Discovery Communications had some job cuts this week, including a senior vice president of communications, as it continues to reorganize its network groups.
Senior vice president of communications & public affairs Annie Howell, who was handling public-relations efforts before and after the launch of Planet Green, was one of the employees (the number was said to be fewer than 10) who left as part of organizational changes first announced in December 2009, a Discovery representative said. A former Powell Tate P.R. executive, Howell joined Discovery in 1999 and, before shifting to Planet Green, was SVP of communications for all of Discovery's U.S. cable channels. Before that she was at Discovery Health.
In the earlier-announced changes, which included Discovery Channel general manager John Ford's departure, Discovery Health and FitTV were added to Planet Green general manager's Laura Michalchyshyn's oversight and former Discovery Health general manager Carole Tomko, now overseeing Discovery Studios, reports to Discovery chief operating officer Peter Liguori. Investigative Discovery general manager Henry Schleiff added the reins of male-targeted networks Military Channel and HD Theater, while Discovery Channel and Science Channel fell under the oversight of Discovery veteran Clark Bunting.
