Documentary Channel (American TV channel)

Not to be confused with other TV channels namedDocumentary Channel.

Documentary Channel

Country	United States
Broadcast area	National
Headquarters	Nashville,Tennessee
Programming
Picture format	480i(SDTV)
Ownership
Owner	Participant Media
History
Launched	January 26, 2006(2006-01-26)
Closed	August 1, 2013(2013-08-01)
Replaced by	Pivot

TheDocumentary Channelwas an Americandigital cableandsatellite televisionnetworkthat featureddocumentaryprogramming.It aired independent documentary filmsfrom around the world, including those not released in theUnited States.The channel (along withHalogen TV) was replaced byPivot,a channel aimed atyoung adults between 18 and 34 years old,that was also owned byParticipant Media,and debuted on August 1, 2013.Pivot ceased operations on October 31, 2016, folding the former Documentary Channel channel space.

Background

Documentary Channel launched in January 2006. It was founded byTom Neff,Oscarnominated andEmmywinning documentarian, and attorney John Forbess. Originally, it was supported in part byWNPT,theNashvillePBSstation.

Documentary Channel won its firstEmmy Award,for Outstanding Documentary, in September 2007, forShake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire.

Documentary Channel's signature series,DocTalk,entered its third season July 1, 2011.DocTalkwas a weekly half-hour program featuring filmmakers and their newest documentary film projects and releases.

The channel was independently owned and operated until it was purchased byParticipant Mediain December 2012.

Closure

In March 2013, Participant Media announced that Documentary Channel and new sister networkHalogen TVwould merge into one network, and both would relaunch asPivot,a network focused on 18 to 34 year olds, with elements of programming from both networks. The change was later announced to take place on August 1 of that year.

Documentary Channel built up to the launch of Pivot with a countdown clock in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, where the logo normally is, saying "xx Hours xx Minutes until we Pivot", but there was no special programing taking a look back at the channel's history, instead just showing a normal day of programing.

At approximately 6 p.m ET on Dish receivers, the channel's EPG name changed from "DOC" to "PIVOT", signifying the change happening overnight, in 12 hours time.

At 5:40 a.m ET, the channel's final documentary,8: The Mormon Proposition,ended. 5 minutes later, the channel's final regularly scheduled program, the channel's original programDoc Talk,began, with the subject being "Full Frame Fest 2". At 5:58 a.m ET, the channel began playing an old styleIndian Head test card,and started playingEdward R. Murrow's "Wires and Lights in a Box" speech, talking about how television can help people learn, but only if they accept it. Midway through the speech, in the bottom right, a message said:

Good night, and good luck. Coming in October, pivot.tv

At 6:00:04 a.m ET, Documentary Channel ended, and Pivot begun, with the final words spoken on the network being "Good night, and good luck." When the successor channel Pivot folded three years later the last program on the network was five consecutive showings of the filmGood Night, and Good Luckfrom 8PM on the 30th onward until the shuttering. The film choice was likely a nod to the final words spoken on Documentary Channel.

See also

• National Film Board of Canada-some of their documentaries were featured on the US channel prior toPivot
• Documentary film
• List of documentary television channels

External links

• An Idea Whose Time Has Come- DigitalFilmmaker article on Documentary Channel's launch
• DOC Channel on Twitter