Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington , D.C. , the National Geographic Channel ( NGC ) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures ( NGV ) and Fox Cable Networks ( FCN ) . Since launching in January 2001 , NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television . The network celebrated its fifth anniversary January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD , which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high definition . NGC has carriage with all of the nation 's major cable and satellite television providers , making it currently available in nearly 70 million homes . For more information , please visit www.natgeotv.com.