Matthew Butler has been named general manager of Travel Channel, the Discovery network announced on Monday.
Butler steps in for Jane Latman, who was recently named president of HGTV. In the new role, he will oversee the development, production, scheduling and overall operations for Travel Channel, and will be charged with leading the strategic growth of the audience and the brand.
He will report to Henry Schleiff, group president of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Destination America and American Heroes Channel.
“Given the terrific success of Travel’s recent repositioning, coupled with Matt’s long-term impact on the brand, we didn’t have far to go in search of our new GM,” said Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer for Discovery. “I’m delighted to have Matt continue the vision he and Jane Latman created together for Travel, opening the brand to explore more mystery and adventure, while remaining keenly focused on creating content that our loyal viewers will love.”
“Matt is taking over Travel Channel at a time of great momentum and strength,” said Schleiff. “Indeed, with more than a decade of experience and expertise with Travel, no one is more knowledgeable about its viewers and their passion for this popular genre. We are fortunate to have such a creative and dedicated team at Travel and I look forward to seeing Matt lead it to even greater heights.”
“I’m thrilled to lead this incredibly talented team and continue the strategy we began together a year ago,” added Butler. “I’m excited about the future of our brand and to launch a new wave of shows for our superfans.”
Butler first joined Travel Channel in 2000, having developed a number of the network’s show, including “Man v. Food,” “Ghost Adventures,” “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern” and “Mysteries at the Museum.”
He has also held roles at PBS, ESPN and QVC before becoming a member of the executive team that launched Destination America and American Heroes Channel. He rejoined the network in 2018 as vice president of programming and development.