• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 8, 2010

Maybe after sitting through the glitz and glamour of Discovery Communications' upfront presentation Thursday, Wall Street types will significantly bid the company's stock price up by week's end. But despite prominent coverage early Thursday about the company's two premiere personalities -- Oprah Winfrey and Kate Gosselin -- debuting new shows, many seemed to respond with a collective indifference.

The company -- which receives rave reviews from investors, partly because it bucked the trend with ad sales growth in 2009 -- saw its share price barely move Thursday. In midday trading, it hovered right around $34, going up and down by a smidge. The current price, however, is nearly touching a 52-week high.

The Wall Street Journal ran a story today about Winfrey's plans to appear in a new show as an "Exclusive" on its front page, while USA Today scored a scoop with news about a Gosselin-fronted show on TLC. The Winfrey series, "Oprah's Next Chapter," is coming to the OWN network and will have her globe-trotting from the Great Wall to the Taj Mahal. The network, slated for a 2011 launch, will also have a reality competition series to find someone who could host a show. There will also be a behind-the-scenes look at the final season of Winfrey's syndicated show, the company announced.

America continues to go gaga for Gosselin. She will appear in the new "Twist of Kate," visiting other women and moms. TLC also averted a "Kate minus eight" scenario -- her ex-husband has tried to prevent their eight kids from doing more TV -- and will air several "Kate Plus Eight" specials.

TLC has had a solid year with prime-time ratings in the 18-to-49 demo -- up 7% this season, by one measure. Animal Planet has done better, with its numbers up 11% there. It is getting a new tagline: "Surprisingly Human."

Fresh from a Golden Globe for his role in film "The Hangover," ex-boxing great Mike Tyson will appear in a reality series on the network about his attempts at competitive pigeon racing. The network confirmed the show, which had been previously announced, at its upfront.

Also showing ratings growth is Investigation Discovery. In 62 million homes and under the leadership of industry veteran Henry Schleiff, the network will debut a new spin on CBS' "60 Minutes." A series' re-airing is accompanied by updates on stories. The channel also announced 10 other new series, including "a scalding ... tabloid-style" show from author James Ellroy.

The Discovery Channel has a bevy of new shows and specials coming in 2010-11, including "Curiosity," which will span five years with 60 episodes and premiere worldwide on Discovery Channel with companion content across Science Channel, HD Theater, Planet Green, and its international networks.

Plus, it's launching a new six-part series "Worst Case Scenario," hosted by "Man vs. Wild" personality Bear Grylls. And another season of "Deadliest Catch," which is being promoted through an ad that can be viewed in 3D at a microsite, is coming.

The third dimension is an emphasis at Discovery, which has a 3D network coming in partnership with Sony and IAMX.

Discovery increased U.S. ad dollars by 2% in 2009 to $1.08 billion. Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet make up 77% of total revenues in the U.S.