Discovery Channel president Rich Ross will add Animal Planet and Science Channel to his day-to-day duties as part of a Discovery Communications corporate realignment announced Thursday.
Ross, who was named Discovery president last October, will take over Animal Planet -- whose previous head, Marjorie Kaplan, last week was named president of content for Discovery Networks International -- as well as Science Channel. Animal Planet general manager Rich Holzman will report to Ross, as will Science Channel general manager Rita Mullin, according to Discovery.
Discovery will fold Discovery Life Channel under the leadership of TLC executive vice president and general manger Nancy Daniels. TLC EVP of development and production Howard Lee will take over as Discovery Life Channel general manager, replacing Jane Latman, who will become general manager of American Heroes Channel (AHC).
AHC, along with Destination America and Investigation Discovery, will remain under Group President Henry Schleiff, said Discovery.
Discovery also named Bob Scanlon general manager of Velocity and Automotive Content. Discovery Family Channel general manger Tom Cosgrove will now report to Carolina Lightcap, head of content for Discovery Latin America and U.S. Hispanic Group, as part of her oversight of Discovery's global family brands and kids content.
“This strategic realignment positions Discovery well to drive our content engine across platforms here in the U.S. and worldwide, and creates the strongest pairings of creative talent to develop, program and lead these new brand groups now and into the future,” said Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav in a statement. “I believe some of Discovery’s best stories are yet to be told and I look forward to the growth and further development for each of our U.S. brands for years to come under this team’s strong creative leadership.”
