Helen Fox Gladwell Joins Discovery Communications
-- Discovery Expands Its International Business Affairs Team to Meet Content Supply Demands as its Channel Portfolio Grows Across the UK and EMEA Regions --
September 8, 2009
(London) Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) today announced that Helen Fox Gladwell is joining Discovery's Business Affairs Team in London as Vice President, Business Affairs and Programming Legal with responsibility for Discovery's programme acquisitions team across the UK and EMEA. She will report into Barbara Bellini, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and Programming Legal.
"Helen has strong business credentials, extensive industry contacts and an in-depth knowledge of both the UK and International TV business markets," said Bellini. "The expansion of our team to include Helen gives us the resources to expand the number of third party programming deals that we undertake."
Fox Gladwell will work closely with Bellini on increasing third party content supply deals for the UK business, which has expanded its channel reach to 12 Paytv brands. She will also manage commercial relationships with external suppliers, negotiate and advise on terms of trade and produce all content agreements for third party programming deals. Bellini's team is responsible for all programming agreements and negotiations across Discovery Networks International in respect of programme acquisitions and third party programming deals including co-productions and pre-sale agreements.
Fox Gladwell joins from the commercial broadcaster ITV where she has spent the last four years working as their director of business and legal affairs within ITV Global Entertainment. During her time at ITV, Fox Gladwell managed the business affairs department which was responsible for managing programme acquisition, co-production, sales and distribution, merchandising, licensing, UK and international DVD exploitation and the acquisition of tv movies.
Prior to ITV, Fox Gladwell was Head of Business and Legal Affairs for the BBC Programme Acquisitions unit. She trained as a lawyer with Cameron Markby Hewitt before joining the BBC's legal department in 1993.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.