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TLC (former initialism for The Learning Channel) is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content.^[1] Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks. The channel is one of the few cable networks also legally available in Canada under its original American interpretation.^{[citation needed]}

TLC imports a significant amount of programming material from the United Kingdom (such as Junkyard Wars) mostly through its parent company's ties to the BBC. It also produces U.S. versions of some shows (like What Not to Wear, originally a BBC production) as well as original programming (like Robotica). Other shows come from other Discovery brands, such as I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.

A High Definition simulcast of TLC was launched on 1 September 2007. It is currently available on many cable and satellite systems in the United States and Canada, including Bell TV, Cogeco, Cox, Dish Network, DirecTV, Shaw Cable, Rogers Cable, Mediacom, insight Communications, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and Comcast.

Programming[link]

History[link]

The Learning Channel: “a place for learning minds”[link]

The channel was founded in 1972 and was originally dedicated to be an informative/instructional network focused on providing real education through the medium of TV. At one point it was known as Appalachian Community Service Network.^[2] In November 1980 the channel became known as "The Learning Channel", subsequently shortened to "TLC."^[3] 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 station was geared towards an inquisitive and narrow audience during this time, and had modest ratings except for "Captain's Log with Captain Mark Gray". This was a boating safety series which aired on TLC from 1987 to 1990 and achieved between a 4.5 to 6 in the ratings. "Captain's Log" was also the highest compensated series in the history of TLC receiving over thirty (30) times more compensation than any other series on TLC at that time and was allowed to sign yearly (vs. quarterly) contracts.

By the early 1990s, The Learning Channel was a sister channel to the Financial News Network (FNN) which owned 51 percent of the channel with Infotechnology Inc. After FNN went into bankruptcy in 1991, the Discovery Channel's owners went into talks of buying The Learning Channel. An agreement was made with FNN and Infotech to buy their shares for million. The non-profit Appalachian Community Service Network owned 35 percent of the network, and was also bought out.^[4][5]

The Learning Channel continued to be focused primarily on instructional and educational programming through much of the '90s, but began to air shows less focused on education and more themed towards popular consumption and mass-marketing; these would be later expanded.

TLC still aired educational programs such as "Paleoworld" (a show about prehistoric creatures), though more and more of its programming began to be devoted to niche audiences for shows regarding subjects like home improvement (HomeTime and Home Savvy were two of the first), arts and crafts (similar to Martha Stewart), crime programs such as The New Detectives, medical programming (particularly reality-based ones following real operations of real people and following them through the process), and other shows that appealed to daytime audiences, particularly housewives. This was to be indicative of a major change in programming content and target audience over the next few years.

"Life Unscripted": a new direction[link]

Perhaps due to poor ratings from a narrow target audience, TLC began to explore new avenues starting in the mid '90s and increasingly around 2000. Less and less material that most would deem to be truly educational in nature was featured on the channel. This was probably due to the better ratings achieved by these less educational shows, as TLC brought in more viewers who were less interested in the channel's more traditional content. "Ready Set Learn", the network's children's block, was slowly reduced through the years as the network deliberately redirected viewers towards the full-day line-up of children's programming on Discovery Kids until completely evaporating in late 2008, while Cable in the Classroom programming, meant for recording by teachers, had completely disappeared by the early 2000s.

In 1998 the channel began to distance itself from its original name "The Learning Channel", and instead began to advertise itself only as "TLC".

During the period of 1999–2001 there was a huge shift in programming, with most programming geared towards reality-drama and interior design shows. The huge success of shows like Trading Spaces, Junkyard Wars, A Wedding Story and A Baby Story exemplified this new shift in programming towards more mass-appeal shows.

This came at a time when Discovery itself was overhauling much of its own programming, introducing shows like American Chopper (which Discovery moved to TLC for a stint). Much of the old, more educationally focused programming can still be found occasionally dispersed amongst other channels owned by Discovery Communications. Most programming today is geared towards reality-based drama or interests such as home design, emergency room dramas, other medical dramas, extreme weather, law enforcement, dating and human interest programs.

"Live and learn"[link]

On March 27, 2006, the network launched a new look and promotional campaign, dropping the "Life Unscripted" tag and going with the new theme, "Live and learn", trying to turn around the network's reliance on decorating shows and reality TV programming. As part of the new campaign the channel's original name, The Learning Channel, has returned to occasional usage in promotions. The new theme also plays on life lessons.

"Life surprises"[link]

In early March 2008, TLC launched a slightly refreshed look and promotional campaign, alongside a new slogan: "Life surprises". This new slogan came as TLC began to shift even more to personal stories, with a shift away from the once-dominating home improvement shows. Programs focused on family life became the core of the channel. Jon & Kate Plus 8, which by 2008 was the highest-rated program on TLC,^[6] and Little People, Big World were joined by 17 Kids and Counting (which became 18 Kids and Counting and then 19 Kids and Counting), and Table for 12 in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Also premiering on TLC in 2009 was Cake Boss, which focuses on the head baker at Carlo's Bakery and his staff, who mostly consist of his family.

Shooting a show in New York

International[link]

A British version of the channel was launched in 1994 and was subsequently renamed "Discovery Home and Leisure" and later Discovery Real Time as part of Discovery's catalog of themed channels.

An Indian version was launched in 2006 under the jurisdiction of Discovery Channel. It was relaunched as TLC on September 1, 2010.

TLC's American feed is also available in Canada, one of a few American specialty channels allowed entry into Canada as per Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission regulation.^{[citation needed]}

The Latin American TLC HD, was launched on December 1, 2009, exclusively in high-definition, in the same style as the American channel (most of TLC's programming is available in standard-definition on Discovery Home & Health).

A Norwegian version of the channel was launched on March 4, 2010 as TLC Norway, replacing the European version of Discovery Travel & Living in Norway.

On September 1, 2010, the Asia Pacific versions of Discovery Travel & Living was relaunched as TLC, with the acronym standing for "Travel and Living Channel".^[7]

On October 1, 2010, the Polish version of Discovery Travel & Living was relaunched as TLC Poland, replacing the European version of Discovery Travel & Living in Poland.

TLC Balkans was also launched on October 1, 2010, replacing the European version of the "Travel & Living Channel" Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria. TLC Balkans' playout is from Belgrade, Serbia.

On July 4, 2011, a Dutch version was launched, time sharing with Animal Planet's standard definition feed. Animal Planet remains a 24 hour service for high-definition viewers.

On 1st September, 2011, the South African feed will replace the Discovery Travel & Living channel on TopTV by TLC with an all-new schedule.

On 3rd October, 2011, TLC Greece is already broadcasting at Conn-x TVIPTV and OTE TV satellite.

On 1st November, 2011, the Latin American version of Discovery Travel & Living was relaunched as TLC: Travel & Living Channel, which now also has a dedicated feed for Brazil.

Criticism[link]

The channel has been criticized for departing from the original nature of its programming, by airing shows of controversial nature with what is described as no educational value. ^[8] TLC programs that were under fire from critics and the media included Toddlers and Tiaras, ^[9]Sarah Palin's Alaska, ^[10] Extreme Couponing, 19 Kids and Counting, Kate Plus 8, Sister Wives and Long Island Medium. The channel won the 2011 Pigasus Award in the Media Category.

References[link]

External links[link]

• TLC Official Site
• TLC Norway Official Site
• TLC Poland Official Site
• TLC Russian Official Site
• [3]

Look up TLC in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

TLC normally refers to "Tender Loving Care"

It may also refer to:

In Business

• Trading Limited Company, a form of limited liability company under UK law
• Trade Life Cycle (in Financial Organisations)

In entertainment:

• TLC (band), an American R&B/hip hop girl group
• "T.L.C.", a song by the Scottish funk and R&B band Average White Band on their debut album Show Your Hand
• TLC (TV channel), formerly the The Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
• TLC India, an Indian television channel
• TLC, the Australian and New Zealand cable TV channel Travel and Living Channel
• TLC (TV series), a British situation comedy airing on BBC2
• Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, a type of professional wrestling match
• WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, a professional wrestling event based around the above match
• "T.L.C. Tender Love And Care", a 1960 song written by Lehman, Lebowsky, and Clarke

In organizations:

• Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Australian non-profit organisation
• Texas Lottery Commission
• The Land Conservancy, a not-for-profit, charitable land trust based in British Columbia, Canada
• The Learning Company, an American educational software company
• TLC Camp, American nonprofit providing summer camp for children with cancer
• Trades and Labour Council peak union bodies in Britain and (until recently^[when?]) Australia
• Transitional Learning Center, a post-acute brain injury rehabilitation facility based in Galveston, Texas
• True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days, an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• NYC TLC, the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission
• Thliveris Law Corporation, international media and film finance and law firm

In schools:

• Thayer Learning Center, a boot-camp for teens in rural Missouri
• The Learning Center for the Deaf, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing located in Framingham, Massachusetts

In software:

• TLC, a model checking tool by Leslie Lamport

In transportation:

• Toyota Land Cruiser, an off-road vehicle
• Lic. Adolfo López Mateos International Airport's IATA airport code

In other uses:

• Thin layer chromatography, a chromatography technique used in chemistry to separate chemical compounds
• Total lung capacity
• Total leukocyte count
• Triple-level cell, a type of flash memory
• Free trade agreement from Spanish "Tratado de Libre Comercio"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve it by adding citations to reliable sources. Tagged since May 2009. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since November 2010. It is written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Tagged since November 2010.

A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video (VSB) and 59.75 MHz for analog audio (FM), or 55.31 MHz for digital ATSC (8VSB). Channels may be shared by many different television stations or cable-distributed channels depending on the location and service provider.

Depending on the multinational bandplan for a given region, analog television channels are typically 6, 7, or 8 MHz in bandwidth, and therefore television channel frequencies vary as well. Channel numbering is also different. Digital television channels are the same for legacy reasons, however through multiplexing, each physical radio frequency (RF) channel can carry several digital subchannels. On satellites, each transponder normally carries one channel, however small, independent channels can be used on each transponder, with some loss of bandwidth due to the need for guard bands between unrelated transmissions. ISDB, used in Japan and Brazil, has a similar segmented mode.

Channel separation on over-the-air channels is accomplished by skipping at least one channel between two analog stations' frequency allocations. (There can be gaps between channels, where numbers are sequential, but frequencies are not contiguous, such as the skip from VHF low to high, and the jump to UHF.) On cable TV, it is possible to use adjacent channels only because they are all at the same power, something which could only be done over the air if the two stations were transmitted at the same power and height from the same location. For digital TV, selectivity is inherently better, therefore channels adjacent (either to analog or digital stations) can be used even in the same area.

Other meanings[link]

Commonly, the term "television channel" is used to refer to either a terrestrial television station or its cable/satellite counterpart (both outlined below). Sometimes, especially outside the U.S. and in the context of cable/satellite television, it is used instead of the term television network, which otherwise (in its technical use above) describes a group of geographically-distributed television stations that share affiliation/ownership and some or all of their programming with one another.

This terminology may be muddled somewhat in other jurisdictions, for instance Europe, where terrestrial channels are commonly mapped from physical channels to common numerical positions (i.e. BBC One does not broadcast on any particular "channel 1" but is nonetheless mapped to the "1" input on most British television sets). On digital platforms, such (location) channels are usually arbitrary and changeable, due to virtual channels.

Television station[link]

A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and video to television receivers in a particular area. Traditionally, TV stations made their broadcasts by sending specially-encoded radio signals over the air, called terrestrial television. Individual television stations are usually granted licenses by a government agency to use a particular section of the radio spectrum (a channel) through which they send their signals. Some stations use LPTV broadcast translators to retransmit to further areas.

Many television stations are now in the process of converting from analogue (NTSC, PAL or SECAM) broadcast, to digital TV (ATSC broadcast, DVB or ISDB).

Non-broadcast television channels[link]

Because some regions have had difficulty picking up over-the-air signals (particularly in mountainous areas), alternative means of distribution such as direct-to-home satellite and cable television have been introduced. Television channels specifically built to run on cable or satellite blur the line between TV station and TV network. That fact led some early cable channels to call themselves superstations.

Satellite and cable have created changes. Local programming TV stations in an area can sign-up or even be required to be carried on cable, but content providers like TLC cannot. They are not licensed to run broadcast equipment like a station, and they do not regularly provide content to licensed broadcasters either. Furthermore, a distributor like TNT may begin producing its own programming, and shows presented exclusively on cable/satellite by one distributor may be syndicated to broadcast stations. The cost of creating a nationwide channel has been reduced and there has been a huge increase in the number of such channels, with most catering to a small group. See also: significantly viewed.

From the definitions above, use of the terms "network" or "station" in reference to nationwide cable/satellite channels is technically inaccurate. However, this is an arbitrary, inconsequential distinction, and varies from company to company. Indeed, the term "cable network" has entered into common usage in the United States in reference to such channels. There is even some geographical separation among "national" cable/satellite channels in the U.S., be it programming (e.g., the Fox Sports Net group of regional sports channels, which share several programs), or simply regionalized advertising inserted by the local cable company.

Should a legal distinction be necessary between a (location) channel as defined above and a television channel in this sense, the terms "programming service" (e.g. [1]) or "programming undertaking" (for instance, [2]) may be used instead for the latter definition.

A person viewing by cable or satellite might not know what kind of organization is responsible for a given program, especially if it is syndicated, so what seems to be a station or a network may be neither.

See also[link]

Look up television channel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Barker channel
• Lists of television channels
• Television channel frequencies

v t e Telecommunications (general) History Beacons Broadcasting Communications satellites Computer networks Drums Electrical telegraphs Fax Heliographs Hydraulic telegraphs Internet Mass media Mobile phones Optical telegraphy Photophones Radio Radiotelephones Telegraphy Telephones The Telephone Cases Television Undersea telegraph lines Videophones Pioneers Edwin Howard Armstrong John Logie Baird Alexander Graham Bell Tim Berners-Lee Jagadish Chandra Bose Vint Cerf Claude Chappe Lee De Forest Philo Farnsworth Reginald Fessenden Elisha Gray Guglielmo Marconi Alexander Stepanovich Popov Johann Philipp Reis Nikola Tesla Alfred Vail Charles Wheatstone Vladimir K. Zworykin Media Coaxial cable Free-space optical Optical fiber Radio waves Telephone lines Terrestrial microwave Networks ARPANET BITNET Ethernet FidoNet ISDN Internet Local area Mobile NGN Packet switched Public Switched Telephone Radio Television Telex Wide area World Wide Web Wireless Geographic v t e Telecommunications in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara v t e Telecommunications in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia People's Republic of China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine Republic of China (Taiwan) South Ossetia Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau v t e Telecommunications in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Svalbard Other entities European Union v t e Telecommunications in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Navassa Island Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands v t e Telecommunications in Oceania Sovereign states Australia East Timor (Timor-Leste) Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna v t e Telecommunications in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Look up Channel, channel, or channels in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Channel, Channels, and similar terms may refer to:

• Channels (band), a rock band fronted by ex-Jawbox singer/guitarist J. Robbins
• Channels (film), a 2008 film
• Channel, synonym for pre-chorus in popular song structure
• Ion channel, a protein that allows ion flow through a cell membrane
• Mediumship (also known as channelling), communication with spirits
• Meridian (Chinese medicine) (or channel), a concept central to traditional Chinese medical techniques such as acupuncture, and to martial arts such as tai chi and qigong
• Legal channeling, the act of legally making one entity responsible for an event, and thereby dismissing other parties from liability for an event

Places[link]

• Channel (geography), in physical geography, the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks
• Stream channel, a hydrologic scientific term for physical confine of a stream (river) consisting of stream bed and stream banks

Europe[link]

• English Channel, the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Great Britain from northern France
• Channel Tunnel, or the Chunnel, a rail tunnel underneath the English Channel linking the U.K. and France
• Channel Islands, an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy

North America[link]

• Channel Islands of California, a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California
• Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
• Channel Lake, Illinois
• Channel, California, a former settlement in Butte County, California, United States
• Channel Home Centers, a defunct home improvement chain based in the northeastern United States

Australia[link]

• Channel Highway, a regional highway in Tasmania, Australia
• Channel Express, a defunct British airline

Business[link]

• Distribution channel, a chain of intermediaries, each passing the product down the chain to the next organization, before it finally reaches the consumer
• Marketing channel, set of activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption

Technology[link]

• Communication channel, a transmission medium, e.g. a wire, or a multiplexed connection, e.g. a radio channel, used to convey an information signal from a sender to a receiver,
• Channel (digital image), the grayscale representation of a primary color in a digital image
• Channel (programming), in computer science, a tool used for interprocess communication
• Television channel, a television station or its cable/satellite counterpart
• Channel (broadcasting), a range of frequencies assigned by a government for broadcasting
• I/O Channel, in computing, a high-performance input/output (I/O) architecture
• Audio channel

Fiction[link]

• Channeler (The Wheel of Time), fictional characters in the Wheel of Time fantasy book series by Robert Jordan
• Channeling (Rolemaster), in the Rolemaster role-playing game

Sport[link]

• Channel (association football), football (soccer) terminology for particular areas of the pitch
• Channel Football Club, an Australian rules football club in Tasmania

See also[link]

• Canal
• Chanel (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.