David Zaslav

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David M. Zaslav
Born

January 15, 1960 (age 56)

Nationality

United States

Alma mater

Binghamton University
Boston University School of Law

Occupation

President & CEO Discovery Communications

David M. Zaslav (born January 15, 1960)[1] is the president and chief executive officer
of Discovery Communications, a position he has held since January 2007.[2][3] He was
previously an executive at NBC Universal.[2][4]
Contents
[hide]

1Early life and education

2NBC Universal

3Discovery Communications

4Discovery impact

5Boards and other activities

6References

7External links

Early life and education[edit]

Zaslav was born to a Jewish family[5][6][7] in Rockland County, New York[8] and earned a bachelor
of science degree from Binghamton University. Following this, he graduated from Boston
University School of Law with a J.D. with honors in 1985 and started his career as an attorney
with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Lieby and MacRae in New York.[9] He previously served as an adjunct
professor at Fordham University, where he created and taught a graduate-level course on the
business of cable television.

NBC Universal[edit]

Zaslav spent nearly two decades at NBC, where he worked to develop and launch CNBC,
MSNBC and negotiate deals on behalf of NBCU with DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner. As
president of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, he oversaw content
distribution to all forms of TV, led negotiations for cable and satellite carriage of NBC Universal
networks and forged new media partnerships, including a video-on-demand deal with the
leading cable operator, Comcast.
His responsibilities extended to Bravo, CNBC World, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo,
Telemundo Puerto Rico, mun2, Trio, Universal HD, USA Network, NBC Weather Plus and the
Olympics on cable. Zaslav also oversaw NBC Universal's interests in A&E, The History
Channel, The Biography Channel, National Geographic International, the Sundance Channel
and TiVo.

Discovery Communications[edit]
Zaslav took the helm at Discovery in January 2007. [10] Under his leadership in 2008, Discovery
began trading as a public company on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Since that time,
Discoverys market capitalization has grown from less than $6 billion to approximately $18
billion.[11]
Zaslav has spearheaded strategic efforts to clarify and strengthen Discovery's brands,
including a renewed focus on creativity and a two-fold increase in investment in original
content. These efforts have helped drive viewership share growth of Discoverys networks from
7% in 2008 to 12% in the U.S. in 2015,[12] and 3 billion cumulative subscribers in over 220
countries worldwide.[13]
During Zaslavs tenure, the company has premiered such programming as the award-winning
natural history specials Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, and North America. In addition, the
company has expanded into live entertainment specials. The company has also continued to
air franchise-defining events such as the annual Shark Week on Discovery, the original and
longest-running themed programming week on television,[14] and Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.
Over the last eight years, the company has elevated existing brands and launched new ones.
Animal Planet [1] has premiered series including River Monsters, and Treehouse Masters, and
recorded its fourth consecutive year as a top-20 network among men in primetime. [15] In 2008,
Investigation Discovery [2] launched and grew to become one of the fastest-growing cable
networks in the U.S. and a top network among women. In fourth quarter 2015, ID was the #1
network with women in total day delivery. In 2012, the company debuted Velocity,[16] a network
that has become the leader in upscale male programming, beating several sports niche
competitor channels in ratings. It is known as Turbo outside of the U.S., where its distribution
increased by 30% across Latin American in 2015.[17] Combined the two networks have nearly
140 million subscribers.[18]
In December 2015, Zaslav led the launch of the companys first U.S. TVE streaming service,
Discovery GO, connecting viewers with live and on-demand access to shows and series from
nine U.S. networks in the Discovery portfolio Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet,
Investigation Discovery, Science Channel, Velocity, Destination America, American Heroes
Channel and Discovery Life.[19]
In addition to expanding and launching brands within the corporate portfolio, Zaslav also has
brokered joint ventures with partners including Hasbro and Oprah Winfrey for OWN: Oprah
Winfrey Network.[20] Since its launch, OWN has grown to become a top five network with
African-American women and became cash flow positive in 2013. [21] OWN has seen double and
triple-digit ratings growth following the success of series Oprahs Next Chapter, Where are
They Now, Welcome to Sweetie Pie's, Iyanla: Fix My Life, and Tyler Perry series The Haves

and the Have Nots and Love Thy Neighbor.[22] In 2015, OWN was the #1 ad-supported cable
network among all Women on Tuesday nights. [23]
During Zaslavs tenure, Discovery Networks International has expanded rapidly with networks
in more than 220 countries and territories. The TLC brand is now available to more than 330
million subscribers [24] outside the U.S., and is the most widely distributed female-targeted
entertainment and lifestyle channel brand in media.[25] In July 2014, Zaslav said the company
had passed an important milestone, with Discovery's international revenue surpassing its U.S.
revenue.[26]
Zaslav has led Discoverys expansion of its international operations with two large-scale
investments: the acquisition of SBS Nordics and Eurosport,[27] a pay-TV sports provider
reaching hundreds of millions of viewers across Europe and Asia via Eurosport, Eurosport 2
and Eurosport News, as well as Eurosport.com and the Eurosport Player.[28] In June 2015,
Discovery and Eurosport acquired all TV and multi-platform broadcast rights in Europe for the
20182024 Olympic Games.[29]
Other recent international investments include Switchover Media [30] (owner of a suite of four
free-to-air channels in Italy) and Fatafeat [31] (a female lifestyle network in the Middle East). The
company also has focused on investing in resources and talent to strengthen its global content
pipeline, including the acquisition of UK-based independent production house betty,[32] and its
joint venture agreement with Liberty Global to acquire All3Media. [33]
In November 2015, Zaslav struck a deal for Discovery to take a 3.4% interest in Lionsgate and
joined the company's board.[34] "As with all our creative partners, we look forward to telling
world-class stories with Jon and the deep management team at Lionsgate, and further
strengthening Discovery's content pipeline across our linear and digital platforms around the
world," Zaslav said.
Zaslav also has led the growth of the companys education division, Discovery Education, now
the nations leading provider of digital content, reaching 3 million teachers and more than 30
million students.

Discovery impact[edit]
Discovery has expanded its corporate social responsibility and environmental programs. Under
Zaslavs leadership, the company has spearheaded Discovery Impact [3], the umbrella brand
for Discoverys CSR programs, which leverage the power of Discovery's brands, businesses
and employees to give back and make a difference in the communities where they live and
work through initiatives such as the annual Discover Your Impact Day of global employee
volunteerism.
For these and other accomplishments, in 2009, Zaslav was honored by the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) with its Forces for Nature award [35] for his vision and leadership in
driving Discovery's ongoing commitment to embracing "green" as a corporate value and
developing programming that celebrates the wonders of the planet for audiences around the
world. In 2012, he received the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award by the UJA-Federation for
New York, which honors people of vision, energy and sustained achievement in the
entertainment, media and communications industries.[36]
In 2014, Zaslav was awarded the Fred Dressler Leadership Award by Syracuse Universitys
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.[9]

Boards and other activities[edit]

Zaslav serves on the boards of Sirius XM Radio, Inc., Lions Gate Entertainment, the National
Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Cable Center, Center for Communication, Skills

for Americas Future, Grupo Televisa, Partnership for New York City, and USC Shoah
Foundation. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center for Media and
the Mt. Sinai Medical Center.[37] He is chair of the Auschwitz: The Past Is Present Committee
which promotes awarenees of the Holocaust.[5][6][38] In 2012, he received the Steven J. Ross
Humanitarian Award from the UJA-Federation of New York.[39]