Jane Latman, general manager of Discovery Fit & Health, which will be renamed Discovery Life Channel beginning Jan. 15, 2015, has promoted Julie Meisner Eagle to vice president of production and development, effective immediately. She will serve as a senior member of Discovery Life Channel’s content team, contributing to strategic planning and network management, and serving as a core decision maker for the new direction of the channel. She is responsible for overseeing and executing new programming throughout the entire development and production process, operating out of Discovery Communications’ headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., Discovery said in a release.
Meisner Eagle most recently was executive producer at Discovery Channel, where projects she worked on include Dude, You’re Screwed, Mile Wide Tornado, and Shark Week. Most recently, her expertise was recruited for Everest Jump LIVE, but production was halted when an avalanche killed 16 Sherpa guides, resulting in the quick-turn documentary, Everest Avalanche Tragedy.
She got her start at Discovery Communications in 2009 at TLC, where she served as the executive producer for water-cooler series such as Sister Wives, Say Yes to the Dress, Strange Sex, and New York Ink.
“We were looking for the best creative in the business to rejuvenate this brand, and the ingenuity, boldness and clear vision that Julie brings is a perfect fit for Discovery Life Channel,” Latman said in the release. “As an award-winning producer, she has a proven track record and I’m confident that she will be able to cultivate and create content that will resonate with our viewers.”
With 18 years’ experience in creating hundreds of hours of programming, Meisner Eagle has developed and produced documentaries, non-fiction programs, talk shows, live events and puppet shows, as well as digital content. Earlier in her career she was a freelance writer and producer for various children’s shows that aired on Sprout, Playhouse Disney and Discovery Kids. She also served as co-executive producer at Film Garden Entertainment, where she oversaw production on a wide variety of specials and series that aired on Discovery Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, and MSNBC. Meisner Eagle is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
