PATRICE ANDREWS NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF ANIMAL PLANET
April 21, 2016
Rich Ross, Group President, Discovery, Animal Planet and Science Channel, today announced the appointment of Patrice Andrews to General Manager, Animal Planet. Andrews will report to Ross and oversee all aspects of programming, production, development, marketing and day-to-day operations for Animal Planet. Andrews starts in her new position in mid-June and will be based in New York.
“Patrice is a consummate storyteller and creative leader. Combining her love of production with her love of animals makes her the perfect general manager for Animal Planet,” said Ross.
Andrews most recently served as Chief Operating Officer – East Coast for ITV Studios America. She was responsible for the strategic course of the east coast division where she had creative oversight of all development, pilot and series programming produced out of the New York office. During her 11 year tenure with ITV, Andrews was responsible for the management and development of cable and syndicated series that included Room Raiders (MTV), The Jeremy Kyle Show (Syndication), The First 48 (A&E), Rebel Gold (Discovery Channel), Four Weddings (TLC), Secret Space Escapes (Science Channel), The Bill Cunningham Show (Syndication), Four Houses (TLC) and Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters (Animal Planet).
Before joining ITV, Andrews was with A&E where she served as Executive Producer, Non-Fiction Programming and Development and was responsible for the creative management and supervision of original non-fiction programming, specials and miniseries. While at A&E, Andrews oversaw production of Airline, the docu-series with Southwest Airlines, which was the first new series from the network’s non-fiction division in 2004.
Earlier, Andrews held numerous senior production roles that included Senior Vice President of Programming and Production for MetroTV, Vice President of Production for Discovery Themed Entertainment, Head of Production for Discovery Pictures, and Executive Producer, Special Projects Unit at Discovery Networks, among other positions. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Media (Film, Television and Photography) from the American University in Washington, D.C.
About Animal Planet
Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit franchise series RIVER MONSTERS, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES and TREEHOUSE MASTERS and the home of provocative and award-winning specials and documentary films presented under the banner ANIMAL PLANET PRESENTS. Animal Planet's programming also includes quarterly tent pole TV events PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV on Super Bowl Sunday, and MONSTER WEEK. Animal Planet is the premiere TV, digital and social community for animal lovers and pet owners, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Animal Planet assets including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US, that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; Animal Planet social including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the leader in global entertainment reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery satisfies curiosity, entertains and inspires viewers with high-quality content through global brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and through the Discovery Digital Networks portfolio, including Seeker and SourceFed. Discovery owns Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com
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