John Ford

John Ford was appointed President and General Manager of Discovery Channel in November 2007. Ford is responsible for the creative and business strategies and management for the channel.

Ford had been President and General Manager of Discovery Times Channel and Military Channel since September 2007.

Ford's career spans more than 30 years in media, including senior executive positions at Discovery Communications, National Geographic Channel (NGC) and public television. From 2003 to 2007, Ford was Executive Vice President, Programming at National Geographic Channel.

For the previous 13 years, Ford served in several senior executive positions at Discovery Communications. As President of New Media for Discovery Networks U.S., he was responsible for all interactive, high-definition and video-on-demand products, including the launch and early growth of Discovery's HD Theater.

Ford previously served as President of Discovery's Content Group, overseeing TV and online content for all US Networks, and as President of Discovery Health Channel and discoveryhealth.com.

Beginning in 1991, Ford led TLC (The Learning Channel) as its SVP, Programming and Executive Vice President and General Manager, serving in that role until 1999. During his tenure, TLC won two Peabody Awards.

Ford first joined Discovery as Vice President, Corporate Programming Partnerships, in the fall of 1989. Prior to joining Discovery, Ford worked for 11 years in public television.

Ford earned a master's degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin, and a B.A. in History from Duke University.

He is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, on the Board of Trustees of American Public Television, a director of Jackson Hole Wildlife Festival, a director of Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership and on the Board of Advisors of Duke University's Sanford Institute for Public Policy.