DISCOVERY CHANNEL ANNOUNCES HOWARD SWARTZ AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
September 19, 2018
Howard Swartz will join Discovery Channel as Senior Vice President of Production and Development, it was announced today by Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer, Discovery & Factual.
In this role, Swartz will be responsible for executing production strategies for upcoming event programming including the weeklong hit series Shark Week, which is about to begin its 30th anniversary run on July 22. In addition, he will have oversight over the network’s documentaries and specials. Swartz will also work to expand, develop, and diversify Discovery’s series slate and acquisitions. He will re-locate to Discovery’s Los Angeles, CA office and report to Daniels.
“We are thrilled to have Howard back on the Discovery team,” says Daniels. “His impressive track record of launching some of television’s most iconic blue-chip programs rival anyone in the business. The team looks forward to his unique vision and exciting ideas as we continue to program for Discovery’s future.”
“I’m really grateful to Nancy and the team for giving me the opportunity to come back to Discovery,” says Swartz. “I’m excited to play a part in building on Discovery’s amazing brand and continuing its legacy of creating global content that is provocative, enlightening, and entertaining.”
Most recently, Swartz was Arrow Media’s Executive Vice President of Development and Production, based out of their London office, where he helped to expand the company’s robust U.S. slate. His projects spanned several networks, including Science Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel.
Prior to joining Arrow, Swartz served as Vice President, Documentaries and Specials for Discovery Channel where he oversaw high-profile global specials, including the audience favorite Shark Week and Skywire Live With Nik Wallenda, which was the highest-rated live event in Discovery Channel history. He also oversaw Discovery’s landmark Emmy® nominated science series Curiosity, which looked to answer one question in science, technology, and society in each episode.
Before joining Discovery in 2011, Swartz was Executive Producer at PBS’ acclaimed science series NOVA where he received the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont Award as well as an AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award. Prior to NOVA, Swartz was with the National Geographic Channel, where he oversaw signature series Explorer and executive produced more than 100 programs, including Emmy®-winners Five Years on Mars Inside Living Body and Incredible Human Machine.
In addition, Daniels announced the elevation of Jon Bardin to Vice President of Documentaries and Specials at Discovery. Bardin received a News & Documentary Emmy for his work on Sonic Sea and was part of the team receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination for Racing Extinction. Additional credits as a supervising producer include, Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman, First in Human, and Killing The Colorado. Prior to joining Discovery Channel, Bardin co-founded The Public Good Projects, a non-profit production company that produces innovative media to make complex problems easier to understand so people can take better care of themselves and their families. Bardin will report to Swartz.
About Discovery Channel:
Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information please visit www.discovery.com.
About Discovery:
Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps and Discovery Kids Play; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as Eurosport Player and Motor Trend OnDemand; and digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Turbo/Velocity, Animal Planet, and Science Channel, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit www.corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.