Video Interview: Discovery’s Mark Hollinger

NEW YORK: Mark Hollinger, president and CEO of Discovery Networks International, discusses the international rollout of TLC and HD and other growth prospects for the company in this video interview.

A Discovery veteran—he has been with the company since 1991—Hollinger was tapped as president and CEO of Discovery Networks International at the end of last year. One of his priorities is strengthening the company’s existing brands, and introducing new ones to the global market. The expansion of the HD channel, among other services, continues. The company has recently embarked on an international rollout strategy for TLC, and there are other U.S. channels—including the upcoming OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network and The Hub—that could also eventually be part of the Discovery Networks International roster. Also on the horizon is the new 3-D channel that Discovery is set to launch in the U.S. this year.

Discussing in detail each of Discovery’s regional businesses, Hollinger notes that he is keen to ramp the company’s presence in India, and he sees strong growth potential in Central and Eastern Europe, among other emerging markets. In Latin America, Discovery has refocused its portfolio, rebranding People+Arts as LIV, a female-targeted entertainment channel. And in the more developed markets of Western Europe, Discovery is developing both pay-TV and free-TV brands as it maximizes the opportunities available in the region. “It’s not one size fits all,” Hollinger says.