Discovery to start 'green' cable channel

NEW YORK, April 5 (UPI) -- U.S. cable operator Discovery Communications Inc. plans to start a 24-hour channel focused on "green" living as part of a $50 million ecological initiative.

The Silver Spring, Md., company said in New York Thursday it would rebrand its Discovery Home Channel next year as a network about how to lead an environmentally conscious life.

The company pledged to devote $50 million to new programming for the yet-unnamed network, available in about 50 million homes, as well as for online resources such as a social networking arena and Web videos, and shows for its other 13 U.S. cable networks. It also plans to extend the green channel concept into the 170 counties where it also has channels.

Programming topics will likely include eco-design, organic food and green architecture, Discovery said.

Discovery also said it would make its headquarters carbon-neutral, host a conference to showcase ecological innovations and start an advisory board of scientists and researchers to support the program.

"Five years ago, people would have said, 'Who are those lefties talking about green?' Today, green means responsible," Chief Executive David Zaslav told The New York Times.