TLC Names Brent Willman As Chief Financial Officer
July 8, 2008
(Los Angeles, Ca.) TLC today announced that Brent Willman has been appointed Chief Financial Officer for the network. Willman joins TLC with more than 20 years of media finance and business experience. He will report to Neal Kirsch, Executive Vice President and CFO, Discovery U.S. Networks, and will be based in TLC’s Los Angeles office under the direction of the network’s President and General Manager, Angela Shapiro- Mathes.
“Brent’s proven expertise in finance and his strong leadership capabilities will enable him to make a significant contribution to our network,” says Shapiro-Mathes.
As CFO for TLC, Willman’s primary responsibility will be leading the finance and administration efforts that support TLC’s programming. Before joining TLC, Willman most recently served as CFO at Game Show Network, where he was responsible for all aspects of finance and accounting, as well as evaluating new business opportunities. His previous experience also includes serving as Vice President and Controller for E! Entertainment, where he directed all areas of financial management.
“Brent is another great addition to TLC’s growing presence in the entertainment capital of Los Angeles and we are proud to welcome him to the Discovery family,” said Kirsch. “I am confident that Brent’s solid foundation in the financial and operational areas of our network, and his familiarity with the entertainment industry, will be valuable assets to the network and the company.”
“TLC is well respected for its strong brand and its industry leading non-scripted programming, and I am thrilled to be a member of the team,” said Willman. “I look forward to working closely with Neal and the other members of Discovery’s financial management group, and the entire TLC team, to continue growing and improving this leading network.”
Willman holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from California State University, Fresno, and is a member of the California Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
About TLC
TLC’s innovative docu-series and reality-based programming include favorites Jon & Kate Plus 8, Little People Big World, What Not to Wear, and LA Ink. The channel introduced Miss America Reality Check in 2007, which helped drive the Miss America Pageant to its highest rating in years. TLC defined home design with Trading Spaces and continues to reinvent the genre with Moving Up and Date My House. TLC’s daytime lineup includes the Emmy Award-winning A Baby Story as well as Take Home Chef, featuring one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men, Curtis Stone. The network is available in more than 96 million homes in the US, nearly 8 million homes in Canada and through the website at www.tlc.com. TLC is part of Discovery Communications, which is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery’s founder and chairman.