The Travel Channel has a new pilot guiding its path.
The network has appointed Shannon O’Neill as its new president, following the departure of Laureen Ong in October.
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O’Neill, who had previously served for three years as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Travel Channel, will be responsible for furthering the network’s ongoing transformation as a lifestyle media brand, reporting to Burton Jablin, president of Scripps Networks operating division.
“Shannon is an outstanding leader and strategic thinker with extensive experience creating new media businesses, building audiences and growing revenues,” Jablin said of the appointment. “His mission as president of Travel Channel will be to deliver programming that embraces and celebrates travel as a video content category, while increasing the network’s audience profile of upscale, educated and highly valued viewers.”
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In his capacity as senior vice president and chief financial officer, O’Neill led strategic planning and core financial reporting, along with providing analysis and insight into the network’s performance and leading Travel Channel’s digital and strategy operations.
“Our mission at Travel Channel is to build a team of engaging, expert hosts who accompany our viewers on amazing journeys, adventures and experiences,” O’Neill noted. “We’re harnessing and building on travel’s power as a transformative force in our lives and its value as a growing consumer lifestyle category. With our focus on quality, original programming we celebrate the fundamental need human beings have to connect with other people, places and cultures.”
Prior to boarding the Travel Channel, O’Neill was at Golf Channel, where he served as senior vice president and general manager of that network’s digital media business.