Video Interview: Discovery’s Luis Silberwasser

NEW YORK: Luis Silberwasser, senior VP and international head of content at Discovery Networks International, discusses his goals for the new production and development unit he is heading up and for the TLC International services in this video interview.

Adding to a global portfolio that includes the flagship Discovery Channel, Discovery Science, Investigation Discovery and Animal Planet, Discovery Networks International has begun to roll out TLC around the world. One of the fastest-growing female-targeted channels in the U.S., TLC has been expanding its footprint across Europe, Asia and a host of other territories, with the goal to be in some 100 million households worldwide by the end of next year.

The TLC International channels will feature more than just programming from the U.S. network, tapping into the wealth of content from other Discovery channels, such as Planet Green, Discovery Health and FIT. Discovery has also established a dedicated production and development unit for local TLC content. This new division, focused on creating distinct programming designed specifically for TLC on an international and local level, is led by Silberwasser, as senior VP and international head of content at Discovery Networks International.

Silberwasser was previously senior VP of the content group for Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic and general manager of U.S. Hispanic Networks. He has harnessed his experience working within the Latin American market to serve him in his new role. "In Latin America we have the most balanced portfolio of any of our regions," he says, adding, "One of the things that I specifically want to do is to see if there are other opportunities like that in other regions for Discovery, that we can have a portfolio that’s more balanced. TLC is one of those strategies to create a portfolio that is not only about factual but also has…more entertainment and lifestyle. We’re going to try to bring that in."

Another perspective Silberwasser gained from his previous role is the idea of sharing more among the international regions and collaborating more with the U.S. for ideas. "I think we’ve done that in Latin America to a large degree. We see things that can be bigger than if you were just focused on one market. We want to bring a little more of that to the international programming."