Reston, Va. - Following the launch of its North American satellite earlier this month, ICO Global Communications said that it has signed a deal with Discovery Communications, which will provide content for the alpha trials of the company's new mobile interactive media service, known as ICO mim. Under the deal, similar to one the company signed with NBC Universal, ICO may select up to three Discovery channels for its live mobile television trials this summer.

Silver Spring, Md. - Building off last year's launch of its direct-to-consumer mobile website, Discovery Communications (NASD: DISCA) said that it has launched new portals for the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Health and Planet Green. Users can access the portals, built by New York-based Crisp Wireless, through their mobile phones at each network's individual Web address, as well as through DiscoveryMobile.com.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV has announced plans to launch a range of new HD channels in the fall, and reconfirmed its plans to have up to 100 national HD channels by year's end. The company plans to launch six new HD channels from Discovery Communications, five from Starz, and other new offerings from The History Channel and A&E. DirecTV also plans to offer local HD channels in 75 U.S. markets by the end of 2007.

Santa Clara, Calif. - The Travel Channel, a cable network operated by Discovery Communications, said on Thursday that it has partnered with travel search company SideStep as part of the redesign of its TravelChannel.com website. Visitors to the site can now research and book air, hotel and car rentals by using a new feature powered by SideStep. This new booking engine searches more than 600 airlines, 150,000 hotels and 30,000 car rental locations worldwide.

Silver Spring, Md. - Discovery Communications, the media company behind such cable TV channels as The Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said that it will buy out Cox Communications' 25% stake in the company for $1.27 billion in cash.

[Notes from the 2006 Digital Media Conference]

DNI programs content for 704 million subscribers outside of the U.S. and it operates the largest international footprint in the industry.  (i.e., consists of 17 brands, multiple continents, 100 unique feeds, 35 languages, 1000 employees in 24 offices throughout the world.)