Fledgling Nat Geo Wild Leaves Nest

WASHINGTON — National Geographic Channel and Fox
Networks Group unleashed the new Nat Geo Wild cable
network into the cable jungle last week, with a slow start
in terms of audience reception.

The adaptation of an existing international Nat Geo
service, hosting shows such as Predator Island and Rebel
Monkeys (pictured), launched March 29 with carriage
commitments from distributors representing some 40
million subscribers, according to Fox executives.

Nat Geo Wild will get most of its carriage from assuming
the channel slot
vacated by the nearly
50 million-subscriber
Fox Reality Channel.
Fox Networks Group
is handling the distribution
talks. NGW
has carriage deals
with Cablevision
Systems and Dish
Network that haven’t
yet led to launches.

Fox Reality affiliates DirecTV and Mediacom Communications
haven’t agreed to carry Nat Geo Wild yet, but a
Fox Networks spokesman said the network is “discussing
the launch of the network” with both distributors. Fox
Reality is still on the air offering encore programming for
both distributors.

In its first three days on air, Wild averaged around
45,000 primetime viewers, according to Nielsen data.
That’s half of the 90,000 viewers Fox Reality averaged during
the first quarter of 2010.

Nat Geo officials have cautioned that not all distributors
would have it at launch and that the consumer learning
curve would take a while.

Weather Channel Joins 100M Sub Club

ATLANTA — The Weather Channel has became the second
cable network to surpass the 100 million subscriber mark
and the first news and information network to do so, network
officials said.

Weather, which has partnerships with virtually every
U.S. cable, satellite and telco distributor, joins TBS in
achieving the feat. According to executive vice president
of distribution Becky Powhatan, the channel averaged
nearly 50 million viewers per day during February’s big
snowstorms and regularly averages more than 100 million
viewers per month.

According to April 1 Nielsen estimates, networks nudging
up against 100 million total subscribers are: Discovery
Channel (99.9 million); Nick at Nite (99.8 million), Nickelodeon
(99.8 million); Food Network (99.7 million); CNN
(99.4 million); TNT (99.4 million); USA Network (99.4 million)
and HLN (99.4 million).

David Lyle Gets Licensing Gig

LOS ANGELES — David Lyle, who had been president of Fox
Reality Channel, which is converting to Nat Geo Wild, now
heads a new business unit centered
on the international licensing and
production of unscripted fare from
Fox Broadcasting and Fox Cable
Networks.

Lyle will be president of Fox Look,
reporting directly to Fox Networks
Group chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.
He will also work closely
with Marion Edwards, president of
international television.

Lyle has also worked as president of entertainment
at FremantleMedia North America, worldwide head of
acquisition and development at Pearson Television and
head of development at Australia’s Nine Network.