PASADENA, Calif. - Television's Military Channel is changing its mission, and its name.
Discovery Communications said Thursday that the Military Channel will become the American Heroes Channel, beginning in March.
The network, geared mainly toward men and available in some 62 million homes, began operation in 2005 when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were both active.
Now it wants to expand its mission to encompass documentary-style programming of people meeting challenges of every sort, including rescue missions following Hurricane Katrina and scientists in the space race.
"Why the name change?" asked Kevin Bennett, the network's general manager. "Because heroism transcends the battlefield."