via press release:
History ™ Celebrates its Best Year of All Time!!
Top Ten in A25-54 for the first time in network history
Record numbers in all key demos
Among all ad-supported cable networks.
New York, December 29, 2009 – History™ is making history setting new records in 2009, notching its best-ever annual finish with records in all target metrics, the third consecutive year of growth in all key demos in primetime (Total Viewers, A18-49, A25-54, M18-49 and M25-54). And, for the first time in the history of the network, in the key target demo of A25-54, History finished the year as a Top Ten network coming in at # 9 (vs. #11 in 2008) among all ad supported networks.
History hit a record number of 1.19 million total viewers, and once again, History is a Top Five network (#5) among Men 25-54.
This success is fueled by the network’s slate of hit series – including Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, Ax Men, Life After People–and event specials such as WWII in HD, Manson, Woodstock: Now & Then and Stealing Lincoln’s Body.
“Being a top ten network is a huge accomplishment and we couldn’t be prouder,” said Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager, History. “Groundbreaking programming that resonates with our passionate fan base brought us to these incredible heights. We aim to keep the momentum going in the coming year. Our mission is to constantly challenge ourselves to seek out unique ways to tell stories that will captivate our loyal viewers and attract new audiences from around the dial.”
HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™ are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as Ax Men, Battle 360, How The Earth Was Made, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars and The Universe, as well as acclaimed specials including 102 Minutes That Changed America, 1968 with Tom Brokaw, King, Life After People, Nostradamus: 2012, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed and WWII in HD. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, seven Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY web site, located at www.history.com, is the definitive historical online source that delivers entertaining and informative content featuring broadband video, interactive timelines, maps, games, podcasts and more.
Hurray for History! I love it when channels like this show growth. They had some really cool stuff this year especially WWII in HD and Life After People. All right, so Pawn Stars isn’t exactly ‘high brow’ but it is kind of fun and if it keeps people coming back for shows like How the Earth was Made then I’m all for it. At least it isn’t wrestling (Syfy, I’m looking at you). LOL
Hehe Love this channel!
So, History can be trademarked, but not Sci-Fi?
I’m not surprised that the History Channel’s numbers are up, since they stopped producing really good history programming (e.g. “The Crusades: Crescent or Cross” and “TR: An American Lion”) in favor of giving a permanent exposure podium to gang killers, Reality TV jackasses, Yeti flacks, every UFO quack and conspiracy hack on the planet, and foul-mouthed, beer-gutted Rednecks of every stripe and color. Take all of these jerks, together with the History Channel producers and programmers, and their combined knowledge of real history wouldn’t fill a DixieCup. But then, they’re all products of American public schools, so I guess you can’t expect too much. History Channel may have scored big viewership increases, reflecting the continued dumbing-down of Americans, but one thing is also certain: not a single second of any of this crap will ever be submitted to the Cable-in-the-Classroom program. Want proof: that time slot on HC (6 to 7 a.m.) is now filled with potato-peeler salesmen.
I agree with Mr.DeMeo. The programimg morons wouldn’t know history if it slapped them in the face.Something has definetly changed,and for the worse,I was a loyal viewer but no more.As a matter of fact I don’t even call it History anymore I call it The Gloom and Doom channel.I am very disappointed that it lost it’s high standards,just like the rest of this country!!!!
The recent History offering “Apocalypse Island” is probably the worst thing I have ever seen on cable television. Your programmers and executives should hang their heads in shame for promulgating such awful crap.
Yeah the programming does get worse. The most recent addition is Madhouse a program about Stockcar Racing at a local short truck. Talk about the channel going to rednecks. This is like the day wrestling came to Sci-Fi es Sy-Fy. Mrs. Dubuc needs to stop bragging about how she changed the channel from a history channel into an everything else channel
I completely agree with Larry De Meo !!! The channel that still has the gall to call itself HISTORY is a wasteland, and Ms Dubuc is the worst thing that could have happened to the channel.
I “WAS” a long time faithful viewer of the old THE HISTORY CHANNEL, my tuner was glued to that channel- now I watch maybe 6 times a year, on that rare occassion when they throw out a “Real History” program bone, to us viewers who tune to a channel called HISTORY to watch “History” programming. I wish I could have the channel removed from my service.
Notice how all the SERIES are cheaply produced Reality, non-”History”
telling, time fill garbage- and the SPECIAL EVENTS are “History” ?
“Groundbreaking programming that resonates with our passionate fan base brought us to these incredible heights. We aim to keep the momentum going in the coming year. Our mission is to constantly challenge ourselves to seek out unique ways to tell stories that will captivate our loyal viewers and attract new audiences from around the dial.”
I love this garbage !!!! True they do have a “passionate fan base” built on those with a Regional, Occupational, or Personal interest in whatever “dangerous” job is being showcased, and no interest in “History”….. and how about seeking out unique ways to tell “HISTORY” and attract an audience of viewers interested in “HISTORY”, like you were created to do ??????
Ms Dubuc your channel STINKS !!!!!!!!!!!