‘EXPLORER’ FINDS NEW HOME

The National Geographic Society has moved its “Explorer” adventure television series to Ted Turner’s cable-delivered WTBS, on the promise of a better time slot and “several millions of dollars” in support.

“It’s a good deal of money on our part, but we feel it is a good investment,” said WTBS President Robert J. Wussler.

The program now runs on the Nickelodeon cable channel in a three-hour version. It will move to a Sunday slot in a two-hour version on Feb. 2, with a repeat on Mondays.

“Ted Turner’s commitment is bold, it’s expensive and it’s creative,” said Gilbert M. Grosvenor, president of the Geographic.

He said that without Turner’s support, the Geographic faced a choice of continuing to absorb losses or taking the program off the air.

Turner, calling himself “a screaming ecologist and a wide-eyed do-gooder,” told reporters he has been interested in the Geographic “ever since I was a little boy.”