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Massive restructure at Discovery US Discovery Networks US has seen a far-reaching shake-up of its senior management instigated by new CEO David Zaslav, which sees president Billy Campbell out and Brit Jane Root promoted. Zaslav is axing Campbell's position, which oversaw all domestic programming assets. The company will be restructured into five brand groups: Discovery Channel, TLC, Discovery Travel Media, Animal Planet Media/Discovery Kids Media and Discovery Health Media Enterprises. Other key execs leaving Discovery are TLC president and general manager David Abraham, Dawn McCall, president of Discovery Networks International, and Maureen Smith, president and general manager of Animal Planet. Meanwhile, former BBC exec Jane Root has been promoted to president and GM of the Discovery Channel, and also adds the Science Channel to her portfolio. In a statement Zaslav said that the move was intended to create "a lean and aggressive organisation." Zaslav is putting Animal Planet and Discovery Kids into a unit centred on family-orientated networks. This will see Marjorie Kaplan promoted to president and GM of Animal Planet Media and Discovery Kids Media. Both Root and Kaplan will report directly to Zaslav, as does Pat Younge, president and GM of Discovery Travel Media, and Len Tacconi, president of Discovery Health Media Enterprises. A programming exec is soon to be hired by Zaslav to replace Abraham as president of TLC when he returns to the UK to head UKTV as chief executive. Elsewhere, Zaslav has promoted Mark Hollinger to president of global businesses and operations and hired former MTV International chief operating officer Greg Ricca to run Discovery Networks International as president and chief executive. A new division has also been created, Discovery Studios, which will house production and film units as well as creative resources. Discovery's Clark Bunting will become its president. An Emerging Networks group is also in the offing, which will run the Military Channel, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Home Channel and Discovery HD Theater. Zaslav is searching both internally and outside Discovery for an exec to run the group. Zaslav has also hired two consultants to help oversee the restructure. Joel Berman, former president of worldwide TV distribution for Paramount Pictures and CBS/Paramount TV, will help Discovery sell its library in syndication both domestically and overseas. In addition, Tom Wolzien, a former media analyst, will help devise a global strategy for digital TV, the internet and new-media platforms. Zaslav was hired this year by chairman John Hendricks from NBC Universal to replace longtime CEO Judith McHale. Further lay-offs are expected. Jules Grant 6 Feb 2007 © C21 Media 2007 
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