• by David Goetzl , April 6, 2007

The Travel Channel may be switching corporate parents, but its ad sales family will remain the same. In a complex transaction, the network is shifting from the Discovery Communications aegis to Cox, but the Discovery sales team is expected to continue to represent the channel.

"The ownership of the Travel Channel may be changing, but for our clients and business partners, it's business as usual," said Pat Younge, president of Discovery Travel Media, at a Discovery upfront event Thursday.

There has been some speculation that Cox might look to sell the network, but in the meantime sales will function much as they do with BBC America, where Discovery handles distribution and sales.

Word that the network would continue to be sold along with the 13 other U.S. networks in the Discovery portfolio in the coming upfront came with several other announcements during the event, the first held with Discovery's new CEO David Zaslav.

Discovery's domestic ad sales chief Joe Abruzzese, who praised ex-NBC Universal executive Zaslav for his "energy and insight," said the company will look to bolster its broadband presence by streaming ad-supported, full-length episodes on Discovery.com starting a week before their premieres on linear networks. Tabbed Discovery iPremieres, it will offer two online sneak peeks a week selected from new and returning shows across the Discovery portfolio, and will launch sometime between July and September with TLC's "American Chopper" and Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" among the offerings.

The company is also searching for several charter advertisers for its coming Discovery PlanetGreen network, which looks to assume the 50-million home distribution of Discovery Home Channel when it launches next year and focuses on the "green lifestyle" genre. With companies increasingly touting that they're "going green," the network could be primed to offer them a platform to advertise their transformation.

One incentive: the launch sponsors will be able to tag along on Discovery-funded journeys--likely with their current and prospective clients alongside--to destinations such as the Amazon and Arctic led by noted explorer and Discovery personality Josh Bernstein.

Separately--and somewhat poignantly--Animal Planet will launch programming with the wife, Terri, and daughter, Bindi, of deceased Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. In one 2008 series, Terri Irwin "continues Steve's legacy in spreading the love of all animals," Animal Planet said, while "Bindi The Jungle Girl" comes to Discovery Kids.

Both appeared on stage ebulliently at the upfront event, Terri with animal in tow.