AFI BLOG: Media and Technology

Discovery’s Got a New Manager, a New Brand and a New Ad Model - Ad Age

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — The times they are a-changin’ for Discovery. It’s got a new general manager, a new name for one of its networks and new ad model.

Jane Root, president-general manager of Discovery Channel and the Science Channel, left the company to return home to the U.K. That news came a day after the Discovery Times Channel announced it was adopting a new name, Investigation Discovery (or ID for short) starting Jan. 27, to reflect the departure of former editorial partner The New York Times last year. At the head of all the change is John Ford, the new general manager of Discovery and former general manager of the entity which just had its name switched.

Customized spots
Also in the works is a unique ad model for ID. Mr. Ford said the network will work with its marketing partners to create customized spots to “reveal the truth about their products.”

The programming is already engaging, he said, so the goal will be to get viewers to stay with the network a long time with cross-media packages, including a robust new website.

In his previous roles at Discovery, Mr. Ford helped launch and expand networks like TLC, Discovery Health Channel and HD Theater. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said that one of his major initiatives since coming to the company in January was to bring Mr. Ford back to Discovery (he spent the last four years as exec VP-programming at National Geographic Channel). He succeeded in September by bringing Mr. Ford on to run Discovery Times and the Military Channel, which will both announce new management in the coming weeks.

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