John Hendricks, the man who founded the Discovery Channel, talked about the network’s newest documentary series Tuesday in Hendricks Chapel, and explained how Syracuse University will be a part of the film series.

‘Curiosity: The Questions of Our Life’ will ask SU professors to answer seemingly simple questions. The network will broadcast 60 one-hour episodes, starting January 2011.

‘Each episode will be devoted to one of the enduring questions of our modern times, like ‘What is consciousness?’ or ‘What is gravity?” Hendricks said.

Hendricks spoke at SU as part of the University Lectures program. In front of about 300 audience members, Hendricks discussed ‘Curiosity,’ and how he founded and developed the Discovery Channel and Discovery Communications.

For ‘Curiosity,’ SU faculty members will appear on camera answering these complex questions, along with a couple other university professors nationwide. Discovery chose SU faculty because of its staff and its high national academic rankings.

‘We’re very excited about this series,’ Hendricks said. ‘This was a treasure of info here at Syracuse University.’

Hendricks discussed the start up of the Discovery Channel and the evolution of cable and television programming. The company originated in 1985 solely as the Discovery Channel, but due to popularity and profit, it expanded enormously. Today, Discovery Communications owns several networks, including the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Health Channel and the Travel Channel.

Amy Marturana, a sophomore broadcast journalism major who attended the lecture on Tuesday, said Hendricks seemed enthusiastic and immensely passionate about his company.

‘I respect the Discovery Channel much more seeing how much the founder cares, and how passionate he is about his network,’ Marturana said.

When the lecture turned to how Hendricks started to build his cable company, he told the story of a Chinese dinner in the early 1980s. At that meal, Hendricks sat down with Bob Miron, now the head of Advance Newhouse Communications.

Hendricks pitched an idea to Miron: an entire cable network that would broadcast documentaries. Miron liked it and decided to put Hendricks in contact with possible investors.

‘Never say no to a dinner at a Chinese restaurant with Bob Miron,’ Hendricks said.

Keeping the company private allowed Hendricks to develop the company personally.

‘I’m convinced that we could not have expanded the way we did in the 1990s if we had been a public company,’ Hendricks said. ‘To this day, we invest every dollar to the expansion and growth of the company.’

A key player in the success of the company was American journalist Walter Cronkite, Hendricks said. When Hendricks first tried to get in touch with Cronkite, he left him nine messages at his house. But it wasn’t until months later that Cronkite called Hendricks back.

Hendricks wanted to work with Cronkite because of Cronkite’s own documentaries. The two worked closely together, and Cronkite encouraged the network’s growth. Cronkite was convinced that the channel would be successful because of its documentary content.

‘He was convinced if there was a channel where people could come and watch it 24 hours a day, then it would be successful,’ Hendricks said. ‘I have to say, I was influenced so much by Walter Cronkite.’

Julia Palmer, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, said she found Hendricks’ tale of founding the company and building it to be especially powerful.

‘I found how he started the company to be really inspiring, considering the fact that we all are trying to find our place in life,’ Palmer said. ‘I especially liked when he told us to follow our daydreams and to really stick to them.’

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Published on October 20, 2009 at 12:00 pm