Two Discovery execs departing: Ford goes to Nat Geo; McGowan sets out on his own. (Top of the Week).(John Ford)(Bill McGowan)(Discovery Networks US)(National Geographic Channel)

Broadcasting & Cable, July, 2003 by Romano, Allison

Longtime Discovery Networks veterans John Ford and Bill McGowan said last week that they will move to new jobs. Ford, the ex-programming chief, is defecting to a Discovery rival, the National Geographic Channel, as executive vice president of programming. Sales executive McGowan will leave to start his own company.

Ford was introduced to Nat Geo President Laureen Ong by another former Discovery executive, now-Fox Cable ad sales chief Bruce Lefkowitz. Ford was intrigued, he said, because he'll be arriving as "the channel is poised to move from an emerging network to fully distributed status." Nat Geo, now in about 45 million homes, is jazzing up its original fare with more-entertaining non-fiction programming like Worlds Apart, a reality show that...

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