Returning to the programmer, Steve McGowan has been named senior vice president of research at Discovery Channel.
The executive, who will begin his new gig on July 13, is heading back to Discovery, a company he spent 13 years with dating back to 1989. Most recently, he worked at Nielsen.
In his new position McGowan will organize and direct all of Discovery Channel's broadcast, digital, marketing, and additional research. He will report to Discovery Channel presidnent and general manager John Ford..
"It's wonderful to have Steve back in the Discovery family," said Ford in a statement. "Steve brings a wealth of insight and knowledge to a field that is constantly changing. His experience and instincts will increase our analytical research focus on audience trends and better strengthen our development process and advertising opportunities."
At Nielsen, McGowan was senior vice president of insights and client research initiatives, with responsibilities tied to helping the company measure and report use of digital video recorders and video on demand, tracking the usage of mobile devices.
