One Man's Discovery

In 1985, Matewan native John Hendricks launched Discovery Channel. And the rest—is history.

Written by Nikki Bowman

Photography provided by Discovery Communications

“When we launched Discovery Channel in 1985 with 156,000 subscribers in the U.S., I never could have envisioned that we would become the leading provider of nonfiction entertainment to more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers around the globe,” says John Hendricks, founder and chairman of Discovery Communications.

The next time you turn on the television and find yourself watching Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” TLC’s “What Not to Wear,” or Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars,” ponder this: the successful cable empire that includes these brands was founded by a West Virginian — John Hendricks.

Born in Matewan in 1952, Hendricks has fond memories of his West Virginia childhood. “West Virginia was a great place to be a kid and form values,” he says. “Even though my family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, when I was six years old, I came back to Matewan during the summers. My father really missed West Virginia.”

One of Hendricks’ earliest memories is of the Tug River flooding. Hendricks recalls, “As a kid, we ran around and played on the banks of the Tug River. When it flooded, we had to leave our house. My older brother was involved in rescue efforts. I remember that it was a very traumatic experience.”          

Hendricks’ father was a builder, and in that business you go where the work is. So when Hendricks was six years old, his father moved the family to Huntsville, Alabama, where NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was fueling a local housing boom. “My older sister had moved to Huntsville and she encouraged us to move there,” Hendricks explains. But he returned to West Virginia frequently. “During the summers of high school I would go back to West Virginia and help my father dig footers for his construction projects. That was really hard work. But I learned a lot from that hard work.”

Hendricks’ Appalachian roots helped shape his character, drive, and ambition. “West Virginians are pretty independent. We make our own way,” he says. “My father and my mother were like that. I learned from them to never give up.”

Those traits have served him well. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in history and then moved to Washington, D.C. In 1975, he accepted a job as the director of corporate and foundation relations at the University of Maryland, making a salary of $13,000. But he knew that he wanted to be in business for himself, so by the late 1970s he started his own consulting business called the American Association of University Consultants that advised colleges and universities on fundraising matters. During that time, he was investigating opportunities for public and cable television distribution of Professor Ed Bauman’s documentary called “The Children of Abraham.” As he researched the market, he realized that there was untapped potential for nonfiction programming on cable, which was still in its infancy. The seed for what would become known as The Discovery Channel was planted.

Hendricks recalls, “When I talked it over with my wife, Maureen, she responded, ‘If this is such a great idea then why isn’t someone like Ted Turner doing it?” Ted Turner probably wishes he had, because today Discovery Communications is the world’s number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion subscribers in more than 170 countries.

But in 1982 Hendricks wasn’t thinking that far in the future. He was busy talking with cable operators and potential investors, presenting his programming concept and business plan. “In the early years, I learned the value of persistence,” he says. “And I learned the importance of research and of having a good business plan. I knew that my idea would make television better—that broadcast media was programming to the lowest common denominator and that there was a great opportunity for smart nonfiction television.”

He was steadfast in his resolve. He needed $25 million to fund Discovery. “By today’s standards, $25 million is a paltry amount. It cost us $300 million to launch Animal Planet in 1996,” he says. “But at the time, that seemed like all the money in the world.”

Hendricks leased a Westinghouse satellite and ingeniously acquired the rights to use existing BBC documentary footage. Meanwhile, he took out a second mortgage on his home. On June 17, 1985, after three years of procuring enough funds and building a bare bones staff, Discovery launched. He recalls, “I remember when we first went on the air. We all clapped. It was thrilling. We had all done so much work to make it happen.”

But it wasn’t easy. “All entrepreneurs share one thing,” says Hendricks. “And that is an obsession. But you have to harness it properly. And when you do, it helps you overcome failure.” It was Hendricks’ obsession to provide unparalleled documentary-style programming that got him through the tough times when he was faced with the prospect of bankruptcy. “My wife calls it Black Tuesday,” he explains. “We had an important round of fundraising that collapsed. It was the only time we were close to bankruptcy.” But Hendricks dug in his heels and persevered. “The number one reason new businesses fail is lack of capital. You may have the best idea, but if you don’t have the money then it is a struggle.”

Today, with a loyal audience, innovative original programming, and a vault brimming with timeless non-fiction content and footage that is not confined to one geographic market, Discovery is positioned well for the future. With its eyes on the digital age, the company intends to stay ahead of the curve. In fact, it led the charge for high definition content and was the first global broadcaster to launch a 24/7 high definition network. “There is still a huge future in multi-channel cable programming,” Hendricks asserts. “At the same time, more and more people are going to the Internet. So we started looking at sites that coincide with our mission, and we recently acquired ‘How Stuff Works’ (www.howstuffworks.com). That site has become an important part of our digital future.”

Later this year, in a multi-platform joint venture with Oprah Winfrey, Discovery will launch the Oprah Winfrey Network—OWN. Hendricks credits Discovery’s President and CEO David Zaslav for this fortuitous relationship. “David Zaslav is constantly coming up with great ideas. He realized that Oprah was all about empowering people to live their best lives, and that was a good fit for us.” When Discovery approached Oprah, she was extremely receptive to the idea. Hendricks recalls, “I once visited Oprah at her California home, and she showed me her journal from 10 to 15 years ago in which she had written that she wanted to eventually have a cable channel. She had even penned its name—OWN. So this is another exciting chapter in her life. I think it is destined to be a success.”

Hendricks says that he didn’t set out to become a media mogul or create an international broadcast dynasty. He didn’t have a journal where he penned his 15-year plan. He says, “I was focused on survival—not on going global.” But “going global” was a natural outcome. With content that transcends international boundaries, Discovery Communications now has 114 worldwide networks and 35 languages of customized programming. Its reach is unparalleled.

Sometimes Discovery’s success catches Hendricks by surprise. “I was in the Middle East and saw a family in Jordan who had a generator and a satellite and they were sitting around watching Discovery,” he recalls. “And Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor once told me that she was in Mongolia and visited a family in a yurt (a portable cloth covered structure used by nomads), and they were watching Discovery. Times like that make me think, ‘Wow! We are really making an impact!’”

Given the current difficult economic climate, Hendricks is not concerned about Discovery’s future because the company has many different sources of revenue, including a video-based broadband educational content service for teachers. “We have 4000 employees world wide, and over the last two years we’ve leaned-up, and now we are very efficient. We are not dependent on the U.S. advertising market. We can weather this current storm,” he says.

In September 2008, Discovery went from a privately held company to a public one. “I’m more excited than ever about the company,” Hendricks says. “We have a very robust global business. And this year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our international launch. Our content travels around the world, because it isn’t country- or culture-specific.”

Hendricks credits the company’s success to its simple and fundamental mission. He says, “We satisfy curiosity—and that taps into what makes us human.” But others also credit the solid foundation that Hendricks poured in 1985. Michelle Russo, Discovery’s senior vice president of Global Corporate Communications, says, “Mr. Hendricks is a wonderful leader. He has created a large global media company, but we have corporate culture that still feels like the homegrown Maryland company that he created so long ago. We are approaching our 25th anniversary, and we are fortunate to still have Mr. Hendricks involved in the company’s direction. His passion is contagious.”

Hendricks’ enthusiasm and passion extend beyond Discovery. He is involved in many charitable organizations that support science, youth recreation, and higher education. The Hendricks family has given millions in support of the Lowell Observatory, which is building a $37 million Discovery Channel telescope that will advance astronomy research.

Hendricks also has been a fervent supporter of women’s professional sports. He was a founding member of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001, and he has been called the “Daddy Warbucks” of women’s soccer. He became fascinated with the sport when his daughter played soccer in a youth league. “My wife and I really saw the need for a league that lifted women up as role models.” The lack of corporate sponsorship eventually led to the demise of the WUSA, but the league has now been restructured as Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) and will host its first season this spring. “We have a new and improved business structure,” says Hendricks, who along with Maureen, own the Washington Freedom Franchise. “We have implemented cost-containment measures, and I believe that this time it will thrive.”

WPS President and General Manager Joseph Quinn says, “John is committed to women’s soccer. Even when no professional league was operating, John continued to support the Washington Freedom franchise as it created a youth development and amateur component. He is a true visionary, and I think we’re all lucky he has applied that vision—and that commitment—to supporting women’s soccer.”

Hendricks is not one to rest on his laurels. One of Hendricks’ most unique “personal passion projects”—as they are called by those in his inner circle—is his creation of Gateway Canyons Resort (www.gatewaycanyons.com). Gateway, Colorado is a small, remote community nestled in between towering red canyon walls. “When John first visited Gateway, he fell in love with the majesty, history, and people of the area,” explains Nancy Stover, who has worked with Hendricks since the start-up days of Discovery in 1987. “But it was a dying mining town. He wanted to give the local economy a boost and help replace jobs that were lost during the mining collapse. So he built a small resort, a general store, a restaurant, a motor inn, and the most incredible automobile museum—all in adobe-style architecture.”

The resulting adventure resort is an affordable way to experience the majestic scenic wonders of the Wild West. “It is such a wonderful story. He has completely rejuvenated one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places in the West,” says Stover. “Gateway Canyons Resort is so much more than a business—it is a personal passion project.”

Hendrick’s Colorado Gateway Auto Museum houses one of the country’s finest collections of American cars. It takes visitors on an educational journey through the history, science, design, and social impact of the automobile. His passion for automobiles began as a young child in West Virginia. He recalls, “When I was five years old in 1957, I had already become captivated by a world full of automobiles. I knew all the names and model years of the cars we passed on the highways, and my father would delight in showing off my knowledge to his friends. To a child growing up in the mountains of West Virginia, cars represented adventure and exploration.”

While some may think that this remote western corner of Colorado is an odd place to put an award-winning automobile museum, Hendricks would disagree. “This is a place where remote journeys into the unspoiled American West by car, by foot, by horseback, and by raft are still possible. This is where the planet opens up in awe-inspiring canyons that reveal the ancient story of the earth’s formation,” he says. “This is the country where the car commercials are filmed, the place where SUVs are perched atop towering buttes and rock monuments. It is the place that symbolizes the American spirit of adventure and exploration.”

Hendricks is steadfast in working with The Nature Conservancy and the Mesa Land Trust to conserve thousands of acres of pristine wilderness surrounding Gateway. And in 2010, he will unveil the crowning jewel of Gateway Canyons Resort—Experius Academy. “We are building an event center and a state-of-the-art lecture hall,” explains Stover, who now serves as president and CEO of Experius. “We are creating a whole different way to vacation for people who don’t want just another trip to the beach. Experius Academy is for people who are lifelong learners like John who want to come away feeling enriched—and better. With Experius, you will learn by experiencing.”

Weeklong programs for adults with daily key lectures on a current breakthrough-in-science topic will be combined with enrichment and active learning activities. “And then, of course, you’ll also have all the resort amenities of horseback riding, the spa, hiking, swimming, and incredible scenic walks and drives,” Stover points out. “But one of the great things about Experius is that once you leave the resort, you will continue to be a part of this wonderful learning community through Experius’ educational social network and the Internet.”

By all accounts, Hendricks’ joy of learning and enthusiasm for sharing it—whether vicariously through Discovery’s television programming, physically on the soccer field, or experientially through Experius Academy at Gateway Canyons—is real and noble. “John is a sweet, genuinely kind man, who is deeply thoughtful and humble,” Stover says. “He is proud of his roots and upbringing.”

With Discovery’s future promising and a slew of “personal passion projects” in the pipeline, the young 57-year-old Hendricks isn’t making plans to retire. He laughs, “I won’t ever retire! This is too much fun!”

“There’s something about the mountains that has stayed with me. Sometimes when I need to get out of Maryland, I find myself driving to Harpers Ferry.”

Hendricks has been honored with a Primetime Emmy Award and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences highest honor, the Governors Award, for conceiving the TLC series Great Books. Hendricks was the first corporate leader to receive the National Education Association’s Friend of Education award for “innovations in education and technology and greatly expanding educational opportunity for America’s schoolchildren.”

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