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(New York, February 16, 2010) - Veteran television programmer Andy Weissberg has been named to the position of vice president of program planning and scheduling for Animal Planet. Based in New York and reporting to Rick Holzman, senior vice president of programming and scheduling, Weissberg is in charge of optimizing the network's daily programming schedule while closely collaborating across multiple departments to maximize Animal Planet's content.  He'll also work closely with the development team to guide programming needs to ensure the network's development and scheduling strategies work hand-in-hand to support Animal Planet's strategic growth.

"Andy's extensive experience in the world of non-fiction television and his strategic acumen and programming research background will be invaluable in partnering with me in planning for Animal Planet's future," noted Holzman. "Andy is a true veteran with a strong track record in programming for networks which have successfully broadened beyond their niche mandates, such as History and A&E Networks.  This experience will be critical in continuing to maintain our momentum and build the Animal Planet audience."

For more than six years, Weissberg was the director of program scheduling & acquisitions for History, developing the strategic vision and program planning for History and its digital networks, History Military and History en Espanol.  He was an integral part of the team that led History to five consecutive years of growth, and last year, the network finished in the Top 10 in P25-54 in all of cable.  Weissberg oversaw the alternative platform scheduling and product development, and evaluated and negotiated program acquisitions.  Prior to his promotion, he held the position of manager of the same department for five years.  Weissberg also was a senior programming research analyst with A&E Television Networks for three years, providing research guidance and consumer insight for the company's portfolio of networks.

Weissberg is a graduate of The State University of New York at Binghamton with a degree in political science and did post-graduate work at Emerson College in Boston. 

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment.  APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

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