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DiscoveryChannel.ca Gets Even Cooler This Summer When Bite-Sized Original Series, Cooler Facts, Debuts June 18

June 06, 2008

Toronto (May 30, 2008) – Would you believe that there are more maps of the moon than there are of the ocean floor?  Or that the Tasmanian devil can eat the equivalent of half its body weight – in just 30 minutes? These quirky facts and more are the subject of Cooler Facts, an innovative series of 38 animated short films premiering on DiscoveryChannel.ca. Each two-to-five minute episode showcases a variety of incredibly cool facts about everyday and extraordinary things – from skyscrapers to space.

Cooler Facts – DiscoveryChannel.ca’s first ever original commission – premieres exclusively online on Wed., June 18 with the first handful of episodes, and new films rolling out over the following four weeks.

A kaleidoscopic, encyclopedic, fast-paced animated ride through the most unbelievable – but true – science facts known to humankind, each quirky and irreverent Cooler Facts film uses smart 2D realistic animation techniques to explain the wonderful workings of our universe. Produced for Discovery Channel by Montreal’s Cineflix, Cooler Facts will premiere on DiscoveryChannel.ca’s Flash Video Player, as well as a customized version of a new Embedded Video Player. 

An intensive online advertising campaign will kick off the Cooler Facts premiere across CTV – Canada’s online network – including CTV.ca, TSN.ca, MTV.ca, MuchMusic.com, BNN.ca, TheComedyNetwork.ca, DiscoveryChannel.ca, DiscoveryHD.ca, DiscoveryCivilization.ca, TravelandEscape.ca and AnimalPlanet.ca websites. General Motors of Canada has signed on to sponsor the online premiere of Cooler Facts with a debut of their own, the new Pontiac G8.

Want more Cooler Facts?  In an innovative multiplatform execution, watch for Cooler Facts to join Discovery HD’s summer lineup, beginning Fri., July 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.  In its High Definition broadcast incarnation, a handful of thematically-linked short films are packaged into a slick half-hour format. This new six-episode series is Discovery HD’s first move into high-resolution animated content for the channel.

The first Cooler Facts films to be released on DiscoveryChannel.ca on June 18 include:

Cooler Facts: “Space Junk”
With extreme temperatures, solar flares and radiation, outer space is a hostile environment. It’s also a dangerous junkyard! In this episode, discover how debris from space missions has formed an orbiting garbage dump around Earth. Follow space junk as it hurtles along at over 35,000 kilometers per hour… And duck as 5,400 metric tons of it fall to Earth. Can’t picture it? That’s about the size of 450 city buses.

Cooler Facts: “Animals That Bite”
Just about every animal has teeth – but some bites are scarier than others!  In this episode, meet the ferocious Tasmanian devil who can eat nearly half its body weight in under 30 minutes; see how a Great White shark can gobble up nearly 15 kilos of flesh in a single chomp; and meet a king cobra whose venomous bite can kill an elephant – or 20 people.

Cooler Facts: “Bottom of the Sea”
Would you believe there are more maps of the moon than there are of the sea floor?  In fact, the pitch-black depths of the ocean remain one of the greatest mysteries on Earth.  In this episode, meet a 400-year-old giant clam; dive to the deepest point in the Pacific; and discover how the pressure of the ocean can raise the boiling point of water to above 380°C.

Cooler Facts: “Frozen”
You might not like the cold winter months… But did you know that severe cold is one of nature’s greatest gifts?  In this episode, meet a 2000-year-old Siberian ice maiden; stop in at Russia’s Vostock Station in Antarctica, home of the coldest recorded temperatures on Earth; and meet the 140 people who are cryogenically frozen in the U.S. – and waiting for the big thaw!

Discovery Channel:
Bold and leading edge, while informing and entertaining, Discovery Channel is Canada's leading source for factual programming, as it puts a new spin on exploring adventure, science and technology. This award-winning channel covers the scientific beat, from animals to the animalistic side of humanity, from the sea to space, and the latest in innovation. TV Trends and Quality (TVQ) Survey consistently ranks Discovery Channel Canada first among all English-language Canadian specialty networks for overall quality of programming. Discovery Channel is one of the first Canadian specialty channels to offer programs in HDTV and its production house, Exploration Production Inc. (EPI), continues to be internationally recognized as a producer of cutting-edge programming with distribution to more than 150 countries. The channel's Web site may be found at DiscoveryChannel.ca.

Discovery HD:
Taking Discovery Channel programming to a bigger and bolder platform, Discovery HD is Canada’s first 24-hour specialty service broadcasting exclusively in High Definition. With a fascinating perspective on science and technology, adventure, engineering and natural history, Discovery HD is at the forefront of innovative factual storytelling, fusing critically acclaimed programming from Canada and around the world with the latest in High Definition technology. Discovery HD is wholly owned by Discovery Channel Canada, a joint venture between CTV Specialty Television Inc. and Discovery Communications.

CTV – Canada’s Online Network
Canadian consumers have made CTVglobemedia their online network destination of choice for news, sports and entertainment.  With an average of 7.7 million unique visitors and 332 million page views each month, CTVglobemedia is serving Canadians with dynamic, interactive content, and reaching Canadians where they are with what they want.  Featuring the best delivery infrastructure in the country, CTVglobemedia’s multimedia platforms include video online, websites, user generated content sites, mobile content and video on demand.  Parent portals www.ctv.ca and www.globeandmail.com are the gateways to Canada’s online network.