From American food and mysteries to explorations of our diverse landscape, Destination America will have something for everyone with the best of travel, adventure, food, home, and natural history on one channel (formerly the home of Planet Green). You can start off by celebrating the holiday with a delicious bite of Americana with BBQ Pitmasters (at 8pm ET/PT) and can look forward to the premieres of:

• Fast Food Mania (June 3 at 10pm ET/PT): Host Jon Hein (of The Fast Food Show on Howard Stern’s Sirius/XM station) travels across the country (and around the globe) to celebrate our fast food guilty pleasures.
• Super-Duper Thrill Rides (June 16 at 10pm ET/PT): If you’re a roller coaster aficionado like me, strap in for a look at the most extreme attractions from Cedar Point in Ohio to Universal Studios in Florida.
• United States of Food (July 8 at 9pm ET/PT): Chef Todd Fisher explores America’s obsession with meat, from bacon to steaks. Carnivores, you have been put on notice.

Of course, there’s more to come later this summer, like Cheating Las Vegas and Ghost Town Gold, so make sure to like Destination America on Facebook and follow @DestAmerica on Twitter for updates…and keep an eye out for the new Destination America iPhone App that will allow you to share your view of what makes this country so great!

Goodwyn

If you ask the average student in Austria or the Czech Republic what the words “United States of America” conjure up for them, it is likely that they will still use the following words: innovation, opportunity, progress, pioneering…which is why I was shocked to read a recent article that indicated that in the most recent Office for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) education rankings, the United States fell below both Austria and the Czech Republic (and 28 other countries) in math secondary assessment tests. The most frightening part of this statistic is that it doesn’t start and stop in the hallways of America’s schools – it has implications that extend well beyond education into national security, economic growth and the stability of our nation.

Why? Because an uneducated nation is a nation without jobs. A nation without jobs is a nation without economic growth. A nation without economic growth is a nation with ballooning debt. A nation with ballooning debt puts the U.S. into the same precarious position as those faced by Greece and Italy today.

Some additional facts that bolster the case for immediate action:

• On Security: More than half of Americans between the ages of 17 to 24 aren’t qualified to join the military because they either drop out of high school or graduate with inadequate math, science and English skills to qualify for military service.
• On U.S. Economic Growth: Countries with higher math and science skills have grown faster than those with lower-skilled populations. If we don’t reverse our performance on math and science education, we will soon find ourselves relegated to becoming a low-growth nation.
• On College Preparedness: Today, only 30% of Americans have four-year college degrees, and U.S. Department of Education data since the year 2000 shows that 65% of those who start community colleges haven’t earned a degree or other credential after six years.

In a panel that I participated in for the Republican Governors’ Association last week, the topic of discussion was “Enhancing Workforce Development.” In conversations with Governor Haley of South Carolina, Governor LePage of Maine, Governor Jindal of Louisiana, and leaders from several private-sector companies who care deeply about preparing our future workforce to assume positions of global leadership, the single greatest factor in developing a nation with the skills for tomorrow was clear: educate them in their K-12 years.

Republican Governors' Associaton Panel (Goodwyn at Left)

We know that a complete overhaul of the American educational system is easier said than done, but a formula for success does exist. It is a formula that doesn’t rely on technology as the silver bullet of transformational change, but recognizes that technology must be implemented by inspirational professional educators who are skilled at engaging students with inspirational content. It is a formula that has driven Santa Rosa, Florida to be ranked #2 out of 67 districts in Florida in performance on statewide assessment tests in spite of the fact that their funding level is #66 out of 67 schools. It is a formula that has transformed teaching and learning in Mooresville, North Carolina and made their district a model of achievement. It is a formula that has yielded significant achievement gains in Miami-Dade, Florida. It is a formula that increased Science achievement in Charlotte Mecklenburg by 26 points over a short two years.

The only way that our nation can address science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related deficiencies in our classrooms is by empowering teachers with the support that they need to excite, engage, and instruct students in ways that help STEM education to come alive. Digital content and digital technology are critical tools to put into the hands of the teachers, but unless they know how to incorporate these tools into enhanced instruction, learning will remain static, uninspired and, ultimately, unlearned.

All of these facts in aggregate mean that ultimately, education is not the only national institution dependent upon teachers. The security, stability, and growth of our nation also rest upon our willingness to invest in educators and the support that they need to be successful. When viewed through this lens, it makes the path forward so much more clear.

For more information about Discovery Education, please visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

River Monsters

You can check out the full Monster Week schedule on AnimalPlanet.com and preview Mermaids, which examines evidence of the mythic animal’s existence, below. So join host Jeremy Wade and a cast of monsters for eight nights of mysterious creatures…from the safety of your couch.

Carroll Shelby

Shelby, who started out as a chicken farmer, didn’t enter his first drag race until he was 30, but he enjoyed success from the moment he first heard “start your engines”. He won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in Europe in 1959, and soon entered races driving Fords.  Ford took notice and they hired him to help lead their GT40 campaign in 1965. Shelby later famously developed the Shelby-American Mustang, designed to compete against the Corvette in Road Racing, but it wasn’t until 1968 that the model was officially called the Cobra. The Cobra is arguably the Shelby’s most notable achievement in the auto industry (among a quite extensive, impressive laundry list).

After he passed away, his company’s website had these words: “The race is run, the flag unfurled, the champion now will rest.God speed, Carroll Shelby, we will never forget you.”

 Carroll Shelby: King of the Road premieres tonight on Velocity at 8pm ET/PT.

Following Obese and Expecting ( at 10pm ET/PT), the documentary Birth Moms takes us through the emotional rollercoaster that awaits expectant moms who are planning to give their children up for adoption at the end of nine months. A raw look at the realities of unplanned pregnancy, Birth Moms profiles Kandice, a-23 year-old mom of two who is considering adoption. Check out a sneak peek:

Come on, don’t be shy. We even enlisted some good-natured Discovery staffers to pucker up and show us their best fish faces for inspiration — every day is an adventure when you work at Discovery Communications!

All Gills

Disinterested Fish Face

With the premiere of HBO’s Weight of the Nation last night, there has been a surge in news coverage and discussion about our country’s obesity epidemic but, as Petfinder has shared, the problem extends to our pets:

• According to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, more than 54% of dogs and cats are overweight in the U.S.
• In an independent Petfinder.com survey conducted in February 2012, it was revealed that 29% of people who are overweight also have  overweight pets.

For this reason, Petfinder has launched Fit FurKeeps, tackling the issue of pet health and its impact on pet surrenders to shelters and rescues (trailing family moves, behavioral issues and pet expenses).  The program runs through the summer and is all about educating and motivating pet parents to get healthy with their companions. You can visit Petfinder.com to:

• Check out pudgy dogs and cats in need of homes (and exercise partners)
• Learn from expert tips and videos about pet diets and exercise
• Participate in a Facebook Q&A session with Dr. Ernie Ward about how to exercise and lose weight safely with your pet on Wednesday, May 16 from 12-2pm ET

So put down the remote and and get active with your pets. And, whatever you do, don’t let them become couch potatoes (see below).

Couch Potato Beatrice (Editor's Note: Bea is an active dog that just chooses to strike funny poses.)

Outlaw Empire's Kurt Sutter

Movies and television have long been fascinated with outlaws — from the fictional characters of Kurt Sutter‘s Sons of Anarchy to historical and modern-day misfits. However, tonight at 10pm ET/PT, Discovery Channel will premiere an all-new series that looks at American outlaw dynasties with the help of Sutter.

There will an episode on outlaw bikers, naturally, but Kurt Sutter’s Outlaw Empires also brings viewers inside accounts of the Crips, the Irish mob, Nuestra Familia, the Italian mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood, and their role in America’s history. As Executive Producer Sutter explains, “This isn’t about making a judgment call on who’s good or bad. As a storyteller, I’m drawn to these personal, intimate accounts of why these men made the choices they made, and what it’s like to be a member of an outlaw organization.

Watch a preview of the series below and see the full schedule online (tonight’s episode examines the Crips).

Baby Solomon Brown

Sister Wives is one of those shows I just can’t miss, and I was thrilled to be able to work on the show in my previous role on the TLC Social Media team. To me, it truly represents what TLC is all about: life worth watching.

When we last left the Brown household, the family was adjusting to life in Las Vegas, as well as welcoming this little bundle of joy, Robyn and Kody’s first baby together.

On Sunday, we catch up with the family during their first Christmas in Vegas, and the weight of living in four separate homes continues to be a burden on the family. Meri and Robyn also have to address a big question hanging in the air: after the troubles Meri has had conceiving a child, will Robyn become a surrogate for Meri?

Sister Wives premieres on TLC this Sunday at 9pm ET/PT. Check out a sneak peek below and have a happy Mother’s Day!

Discovery Education Science Techbook

The team’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, as the K-8 Science Techbook has recently been honored with two awards — a CODiE Award and a Silver Edison Award. The CODiE Awards, presented by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), recognize excellence in business software, digital content and education technology industries, and the Techbook won in the Best Science/Health Instructional Solution category this week. Last month, the Discovery Education K-8 Science Techbook also was recognized with a Silver Edison Award in the Curriculum/Educational Programs category. The Edison Awards honor the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, and the Award is a testament to the innovative approach Discovery Education is taking to digital learning.

Congratulations to our Education colleagues and we can’t wait to share news of more game-changing tools and resources!

Oprah's Thank You Game Heat Map

Have you told someone ‘thank you’ today? Oprah and OWN want to help you show your gratitude with her new Thank You Game, encouraging her fans to use Facebook to thank someone in their life. Oprah is hoping to spread gratitude to half a billion people worldwide through the Thank You Game and it seems like its already caught on, with over 7.4M people reached so far.

There’s even a heat map that shows where the most thank yous have been handed out! Find out more about the game below and join Oprah in spreading the love:

Read more about today’s announcement!

The Cast of Animal Planet's 'Dog Park'

As an aspiring dog owner at a company filled with many pet parents, I often ask my “I’d-love-to-get-a-dog-but-what-about-this?” questions to my pup owning co-workers. Growing up in Upstate New York (think farms, not fashion) I have had no previous experience at the dog park, but I had many questions about them (How do the people all know each other? When do you know if the dogs are play fighting vs. real fighting?) Not only were they able to impart their pet-owner wisdom, but listening to their stories made me quickly realize there are rules, practices, community…essentially, a dog park code.

Animal Planet was familiar with the code and, when they launched their web-only series Dog Park in October 2011, fans flocked to the five outspoken characters (and their pooches) who gathered at Washington Square dog park in New York City. After bumping into one another countless times, the five dog lovers decided to form a group to improve the functioning of the community-run park. Animal Planet‘s team captured the ins and outs of the dog park community, complete with park bench confessionals.

We were thrilled to learn today that the series has won the People’s Voice Webby Award in the Online Video – Reality category. While winning any award is always a great nod to the hard work of our teams, winning a People’s Voice award always adds an extra layer of excitement. Congratulations to the entire Animal Planet team! You made the dog park look so fun, I may just have to get a dog after all.

With 60 million “likes” across our Facebook pages, we’d like to think that we’re doing something right. But that’s just the start. Our primary focus is not on that number but rather on YOU: our audience. Our Social Media team spends day and night engaging with fans and getting to know what types of content they like most…and this varies by page, Twitter account, etc.

Check out tonight’s Facebook Economy piece below, featuring our VP of Social Media, Gayle Weiswasser and a sneak peek at an upcoming What Not to Wear episode that engaged Facebook fans in the production and makeover.

This Sunday, at 10pm ET/PT, viewers will get an unprecedented look at American gypsy life — from their homes to their elaborate weddings — in My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. You can learn more about their culture at TLC.com and check out the sneak peek below of Sunday’s premiere!

Whale Wars: Viking Shores

Whaling is a deep-rooted tradition for the Faroese people, who are descendants of Vikings. Though “The Grind” is technically legal, Watson says “Justice takes precedence over the law. No law that [the Faroese] can pass is going to justify what they’re doing to those whales. We have to constantly remind the Faroese that the outside world is watching them.”

For the first time in Whale Wars history, the Sea Shepherd team is taking to the streets, employing  undercover observation tactics to learn more about “The Grind.” But, with over 20 killing beaches spread across 18 islands, the team is up against the entire community on their quest to end it.

After the show, Animal Planet, will stream a live discussion between Paul Watson and Faroese native Heri Joensen, powered by Watchitoo. Whale Wars: Viking Shore  premieres Friday, April 27, at 9pm ET/PT.

Tonight’s premiere (10pm ET/PT) is no exception, with a star-spangled T-Bucket roadster, 80s robot and iron maiden (historical torture device, not the 80s rock band) all going on the auction block.

But before Auction Kings, catch up with the Wyatt family as American Guns at 9pm ET/PT. Owners of one of the premiere gun outlets in the country, Gunsmoke, the Wyatts make, buy, sell and trade some of the most specialized guns in the country. On tonight’s premiere, Gunsmoke is commissioned to create a historical, and somewhat enormous, punt gun (preview below).

Andres Gomez

After a great semester, last week we bid farewell to our spring interns at Discovery Communications (as we get ready for a wonderful new group to join us in June). In our final Meet the Interns profile, we’ll introduce you to Andres Gomez, a second-year Master of Arts candidate at Hofstra University. He is currently studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has been enjoying his time this semester with the Human Resources Learning & Development team. (We’d also like to give a big thanks to Mark DiGiammarino, our intern, who has taken the lead on our Meet the Interns series. Congrats on your graduation and best of luck!)

Why did you apply to intern with Discovery?
I applied to intern with Discovery because I was interested in gaining some valuable experience in the field of Human Resources. I also wanted to get a feel for working for a large and very successful organization. After all, Discovery is the #1 nonfiction media company in the world — it would have been foolish of me not to jump on the opportunity!

How did your friends and family react when you told them you were selected to intern with Discovery?
My family was very excited that such a great opportunity had come my way.  Although some of my friends and colleagues couldn’t help but be a little jealous, they were happy and excited for me.

Tell us about one of the projects you are currently working on.
I am working on several projects, but one of the most exciting is a new training course designed to help managers develop the needed skills to have effective career development conversations with their direct reports. In the process of doing so, I interviewed members from the Total Compensation team and reviewed existing courses within Discovery’s Global Banding Program. This project helped me to develop my interpersonal skills by allowing me to work directly with HR professionals. I also drafted content for a training program that will actually be used here at Discovery!

What has been your favorite aspect of your internship with Discovery so far?
I like the culture of Discovery Communications here in New York. The people are very friendly and welcoming, and it’s clear that it is an environment that fosters individual growth and employee satisfaction.

What is one goal you sought to accomplish during your time at Discovery?
I set out to accomplish a task that would offer a meaningful contribution to the Learning & Development team in the small amount of time I would be interning with them and, in the end, I created a system to track employee completion of the Professional Growth Program curriculum. This not only helps the Learning & Development team, but will allow employees in the PGP to track their professional development and course completions.  I am very proud of this project because I had a large amount of autonomy and was able to complete the project from start to finish.

For more information about internships and careers and Discovery Communications, make sure to visit careers.discovery.com!

By Joe Piccirillo, Vice President of Ad Sales Research

Daytime viewing had been a staple of broadcast network television since the 1950s, as soap operas littered the schedule; however, daytime soaps have declined in number. Just two years ago, broadcasters aired seven soaps and, by the end of the 2011-12 season, only four will be left. It would have been three, but General Hospital just received a last minute reprieve from ABC. Over the past decade, as the popularity of soap operas faded, broadcasters have either given up the time slots to local television affiliates or have tried to replace them with reality, cooking or talk shows. ABC has been the most bullish, launching two new shows this season (The Chew and The Revolution), but it was recently announced that The Revolution has been cancelled and will air its last episode in July. ABC’s The View, which premiered in 1997, is the last successful original daytime series launched by a broadcaster that remains on air. NBC smartly expanded its popular, long-running morning news magazine, The Today Show, into daytime (M-F, 9-11am) to compensate for falling ratings. ABC, CBS and NBC are collectively down 10% in Women 18-49 this season versus last.

Syndicated talk and game shows, and off-net sitcoms and dramas have been pervasive for decades in local television. Oprah Winfrey’s exit from daytime television in September 2011 opened opportunities for existing talk shows like Ellen and newcomer Anderson, with CNN newsman Anderson Cooper. This has also spurred Hollywood studios to produce new talk shows for the fall of 2012 – by last count, five new entries, including Katie with TV news veteran, Katie Couric.

Ad-supported cable, with a mix of off-net programming, movies and prime/late original program repeats, is down 6% in Women 18-49 this season compared to last season. The only group of cable networks that is experiencing collective growth in the 2011-12 season to date are the networks with distribution under 65 million homes (+28%, spanning 21 networks). However, this group represents only 5% of the total ad-supported cable pie. There are a few fully distributed ad-supported cable networks that are enjoying growth this season with Women 18-49. FX (+20% with off-network sitcoms and movies); Lifetime (+14% with off-network dramas, sitcoms and reality); Investigation Discovery (+66% with original prime encores and news magazines); and TLC (+7% with original prime encores) are among the most successful.

According to Nielsen, live daytime television usage is experiencing a decline in the 2011-12 season – down 3% among Women 18-49 from last season and down 6% from two seasons ago. A contributing factor to the decline in usage is the increase of DVR playback of recorded programs from another time period, in most instances Primetime. DVR playback occurring during daytime has grown 6% in Women 18-49 from last season and 17% from two seasons ago. The number of DVR households has grown 23% from two years ago and are now in 42% of U.S. TV households.

Another likely reason for the decline in live daytime viewing is the increase in video game console usage. While only accounting for 3% of overall usage, video game console usage is up 49% from two seasons ago. Although Nielsen is unable to confirm it, the belief is that women are using the consoles to access online content from many different services. For example, Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE offers access to online content from Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and they will soon be adding HBO GO, Xfinity and MLB.TV. The additions bring the total number of music, television and movie services available on Xbox LIVE to 36. Of the 66 million Xbox 360s that have been sold worldwide, more than 20 million people are paying subscribers of Xbox LIVE and can access the console’s myriad of entertainment services.

Confirmation of this behavior comes from a recent analysis of USA Touchpoints data from Media Behavior Institute, which found that 22% of women 18-49 watched video via DVR, DVD, VOD or streaming video, and 24% used their TV for something other than live viewing (51% watched live TV). The study also found that 18% used social networking sites during the daytime hours.

With overall viewing down, advertisers will most likely be faced with a smaller supply of female impressions in daytime for the remainder of the 2011-12 season and quite possibly for the 2012-13 season, as well. With broadcast networks’ current daytime fare in a state of flux and as they relinquish real estate, there are opportunities for strong female-skewing networks like Investigation Discovery, Lifetime and TLC to work with their advertising partners to create innovative ideas to effectively reach daytime viewers.

This Sunday, Discovery Channel in the U.S. will be marking Earth Day with a special presentation of Frozen Planet — beginning with a marathon of the David Attenborough-narated series at 2pm ET/PT and concluding with the finale, On Thin Ice, at 8pm ET/PT. To learn more about the state of our polar regions, don’t forget to check out our Frozen Planet infographics and videos from the series on Discovery.com.

Additionally, our Discovery Education team has been busy with several Earth Day-related projects, reaching out to the younger generation to educate and engage them:

• Teaming up with LeapFrog, Discovery Education has brought Earth Day to life on the LeapPad tablet and Leapster with four new video apps — Holiday Facts and Fun: Earth Day, Taking Care of Our Earth, Animals in Action and Stuff Happens with Bill Nye!—now available in the LeapFrog App Center!
• On Wednesday, Discovery Education also launched a new program with The Nature Conservancy, Nature Works Everywhere.  The partnership features a new online destination, www.natureworkseverywhere.org, that provides middle school teachers, students and families with free tools and resources to explore and understand nature — including lessons plans, games and much more.
• The Siemens STEM Academy hosted an Earth Day webinar recently, featuring Dan Rees (Producer & Director, Frozen Planet), Bob Bindschadler (former Chief Scientist at NASA’s Laboratory for Hydropheric and Biospheric Sciences) and Ron Naveen (Founder of Oceanites, Inc.). You can watch an archived version of the webinar on the STEM Academy website.

Finally, if you’re looking to learn more about our planet and its plight, don’t forget to check out Discovery News’ Earth Day Wide Angle and great coverage from our TreeHugger.com team, including Earth Day wishes from several contributors to the site.

Happy Earth Day! We hope you celebrate it with friends, family and nature.

Paula Zahn of Investigation Discovery's 'On the Case with Paula Zahn'

On Wednesday, April 18, Vice President Joe Biden will host an event in support of the White House’s initiative to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As a part of tomorrow’s event, Investigation Discovery’s Paula Zahn will moderate a panel discussion with community leaders and advocates about the importance of VAWA and the issues that our country continues to face in combating domestic violence. The White House will broadcast the event live online at 11am ET on Wednesday, extending the reach and impact.

In addition, Discovery Education is working with White House and U.S. Department of Justice advisors to broadcast a live webinar to students across the country about preventing teen dating violence. The webinar, a part of the Discovery Education LIVE digital series that brings current events to the classroom, will take place at 1pm ET on Wednesday. Lynn Rosenthal (White House Advisor on Violence Against Women), Kathleen Gless (Victim Justice Program Specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice), and Latinisha Lewis (Grant Program Specialist in the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women) will address high school students across the country to discuss warning signs and the ways they can protect themselves against teen dating violence. All are invited to register for the webinar, and an archived version will be made available following the live broadcast at DiscoveryEducation.com.

Please join us in spreading the word and addressing this important issue!

• Animal Planet’s Dog Park (Online Film & Video – Reality)
• TreeHugger.com (Web – Green)

Also, a big congrats to our 2012 Honorees:

• TLC’s Parentables (Web – Family/Parenting)
• Discovery Channel’s Gold Rush: The Aftershow (Online Film & Video – Reality)
• Animal Planet’s Dog Breed Selector (Web – Web Services)

The winners of this year’s Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards will be announced on May 21 at a ceremony in New York City. Best of luck to all the nominees!

Tania Head, Ken Smith and Linda Gormley pose in front of the 11 Tears Memorial

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we heard many stories about heroic acts in the face of such horror: firefighters and police officers who selflessly helped others, putting their own safety in jeopardy; communities pulling together to provide support; and volunteers helping their neighbors search for their loved ones.

Tania Head was one of those heroes. A survivor of the Twin Tower attacks, Tania told a brave and courageous story about escaping from the 78th floor of the south tower that day — the only survivor of her Merrill Lynch team. Her message of hope and inspiration propelled her to become a leader among a new community of survivors, eventually becoming the President of the World Trade Center Survivors Network.

It wasn’t until six years after that tragic day that the truth about Tania’s story was revealed. As The New York Times fact checked a story about the heroic tale of Tania Head, they discovered something extremely alarming: Tania’s story wasn’t true.

Today, Investigation Discovery takes us inside this shocking story with The Woman Who Wasn’t There, directed by Angelo Guglielmo Jr., who was introduced to Tania through volunteer work at Ground Zero. Guglielmo, who calls the story a “psychological odyssey,” interviews friends and supporters of Tania who were shocked to learn that her story was fabricated. Once the truth of Tania’s story began to come out, her friends had one looming question: who is Tania Head?

The Woman Who Wasn’t There premieres on Investigation Discovery tonight at 8pm ET/PT. You can chat live with director Angelo Guglielmo Jr. tonight at 8pm ET and check out @DiscoveryID today for a Twitter contest to win a copy of the book The Woman Who Wasn’t There.

Check out a sneak peek below and don’t miss the premiere of Tanked tomorrow at 9pm ET/PT on Animal Planet!

Why did you apply to intern with Discovery?
Interning at Discovery has been a goal of mine ever since my sophomore year at AU. I had only heard great things about the program and was an avid follower of the Discovery networks. It seemed like a great program and an excellent way to gain the experience and industry knowledge that would help me excel in the future.

How did your friends and family react when you told them you were selected to intern with Discovery?
They thought I was the coolest person ever! They were very impressed and interested in learning about how I got the internship and what I would be doing. Of course many of them asked for Discovery swag!

What has been your favorite aspect of your internship with Discovery so far?
One of my favorite parts about interning at Discovery has been how friendly and nice people are here. They are always willing to help and are always encouraging you to do the best you can and to continuously challenge yourself.

What is one goal you hope to accomplish during your time at Discovery?
I hope to build and keep relationships with the members of the team I have worked with. They have all been extremely helpful and open to any questions I might have had.

If you could guest star on any Discovery Communications network show, what would it be and why?
It would probably be Extreme Couponing. It always amazes me how they are able to keep track of all those coupons and I would love to see how they do it! Paying close to nothing for groceries is always a perk.

Monte Durham, of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, hosted the day, giving the girls styling and beauty tips. Conference rooms were transformed into hair and makeup stations, alteration areas,  jewelry and shoe shopping tables, and last but not least, a red-carpet catwalk. The girls were each walked through the stations with a Discovery employee volunteer as their personal shopper, helping them select their prom dress and accessories.

The day culminated with a red-carpet walk once the prom looks were complete, as the employees gathered to watch Monte give each girl her corsage.

We caught up with Monte yesterday and he gave us the inside scoop on the day:

TOMS philosophy is “one for one” — when you purchase a pair of their shoes, they give a pair to a child in need. TOMS has given more than 1,000,000 shoes to children around the world.

To join with TOMS’ effort, Discovery employees from offices in São Paulo to Silver Spring participated in One Day Without Shoes today. Despite the chilly springtime weather here on the East Coast, our shoeless employees gathered in the Sensory Garden for a breakfast this morning to kick off the day.

You can check out some more photos of our Discovery Communications family around the world participating in One Day Without Shoes on our Flickr account.

Discovery Channel Employees Go One Day Without Shoes

With their fishing quota slashed by almost half and some of the harshest conditions they have ever faced, the crews worry about their strategies on the sea and how they’ll make ends meet back on land. The bonds of family and friendship are tested this season as newcomers and old faces find themselves in new roles, as Jake Harris joins the crew of the Northwestern, with Josh working as a Time Bandit deckhand.

A new season of Deadliest Catch premieres tonight at 9pm ET/PT on Discovery. Check in on GetGlue to earn the exclusive Deadliest Catch premiere sticker.

For Anthony, Frankie, Giovanni, Peter and Chip, living at home with their mothers means clean clothes, delicious meals and a bathroom stocked with their favorite hair gel. Commonplace on famed Arthur Avenue in the Bronx (“the real Little Italy”, according to the guys), these 30-somethings are living at home with their moms until they get married. But, as Chip notes, “I’ve got my mother to take care of me… why am I gonna get married?”

Don’t miss the premiere of Mama’s Boys of the Bronx tonight at 10pm ET/PT on TLC.

Once a Mama’s Boy, always a Mama’s Boy! Peter shows us how he’s changed (or not?) since he was younger.

I’ve been fortunate to attend several Upfront presentations and what always sticks with me is the feeling of family — from the team that works so hard behind the scenes to put on a great show to the talent across our nets that reunite or meet for the first time (where else can you find James Woods and Buddy Valastro both whipping out their iPhones to get a picture together?). I’m certainly proud to be a part of the Discovery family.

Rachel Teutul Joins Husband & American Chopper Star Paul Teutul Jr. and Deadliest Catch's Captain Keith Colburn Backstage Before the Show

Discovery Founder John Hendricks and President & CEO David Zaslav Pose with 'Craft Wars' Producer & Host Tori Spelling

John & Maureen Hendricks Join James Woods, Science GM Debbie Myers and John Noble (Woods & Noble Both Have Series with the Network)

TLC's Randy Fenoli Jumps for Joy with Investigation Discovery Star & Soap Legend Susan Lucci

John & Maureen Hendricks Join James Woods, Science GM Debbie Myers and John Noble (Woods & Noble Both Have Series with the Network)

Is That Bigfoot in the Mist? No, It's Animal Planet's Shorty Rossi and Sidekick Hercules

Brett Raymer & Wade King of Animal Planet's 'Tanked' Trade Fish for Cuddly Puppies

Monte Durham & Lori Allen of 'Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta' with Randy Fenoli of the Original New York Version of the Series

TLC Will Be Bringing 'Irish Dancing Tweens' (wt) to Viewers Soon

Velocity Chief Bob Scanlon Is Joined by Actor, Producer & Racer Patrick Dempsey and Discovery Communications Founder & Chairman John Hendricks in the Winners Circle

Animal Planet's Bigfoot 'Catches' Captain Keith Colburn Off Guard

The Allen Room Provides a Great View of Columbus Circle and Our Stars & Guests

Our Big, Beautiful Discovery Family

Make sure to follow @DiscoveryComm for updates from backstage at today’s presentation, and visit Discovery Blog tomorrow for a recap through pictures.

Discovery Channel

• Discovery Unveils 2012-13 Upfront Slate; Landmark History Events, Epic Natural History Specials, Bold New Series and Returning Favorites
  

TLC

• TLC Opens Doors to a Compelling Slate of Programming for the 2012-13 Upfront

Animal Planet

• Animal Planet Gets Ahead of the Pack with Its 2012-13 Upfront Entertainment Slate

Investigation Discovery

• Investigation Discovery, America’s Fastest-Growing Network, Announces Largest Original Programming Slate in Network History for 2012-13 Upfront Season

OWN

• OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Announces New Original Programming and Additional Episodes of Two Popular Series for Its Primetime Lineup

Science

• Science ‘Questions Everything’ with Its Slate of Provocative Entertainment for the 2012–13 Upfront

Discovery Fit & Health

• Discovery Fit & Health Announces Slate for 2012-13 Upfront

Velocity

• Velocity Goes Full Throttle with Its All-New Slate of Programming for the Upfront 2012–13 Season

Military Channel

• Military Channel’s Upfront Programming Slate Expands the Brand to Include the Events and People That Shaped History

Destination America

• Planet Green Becomes ‘Destination America,’ the First and Only Network to Celebrate the Stories of America’s Past, Present and Future

On the one-hour premiere of Chasing Classic Cars, viewers can look forward to feasting their eyes on a beautifully restored 949 Chevrolet Convertible 350 CI and a 1931 Cadillac Model 370 V12 (among others) up at auction in Hershey, PA. In the sneak peek below, Wayne is given an inside look at the collection of famed hot-rod designer Boyd Coddington.

Discovery also raised awareness around our Silver Spring world headquarters by turning our building blue (joining the ranks of the Empire State Building and other iconic locations). We invite you to learn more about autism at AutismSpeaks.org and spread the word online by following @AutismSpeaks and liking them on Facebook.

Discovery Communications' Headquarters Turns Blue for World Autism Awareness Day

Sunday’s premiere of River Monsters at 9pm ET/PT on Animal Planet does not disappoint the side of me that enjoys watching Wade’s adventures from the safety of my couch. Jeremy casts for bull sharks in Florida and then heads to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri in search of alarmingly enormous catfish. For the first time, Jeremy will go “noodling,” a term for catching catfish with your bare hands (see Hillbilly Handfishin’).

And, if you ever wished you could pick the brain of Jeremy Wade, he’s chatting live with fans on Sunday night before the premiere of River Monsters. Visit animalplanet.com/monsterchat at 8pm ET to ask him about his life as an extreme angler (more from Jeremy below). Fish on!

Goodwyn

On February 1, 2012, Digital Learning Day, Secretary Duncan and Chairman Genachowski challenged the country to complete the conversion from print textbooks to interactive digital learning within five years.

Yesterday, Secretary Duncan and Chairman Genachowski took the courageous next step of assembling the CEOs from the top 15 educational technology companies in the United States to talk about how to make that challenge a reality in classrooms across America.

At Discovery Education, we talk to many districts across the country every week – urban and suburban, small and large, those with traditional classrooms and those with digital classrooms – and through those conversations, we consistently hear that a few formidable barriers still exist for districts looking to deploy digital learning tools successfully.

While the education community is intimately familiar with these barriers, it’s important for the non-educational community to understand the obstacles so that every man, woman and child in our country can advocate for the changes that our schools need in order to propel this digital learning initiative forward.

Also, while there are certainly many complex and nuanced issues related to creating transformation in schools, the core truths can be boiled down in terms that are as simplistic as “four things my grandmother would have said.”

1. “Just because you give a dog a hammer, it doesn’t make him a carpenter.” Translation: Interactive tools without thoughtful integration into classrooms rarely lead to improved instruction…or elevated achievement.

2. “If you can’t afford a Hyundai, you definitely can’t afford a Cadillac.” Translation: Schools were suffering economic challenges when buying hard textbooks, and to raise the price point for digital textbooks will just throw our public educational system into further economic malaise.

3. “You can’t give a man shoelaces if he only owns slip-on shoes.” Translation: If we are committed to getting digital learning into the hands of students and teachers, we need to ensure that we are providing them with tools that work on the devices that they have access to.

4. “20th century laws can’t work for 21st century people.” Translation: While instructional materials funding was critical for providing equitable access to textbooks when it was instituted, the current wording and rules around these funds are preventing dollars from being used to provide students with equitable access to 21st century content. More flexibility is needed in funding policies in order for our students to benefit from content that provides up-to-date knowledge and information.

I applaud Secretary Duncan and Chairman Genachowski for being committed to moving these issues forward, and marshaling both public and private support to set into motion the critical elements that schools need in order to create successful, engaging, 21st century learning environments to prepare our children for the workforce of the future.

My Mom is Obsessed premieres on Discovery Fit & Health on Thursday at 10pm ET/PT.

Zaslav

On April 3, the UJA-Federation of New York will host its Leadership Awards Dinner and honor our President & CEO David Zaslav with the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award, which honors people of vision, energy and sustained achievement in the entertainment, media and communications industries.

UJA-Federation has been driving communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community for more than 90 years. Through their working with more than 100 network beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, their reach spans from New York to Israel to more than 60 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people annually.

Find out more about UJA-Federation by watching their PSA below, and make sure to follow @DiscoveryComm, @UJAfedNY and #ujaLAD on Twitter next week for updates from the star-studded celebration (which will include legendary broadcaster Tom Brokaw, Elie Wiesel, Oprah Winfrey and members of Discovery’s on-air family).

Discovery Education Middle School Social Studies Techbooks

The shared goal of Discovery Education, school districts and teachers? To inspire students’ curiosity, promote critical thinking and positively impact student achievement through digital resources — from interactive explorations and compelling video, images and text. Launching in classrooms for the 2012-13 chool year, the new Techbooks will be updated in real-time, providing a living, engaging and interactive tool for students and teachers. Understanding that not all school districts have the funds to provide every student with their own device, the Discovery Education Science and Social Studies Techbooks are cloud-based and platform agnostic to work with whatever hardware a district has, spanning tablet and computer types, and they offer a substantially less expensive option per student than traditional textbooks.

Are you a teacher using digital textbooks? A parent whose kids are experiencing this classroom revolution first hand? Let Discovery Education know at GoBeyondTheTextbook.com!

Such is the life of Theresa Caputo, Long Island mom and psychic medium. Back for a second season of Long Island Medium on TLC, Theresa is still hard at work communicating with her clients’ loved ones, but many of her readings are unplanned, as spirits visit her at the market, nail salon and anywhere in between.

And, last year, we saw Niecy Nash (of Reno 911! and Dancing with the Stars fame) tie the knot with husband Jay in Niecy Nash’s Wedding Bash…but what came after “I do” comes to TLC this Sunday at 10pm ET/PT on the premiere of Leave It to Niecy, following Long Island Medium. Niecy and her family give us a real look at making their blended family work — whether or not the family is cooperative is another story (as demonstrated in the preview below)…

Why did you apply to intern with Discovery? 
I applied to intern at Discovery Communications because I have loved their networks’ shows for as long as can remember. Since entering school, I have seen how Discovery has made it part of their mission to educate the world, and that is something I really want to be a part of.

How did your friends and family react when you told them you were selected to intern with Discovery?
My family was thrilled. They all knew that I have wanted to work here for as long as I can remember and were very supportive. They also knew that I interned and worked very hard at other places in order to get the opportunity to intern here, and I am exactly where I want to be right now.

Tell us about one of the projects you are currently working on.
The largest project I am working on is an industry landscape study, where I am basically creating a guide detailing how our digital distribution partners (such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon) are displaying our content, which can also be a tool to teach others about the services.

What has been your favorite aspect of your internship with Discovery so far?
I really admire how people are so open here to talk about what they do. You can really tell that people are doing what they want to do, and that really creates an upbeat and motivating atmosphere. Everything I come across is top notch in terms of quality, and this gives me a high bar to meet when I do my work. It makes me and everyone else that much better.

What is one goal you hope to accomplish during your time at Discovery?
My goal is to just create as many meaningful relationships as I can here at Discovery, along with trying to absorb as much of the different aspects of the company as possible. I have been lucky enough to have been sent to different departments to observe how many of the pieces within the company work together, which has taught me a lot in a short period of time.

If you could guest star on any Discovery show, what would it be and why?
Sons of Guns is easily my favorite show on Discovery right now, with MythBusters and Man vs. Wild coming in a close second and third. I am very good with my hands, and have been building all kinds of things since I was a kid. I also respect and love firearms, and have been around them for nearly my entire life. I could just see working in a gun shop as a great experience, and I think I would really get along with Will and the rest of the team at Red Jacket. They help their community by doing what they love.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your internship experience?
I just want to say that I am very thankful for this opportunity and that Discovery really has taught me a lot in my short time here. It has really been a breath of fresh air to see how a company such as this works from the inside, and this has only further motivated me to try to become a part of something as special as Discovery.

Television has always had the power to bring people together, to fuel curiosity, and to get people talking. From the 50s, when families and friends gathered around the TV set, to our video landscape today, where screens outnumber viewers – television programming continues to generate buzz. Now, in addition to “aftershows” on air and online, there is an explosion of social conversation surrounding television and, even with a dedicated social media team and tools (as we have at Discovery), the opportunities are mixed with challenges.

I’ve spoken to a few social media thought leaders about TV and social media influence and wanted to add their thoughts on this much buzzed about topic.

NM Incite is frequently asked about influencers, according to Laura Bernstein, Vice President of Client Services, and they have found that there is much variation in who can be an influencer. While the volume of activity of an individual has been used as a proxy for influence, there is also much power to be harnessed from the average social media user. NM Incite approaches measuring the impact of influencers by looking at a combination of metrics – including reaction from other posters, topics discussed, advocacy/recommendations, promoters/detractors, number of followers and online footprint – that align best with a company, or industry, measures of success. Laura agrees that, across the industry, more work is required to define social influence and reach a consensus around a common set of metrics. That said, there is no denying that influence based on social dialogue will continue to grow in importance in the years ahead.

Pam Pearce, our Senior Director Research, shares her thoughts in this post. Discovery’s Ad Sales team is looking forward to continuing to work with clients to better understand how the trust, curiosity and engagement that surrounds our brands in real life and online can extend to theirs and go beyond the “like.”

-Beth Rockwood, Senior Vice President, Market Resources

Redefining Influencers
Quality, not just quantity, of social dialogue is important to maximize influence

It wasn’t long ago when the predominant thinking about how mass communications worked – the way it was able to influence consumers and change opinions – was fairly linear. Many thought it was a simple process where ideas were pushed to audiences who essentially “soaked up information.” Theories evolved and notions of the power of “word of mouth” and “buzz” emerged, acknowledging the role of individuals and conversations in everyday life and their power to stimulate brand attitudes and preferences. Yet, even though there was a recognition of role of “influence” and those who influence, it was still conceived as a fairly linear, albeit, multi-step process, moving from a few high-status, highly connected individuals to a circle of followers and distributors.

Then came social media. In today’s world of highly interconnected social beings, who share their whereabouts, thoughts and ideas in real time, influence has become much more fluid. Moving back and forth from peer to peer, friends to family, across platforms, both online and off, the democratization of influence has made it more difficult to define, track and quantify.

Social media now is a major lever that many communicators and marketers are still scrambling to understand how to use most effectively.

• There are over 340 million Tweets shared each day.
• Facebook had 845 million monthly active users at the end of December 2011.
• A recent study from Knowledge Networks, as referenced by MediaPost, revealed that 44% of social media users increased their interest in a new show as a result of “positive comments” from reviewers.
• After having researched a brand online, 31% of U.S. Internet users have been prompted to make a purchase.

Given these stats, it is not surprising that brands are looking for new ways to understand influence, and how brand decisions are impacted by interactions in the social sphere. Companies like Klout have made their way into the media lexicon, incorporating a range of metrics from number of mention and likes to shares and check-ins, in an effort to identify those most likely to shape and shift the opinion of others.  While there is certainly value in understanding the volume of social media activity, it not sufficient to only know the quantity of social commentary, as it must be judged with the quality of the conversation and engagements that drive influence.

While 59% of Facebook users have “liked” a brand, casual associations typically fall short when it comes to inspiring high value activity. Results of a Gallup poll on social media suggest that for companies to truly benefit from social media efforts, they must first foster customer engagement – a deep rational and emotional attachment – with their brand. This is precisely why our #1 goal with social media is building community among and with fans. The social activity of highly engaged consumers is more likely to rise above the noise and get noticed, as their passion for the brand serves to authenticate and amplify their voice.

At the same time with more access to information than ever before, an increasing number of consumers are adding social media to their pre-purchase product research. 63% of social media users say that consumer ratings are their preferred source for product and service information.

These personal, actionable experiences with brands have emerged as a highly valued, trusted resources, often surpassing company-driven efforts.

Brands should look to social media not only to extend reach, but also as a platform to enhance engagement among current fans. Targeted efforts to stimulate dialogue around key brand attributes can have dramatic effects; however, to truly leverage this, a brand needs to stand for something and then continue to reinforce these characteristics by connecting with the stream of conversations that are most closely aligned with the brand. By creating an environment that encourages not just comments, but also conversations, brands can ignite power of influence of their most passionate consumers.

The Discovery Difference

Ranking #2 in Facebook “likes” in the U.S. cable universe (with more than 55 million), it’s hard not to get caught up in that number, but it is our continued focus on the audience and building relationships with them year-round that has allowed Discovery to move beyond casual fans to activate a groundswell of brand ambassadors on social media.

Fueled by the desire to discover, influencers enjoy the journey. The pursuit of knowledge through experience, seeking out information and new ideas, serves as a way for influencers to stay connected to the world around them. Discovery inspires (110 index), encouraging its viewers to try new things (111 index), and giving them something to talk about with friends and family (123 index). (Source: Simmons MME Spring 2011 A18+). Their curiosity keeps them connected. A curiosity we seek to ignite daily.

I love Bill Klein and Jen Arnold. They are funny & smart and have such a genuine affection for each other that really comes across in The Little Couple. Plus, they have two adorable dogs, Rocky and Maggie, whom they adoringly refer to as their “fur babies.” What’s not to love? This made watching their struggles to start a family, including last season’s finale in which Bill and Jen learn that their surrogate has miscarried, all the more difficult.

On tonight’s season premiere, we catch up with Bill and Jen as they move past the pain of their surrogate’s miscarriage and look ahead to their future. Join Bill as he chats live with fans today on TLC.com at 12pm ET. Bill and Jen will also be on Anderson today, discussing the premiere and their big move to a new city (tune in tonight to find out where they landed).

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come this season, and don’t miss  The Little Couple tonight at 10pm ET/PT on TLC.

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of new MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit brings together one of my favorite shows, MythBusters, with an experience that allows guests to interact and experiment with myths from the show.

It was great to spend time with all of the people who’ve literally spent years of hard work to make this vision come to life: our Discovery Commerce team, the folks at Exhibits Development Group, Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates, our MythBusters hosts and producers and, of course, the Museum of Science and Industry. I had a blast (pun intended) at the exhibit and definitely recommend it to children, adults and MythBusters fans everywhere. The exhibit will remain at MSI through September 3, 2012 and will then continue to tour 15 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The next stop: The Tech Museum in San Jose, California.

To learn more about the exhibit, check out some of the photos from last week’s launch:

Discovery's Chief Digital Officer, JB Perrette, Introduces the 'MythBusters' at a Special Premiere Party on Wednesday Night

Adam, Jamie, Grant, Kari and Tory at the Exhibit Opening

Grant Imahara Prepares to Test Dodging a Bullet

Adam and Jamie with the Two Lucky Winners of a Contest to Attend the Opening of the Exhibit

Kari Byron Adds Her Score to the 'Cliffhanger' Portion of the Exhibit

The MythBusters Sign Autographs for Fans at MSI

The MythBusters Also Participated in a Special Discovery Education LIVE! Event with Chicago Public Schools Designed to Get Kids Excited about STEM Education & Careers

And, while I may be considered a biased voice, the critics can’t stop raving. Here are just a few of their thoughts:

• “Perhaps the single greatest accomplishment in nature TV history. **** (4 stars)”  – Linda Stasi, New York Post, March 16, 2012
• “It’s mesmerizing.” **** (4 stars)  – People, March 26, 2012
• “10 out of 10” – “Frozen Planet chills and thrills with images that leave the armchair traveler speechless… dazzling … astonishing…”  – Matt Roush, TV Guide, March 12, 2012
• “…one of those instantly riveting series where you marvel at the beauty and majesty of it all but also spare more than a passing thought for the effort involved.”  – Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, March 8, 2012
• “Stunning, beautiful, hypnotic, engrossing, spectacular… That oughta do it … except “Frozen Planet” unexpectedly adds another word: Unprecedented.”  – Verne Gay, Newsday, March 14, 2012
• “So vivid it will leave you shivering. (Must List #5)  – Entertainment Weekly, March 23, 2012

If that’s not enough, you may find this VIP screening our friends at SeaWorld pulled together for our Penguin Cam penguins the most compelling evidence:

Don’t miss Frozen Planet this Sunday at 7:57pm ET/PT (yes, we’re starting a bit early) on Discovery Channel (with simulcasts on several of our sister nets), and don’t forget to:

• Check in on GetGlue to earn your stickers and help support our nonprofit partners at The Nature Conservancy, NRDC and Sierra Club ($1 goes to them for each sticker unlocked).
• Join fellow fans on the Frozen Planet Facebook page.
• Follow @Discovery for live #FrozenPlanet Tweets!

Why did you apply to intern with Discovery? 
I applied to intern at Discovery for several reasons. Most importantly, since it is my goal to work in media and entertainment, Discovery seemed to be an appropriate place to apply. Additionally, the high quality of work produced and the integrity of the company further influenced my decision to apply.

How did your friends and family react when you told them you were selected to intern with Discovery?
My friends and family were very excited and proud of me when they learned of my opportunity.

Tell us about one of the projects you are currently working on.
Since I am not assigned to one specific task, I am able to explore and learn about many of the aspects of the behind-the-scenes operations of Discovery.

What has been your favorite aspect of your internship with Discovery so far?
My favorite aspect is the people I work with and their willingness to answer questions and teach me new things to make this a valuable learning experience.

What is one goal you hope to accomplish during your time at Discovery?
By interning at Discovery I hope to gain a better understanding of the possible opportunities in television production.

If you could guest star on any Discovery Communications network show, what would it be and why?
If I could guest star on any show it would be Bering Sea Gold, because after watching it I had a desire to try dredging for gold; I have a very strong sense of adventure!

In a preview below, Patricia Houston (also her manager) discusses Whitney and Bobby Brown’s relationship and whether he as at fault for her struggle with drugs and more. Tune in Sunday at 9pm ET/PT to OWN for the full interview.

On Sunday, March 11, at 3:30pm, Josh & Chuck will return to the Driskill Hotel to record the latest installment of their SYSK podcast. If you’re at SXSW Interactive, mark your calendar to join us on one of the rare occasions that they’re joined by a live audience. The following day, March 12, join Science and Josh & Chuck, as well as The Daily Show‘s John Hodgman, Eugene Mirman, Lucy Wainwright Roche and others, for the Stuff You Should Know Variety Show at Fado’s beginning at 5pm (including a sneak peek at their pilot for Science). There will be free drinks for the first 100 and lots of “stuff” you don’t want to miss.

Not at SXSW? Make sure to keep up with Josh & Chuck on Facebook and by following @SYSKPodcast on Twitter.

If you’re riding the Metro on Friday afternoon (March 9), keep your eyes open for one of the tuxedoed stars of Frozen Planet. Feel free to challenge him to a dance off, waddle together or share a hug. You can also enter our Frozen Planet Penguin Spotting Contest by:

1. 1. Following @Discovery on Twitter AND
2. 2. Tweeting about your Penguin sighting using the #FrozenPlanet AND #PenguinSpotting hashtags

We’ll pick one person (at random) to win a special Frozen Planet Prize Pack, including a Discovery-branded Bloggie® HD camera!

And, if you’re around Downtown Silver Spring on Saturday, March 10, our penguin will be at the Farmers Market from 11am-2pm giving out vouchers for free FroZenYo and Frozen Planet hats to keep you warm before spring officially hits. If that’s not enough penguin for you, make sure to check out Penguin Cam and tune into Frozen Planet when it premieres on Discovery Channel on Sunday, March 18 at 8pm ET/PT!