that doubles for her as an ersatz mitt.^[22]

In March 2007, the Dunkin' Donuts company announced Ray as its celebrity endorser, mainly of its coffee, since she had denied being able to make coffee herself.^[23] As part of a promotional campaign, Ray describes the company's coffee as "fantabulous."^[24] Celebrity chef and Travel Channel personality Anthony Bourdain, however, disparagingly referred to Ray's affiliation with Dunkin' Donuts as "evil," and went on to compare it to "endorsing crack for kids."^[25]

In May 2007, Ray's recipes were made available on AT&T cellular phones via the "Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run" feature.^[26]

In July 2008, Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food was introduced. The dog foods are created from recipes that Ray developed for her pit bull, Isaboo. All proceeds from the sale of these products go to Rachael's Rescue, a charity founded by Ray to help at-risk animals.^[27]

Awards and recognition[link]

Rachael Ray attending a high school social event in Enterprise, Alabama in 2007

• 2004: ranked #92 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2004"
• 2006: ranked #71 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2006"
• 2006: 30 Minute Meals received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show. Ray was also nominated for Outstanding Service Show Host
• 2006: named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. She was nominated by fellow Food Network star Mario Batali^[28]
• 2006: according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $6 million June 2005–June 2006^[29] from her books and television shows (excluding her new series, Rachael Ray)
• February 21, 2007, Ray announced on her show that a wax creation was made of her and that this wax figure will be on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City
• 2007: nominated for Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Talk Show Host
• April 2007, Ray launched a charity, "The Yum-O! Organization", with help from Bill Clinton, to help children eat healthier^[30]
• June 2008, The Rachael Ray Show received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[31]
• June 2008, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $18 million June 2007-June 2008^[32]
• June 2009, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $15 million in the year ending June 2009, as well as naming her as the 79th most powerful celebrity in the world^[33]
• August 2009, The Rachael Ray Show received a second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[34]
• January 2011, Ray won a People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Chef, over fellow nominees Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Paula Deen

Charity work[link]

In 2006, Rachael Ray launched a nonprofit organization called Yum-O! The mission of Yum-O! is to “empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. This is achieved by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids, and funding cooking education”.^[35]

Bibliography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rachael Ray

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rachael Ray

• Official website
• Rachael Ray at the Internet Movie Database