Discovery Networks' exec talks about adding Discovery Science, Travel & Living and Investigation Discovery on TopTV.

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''I would like everyone to get the opportunity to watch Discovery's channels,'' says Paul Welling the vice president head of channels, emerging markets for Discovery Networks' Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region about why Discovery Networks decided to pursue adding Discovery channels on On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV bouquet.

Since May when TopTV launched in South Africa with Discovery Networks' three brand-new Discovery channels - Discovery Science (TopTV 302), Travel & Living (TopTV 453) and Investigation Discovery (TopTV 303) - all three have immediately (and since consistently over the past three months) - ranked as the most favourite channels available on the new pay TV platform. Especially Travel & Living.

I asked Paul Welling why Discovery Networks aggressively pursued three new Discovery channels for TopTV at once. ''Good question. I think when a new platform like TopTV launches they need a variety of channels available. Its definitely what MultiChoice did with DStv where Discovery Networks now operte four channels. Coming from the UK where we have 650 channels, there's very few broadcast networks now who just have one brand exclusively. For us it made sense to launch a network of brands – some that appeal to men, some that appeal to women.''

I wanted to know how Discovery Networks settled on specifically Discovery Science, Travel & Living and Investigation Discovery (ID). ''It was organic. The stable of channels we operate across EMEA – in fact you have most of them here now on the two platforms: the premium ones are on MultiChoice's DStv, the smaller ones are on ODM's TopTV – enhance our offering. The two key differentials are Discovery Science and Travel & Living which are new brands we have in other regions, that haven't been exposed here before.''

''As the Discovery models has grown and has become more successful, Discovery as an idea has grown,'' says Paul Welling. ''Discovery started out as science channel. Science is still a part of Discovery Channel and always will be but for people who really, really love science there is an opportunity to spin off a genre channel like Discovery Science. The three new channels are all genre channels, spun-off from the original and geared towards viewers who have a particular interest in a particular subject matter.''

''The channels do different jobs and that's wht they get evaluated on,'' says Paul Welling when I ask what Discovery Networks' performance goals are for the three new TopTV additions. ''Talking broadly, Discovery is a big idea. Everything revolves around the concept of curiosity. That's at the core of all the various brands we have. I would like everyone to get the opportunity to watch Discovery's channels – whether the bigger premium channels carried on DStv or the smaller channels carried on TopTV. There's now an opportunity for everyone to see them at different price levels.''