On October 7, 1996, Discovery Family launched  as Discovery Kids Channel with headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, and with a 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) picture format.
The network was first launched on October 7, 1996 as Discovery Kids Channel, a spin-off of Discovery Channel that featured science, nature and adventure-themed programs aimed towards children aged 6 to 11. Silver Spring, Maryland, United States 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) 
