TLC is an American multinational cable and satellite television network owned by the Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as
The Learning Channel, it initially focused on educational and instructional programming. By the late 1990s, after an acquisition by Discovery, Inc. earlier in the decade, the network began to pivot towards reality television programming â predominantly focusing on programming involving lifestyles and personal stories â to the point that the previous name with "The Learning Channel" spelled out was phased out in favor of its initialism.