AB Xplore

**AB Xplore** is Belgian entertainment television network owned by Mediawan Thematics. The channel broadcasts documentaries related to adventure, technology, history, automobile, hunting and science and sports programmings.

## History

Claude Berda, CEO of the French AB Groupe, launched **AB4** in October 2002 without authorization from the French community of Belgium to broadcast its new channel over its territory. He had obtained the authorization of the **French Superior Audiovisual Council** on 24 September 2002 to activate a dormant operating license existing since 26 March 1996 (amended 24 March 1998) on **AB30** service. On the basis of the **european Télévision Sans Frontières** Directive, a channel which has been granted a license to operate in a European State may be broadcast unhindered in all other Member States, provided that the content broadcast is the same as in the origin.

**AB4** was transmitted from France to **Eutelsat** satellite system which forwards it to the headquarters of the association of Belgian French-speaking television distributors who then provides it to contracted networks.

**AB4** has been licensed by the Higher Audiovisual Council of the French community of Belgium since 23 September 2003.

Since the beginning of 2007, AB3 and **AB4** have been broadcast from the headquarters of AB Groupe in La Plaine Saint-Denis in the Paris suburbs where it creates greater synergy between groups and reduce staff costs in Belgium in the face of an average audience. The diffusion is made between the two countries via digital technologies. This decision would not be foreign to the entry of Groupe TF1 into the capital of AB Groupe.

Since May 2009, Groupe TF1 has grown from 33.5% to 49% in the Holding **WB Television**, which manages the AB3, **AB4**, and Vidéoclick channels.

Philippe Zrihen, Program Director, said in 2010 at tuner.be: "It is under study. It was necessary to go through a hierarchy of priorities, and quite naturally AB3 imposed itself in the recasting. **AB4** has not changed its editorial line. This is something we are also considering."

Since March 22, 2010, **AB4** shares its station with **AB Shopping** devoted to teleshopping. Subsequently, from October 8, 2011, the latter takes a greater place in **AB4**'s schedule by being broadcast from 8:00 pm to 4:00 pm: **AB4** only broadcasts 4 hours of programs.

On April 28, 2011, at 13:00, **AB4** switched to 16:9 format. On August 11, 2015, the channel ceased satellite broadcasting (Hotbird 13).

On September 13, 2017, AB Groupe decided to rename **AB4** by becoming **AB Xplore**, and reformat it into a channel devoted to documentaries called entertainment for a public aged 15 to 49.

In November 2017, **AB Xplore** is available in HD at Proximus.

## Programmings

### Documentaries

The programming is devoted mainly to documentaries in partnership with groups such as Discovery Channel, BBC and National Geographic Channel with every night of the week.

### Sports

* ***WWE SmackDown***
* ***WWE RAW***
* ***Drone Racing League***

## Logos

First logo (2002-2004)Second logo (2004-2017)Current logo (2017-present)
## External links

* Official website

* Current brands
* Former brands