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Jane Latman, general manager of Travel Channel, has been named president of HGTV, said Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer, Discovery, on Wednesday. In her new role, Latman will oversee all programming, development and overall strategy and operations for HGTV.
She replaces Allison Page, who was recently named president of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new media venture.
“Jane is a terrific creative executive with a proven ability to build strong formats, long-running hit series and superfan brands that nourish passionate audiences,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO, Discovery, in a statement. “With Jane’s promotion, we are pairing a talented leader with one of our top lifestyle brands and I look forward to seeing where she, Kathleen and team take HGTV next.”
“Jane understands how to grab and hold viewers’ attention, as evidenced by her tremendous track record of success with Investigation Discovery and, most recently as general manager of Travel Channel,” said Finch, to whom Latman will report.
During Latman’s term as general manager of Travel Channel, the network has seen a rapid transformation, posting its best year ever in 2018 among adults 25-54, women 25-54, viewers and households in primetime, with ratings up 15% among adults 25-54 and women 25-54 demos.
Besides working as general manager of Travel Channel, Latman also served as executive vice president of development and research for Investigation Discovery and American Heroes Channel, and as general manager of Destination America. She also played a pivotal role at Investigation Discovery as it grew from the 50th-ranked cable network to number-one among women 25-54 in total day.
“This is truly a dream job to lead the terrific team at a passion brand like HGTV,” added Latman. “I am delighted at the opportunity to work with some of the most creative and focused storytellers in the business and take HGTV to even greater heights.”