Channing Dungey to Lead Warner Bros. Discovery TV Networks

In a significant reshuffle, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that U.S. Networks’ oversight will transition to television studio head Channing Dungey by the end of this year. This change follows the retirement of Kathleen Finch, a seasoned Discovery executive and former Food Network chief, ending her 25-year tenure at the company.

Finch’s career at Discovery began when the company was relatively modest, situated in Silver Spring, Maryland. After WarnerMedia’s acquisition by Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022, CEO David Zaslav appointed Finch to lead the broader cable networks group, which includes major channels like HGTV, TLC, Food Network, TBS, and Animal Planet.

Channing Dungey, who previously ran Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, is set to become one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s most influential executives. However, challenges loom large for the group. This month, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed a substantial $9-billion write-down of its basic cable networks’ value. These channels are struggling as consumers increasingly turn to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

“Channing is an unparalleled creative executive who has shepherded countless award-winning hit shows,” Zaslav stated. “She has the ideal expertise and experience — as a content developer, platform programmer, and network executive — to lead the US Networks.”

Finch joined Scripps Networks in 1999 as a programmer at the emerging Food Network, after 12 years as a journalist at CBS News. She played a pivotal role in transforming the Food Network into a beloved cable brand.

Reflecting on her career, Finch said, “I began my journey at the fledgling Food Network and am so proud to have helped turn it into a cable powerhouse, and then to lead the team developing some of the most addictive unscripted franchises across HGTV and TLC, creating household names out of chefs and house flippers, and capturing the cultural conversation with real-life stories.”

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Source: Los Angeles Times