Discovery to drop WINGS channel !

[Guest Staggerwing]

Hello Joe,I hope they do find other outlets for this type programming... at least it will keep aviation on the air and ready for it's own channel or at least a time slot somewhere.I too like the kit building programs and wish there could always be new ones in the works.One thing that just might come of the new FCC rules would be a surge in kits and the companies that make them.. the Sport license is just the key for improved sales in that area. More and more kit companies would think money spent for documentary type "build" shows well worth it. And of course, they would be contacting people to get them on the air/cable.Thanks,

[Guest Staggerwing]

>Wonderful (sarcastic), let's just stop flying all together>now. It's seems like every time I turn around there's>something being taken away from us in the aviation industry. >I can see the old days of being able to go down to your local>airport are going to be long gone.Jeff,Yes, just my thoughts also..My local airport that I've spent time at since I was a kid now has a tall fence with barbed wire around it and sends the message "keep out". Glad that's not what I first saw when I rode my bike clear out there so many years ago. But, there have been other times when GA has ground to a slow crawl and managed to make a comeback. Like WWII, when you needed a reason to keep flying GA and they kept close tabs on flights, and money was short etc. I do believe that it was the general interest and enthusiasm of the people that gave it rebirth and made it grow to what we have now. And that's still an important thing to safeguard. Keep a good thought..Thanks,

[Jeff Nielsen 1,385]

We can only hope so. I think it's going to up to all of us to do our part and re-market flying again. :-)

[Guest Staggerwing]

>Maybe, just maybe, there's no market for a dedicated aviation>channel?Hi Jefferson,No doubt... for those in the position of programming, it's all about money. But they would be happy to make "X" amount of money no matter what the suject as long as it was a good bottom line. I think aviation from here on in COULD produce some big money. Not in a few multi-million dollar super deluxe aircraft owned by the rich, but with a much larger group of "Sport", flying for fun, affordable aircraft that don't just transport people & goods, but gives them the thrill and enjoyment that they have been searching for all their lives. That "thing" they have read about and seen in aviation documentaries and movies on early flight and aviators. That adventure & romance they thought was long gone and impossible to achieve any longer ! >Even if every FS buff in the US and everyone with a pilot's>license would watch every show that would not amount to all>that many viewers (especially given that Discovery is wont to>do 10+ reruns of every single show over the course of a month>or less).Well, in my mind I'm hoping for an ever increasing number :-) A dreamer perhaps, but that's always what flight was about and it's done some great things in only 100 years.The media makes money on ads.. increase the sales of kit builders and you'll have the media chasing the money, rather than a small group of flyers chasing them for attention.Lots of the old "Catch-22" stuff at the moment..>A military channel can carry all that heavy stuff about WW2,>Vietnam, as well as current military stuff that noone except>some militaristic fascist sympathisers (not my words, that's>how media types think of people with an interest in military>affairs think) want to see.>The other channels will then have more room for home and>garden shows and true historical programs about interesting>things like the porcelain collection of president>Jefferson...I hear you..Perhaps we also need to speak our mind to them about each crap show that we just hate as well.. there are plenty of them on the air now.Maybe enough "hate that show" mail and they would be looking around for the next direction to go. Maybe in OUR direction by then ??You can tell they are willing to produce programs that people will watch, people just need to be pushed away from this insane JUNK that they fill up on. They're watching "reality programming" while "reality" slips away from them... scares me to death.Keep a good thought,

[dfish 1]

I was just about to order digital tv for one reason, Discovery wings. We don't see enough war on the news. Now we need a whole chanel devoted to it. SAD.Dave Fisher

[Guest]

Over 90% of military operations is humanitarian relief and peacekeeping these days.OK, in the US maybe not at current as you're involved in the aftermaths of 2 fullscale wars but even there a lot of the work your people do is training locals, building infrastructure, etc..But yes, I somehow doubt that will make good TV. If it did you'd hear all about it on CNN and read all about it in the NYT.

[Bruce Nicholson KMFR 20]

I'm another person that paid extra to my cable provider to get Discovery Wings. For many years, they didn't carry that channel.Then when I finally got it, I honestly was a little disappointed in the programming. It's one of the few cable channels that presents the same shows over and over so that you can literally see a whole week's schedule in a couple of evenings. That's assuming you don't drift off to other channels during the 12 minutes of advertising every half hour. I know they have to overdo the ads to make up for the limited audience share.What really confuses me is why switch to a military theme? Isn't the History Channel really the Military Channel? Even people in the media call it the "######" channel because of the excess programming presenting WWII events. True, it's presented in a historical sense, but doesn't it also carry current military programs? Is there really room on cable for two military channels?I think this switch would have happened sooner if it wasn't for the centennial of flight. I'm sure Discovery thought they would get more viewers with the added publicity of aviation during the end of 2003 and into 2004. They certainly featured many historical aviation shows.I wish Wings would stick around, flaws and all. I could get my aviation viewing fix in a few evenings and have the rest of the week to play with Flight Sim. :-)Bruce

[Guest Staggerwing]

Be sure and let them know how you feel Bruce :-) Might not be able to help THIS time, but might get them looking to the future for GA progrrams.http://www.discovery.com/

[glsimpilot 2]

More Than Slightly Disappointing!As a recently minted pilot and life long aviation fan, I have been a fan of wings since I found it in the late 90's. I always searched for a way to get it from my provider and than 2 years ago I had my chance and it was ALWAYS on. Sure I also love to watch a good military documentary, but the wings channel was unique. It was one of my favorite channels. I always thought it could have been better, however now that I think about it I would be happy for it to be as it was and stick around. I emailed Discovery, but that hardly will do much I thinkglsimpilotPP-ASEL

[Guest bjjones]

This is only happening in the US.Discovery Europe has no plans to do any rebranding of Wings in the immediate future...Dear Ben,Thank you for contacting Discovery Wings.Discovery Networks Europe does not have any plans to rebrand the Discovery Wings channel in the up coming future.Kind Regards,Discovery Networks Europe Viewer Relations TeamE001334

[kerosene31 349]

I liked the channel, but there was an obvious problem of lack of programming. Not sure if it was a lack of resources, or what.

[Guest Staggerwing]

Yes indeed, I'm sure Discovery Channel needed to be approached by outside production companies with programs about GA. It's my opinion that Discovery Channel doesn't want to have to think up and produce the programs, They just want to buy the rights and air them..(and harvest the advertising that fits the programs) we need the new young bloods with money and drive mixed with the old aviation experienced blood to put together interesting programs to sell them.I understand what everyone says about repeat showings on the Wings channel, but I'm also sure they don't/didn't expect many of us to watch for so many hours straight :-) There is not doubt an average time that a viewer of any channel stays and watches in one stretch. THEN, on top of that, many of their programs were "series" that had many episodes so YES, you look at the program guide and see "A plane is born" or "Airport" or "From the ground up" over and over, but it's not the same 30 min segment but one of 12 in that series. We would also get upset if they didn't air these in the proper order also.. we have to HOPE that new viewers are tuning in all the time and just starting these great programs. Again, it's also in the best interest of GA for these type of programs to air and attract new viewers who might become the new aviation front. I know I complain many times that a program (on any channel) aired something I wanted to see but I forgot or didn't see the listing in time.. I then hope that they will be showing it again so I can catch it.. most times it's not and I have to wait months for a repeat.I'd MUCH rather see Discovery Channel fill air time on "Wings" with repeat GA shows than do as many others do and air "INFOmercials" back to back.You know... I don't think ANY of them realize just what we aviation nuts WOULD tune in to watch each week... Am I alone when I say I would watch a 60 min flight from a detailed view even without commentary etc. 60 mins of watching close-up cameras of ANY aircraft being rebuilt/restored... 60 mins of just a camera shooting in a control tower ?......They don't need to rack their brains coming up with huge presentations, just get in there and give us the nitty gritty facts , a view of a rare plane and now and then a pretty shot of something flying into the sunset/sunrise :-) Go ahead,mix in Commercial flying if you need to.. lots to see there too.Getting closer and closer to being a moot point this time around, but I hope that we all learn a lesson and try harder for the next chance.Personally, I love hearing all others voice your opinions on the subject as it says you HAVE an opinion and that means you've thought about it and might just try and promote this better next time we get a chance.I don't care HOW you do it,but promote GA anyway you can :-) I believe we all stand to win that way..Man, I gotta quit flapping my gums in the early morning hours :-lolThanks,

[Guest MidnightMike]

So many #### repeats on the channel!

[Guest Staggerwing]

>So many #### repeats on the channel!:-lol That HAS been mentioned I believe..Sorry, can't add more then what I've already typed on that subject in this thread..

[glsimpilot 2]

I got the same canned response from them. I don't know what there is to be expected from this. Whats done is done. I must go now and uninstall/reinstall msfs2004 and it seems to be acting pretty poorly. ;-(glsimpilotPP-ASEL