Dan Korn to leave Hearst Networks, Diana Carter promoted to director of originals and talent

Dan Korn, VP of programming at Hearst Networks in the UK, is stepping down from the role after 10 years, with Diana Carter promoted to director of originals and talent.

Dan Korn

The US media company said Korn has decided to move on but will maintain a relationship with Hearst Networks in a “creative capacity.”

Korn, a former head of Discovery Channel in the UK, will remain in post until the end of March.

Carter, currently commissioning editor and head of talent at Hearst Networks, will be promoted as director of originals and talent.

Hearst Networks, a subsidiary of Hearst, owns and operates premium factual entertainment brands The History Channel, Crime+Investigation, Blaze and Cosmo across the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

During his tenure, Korn commissioned and oversaw a wide range of factual programming across Sky History and Crime+Investigation.

Under Korn’s programming leadership, Sky History aired content such as Royal Bastards: Rise of the Tudors, Royal Kill List, Bradley Walsh: Egypt’s Cosmic Code, Ross Kemp: The Mafia & Britain and Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin.

His Crime+Investigation slate includes Cops Gone Bad with Will Mellor, Murders at Little Bridge Farm, Heist: Robbing the Bank of England with Marcel Theroux and the forthcoming Ross Kemp: Lost Boys, Deadly Men.

Among the companies Korn worked with on these shows are 72 Films, Studio Crook, Honey Bee Media, HiddenLight, ITN Productions, Avalon, Soho Studios and Vice.

Working with Motion Content Group and Krempelwood, Korn championed content financing and coproduction models that increased volume as well as editorial quality, Hearst Networks said.

He also helped spearhead Hearst Networks’ expansion into short and mid-form content and played a central role in developing the programming pipelines underpinning the company’s growing SVoD and free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) portfolio.

Heather Jones, chief creative officer EMEA and general manager UK at Hearst Networks, said: “It is with immense sadness that we say goodbye to Dan after such an incredible run at Hearst Networks. He has transformed the quality, originality and ambition of our UK commissions and contributed enormously to the company’s growth.

“While he will be very much missed, we look forward to the next chapter of our relationship with him. Our commitment to investing in original content remains unchanged.”