McCall upped at Discovery

Exec to Wear prexy hat

By MARY SUTTER

MEXICO CITY -- Discovery Communications will promote Dawn McCall to prexy of Discovery Intl. from her current post as senior VP of Discovery Networks Latin America-Iberia.

McCall has overseen Discovery's Latam-Iberia operations since their inception, guiding the February 1994 launch of Discovery Channel in the region and in Spain. Discovery Latam-Iberia now has four channels and a number of country-specific signals.

A Discovery Latin America spokeswoman in Miami would neither confirm nor deny the reports of McCall's move.

A promotion would take her to company headquarters in Bethesda, Md., where McCall would take over for Donald Wear, who has headed Discovery Intl. since 1997.

It's expected that Wear, a lawyer who enjoyed a long career at the broadcast networks before joining Discovery, will take on a senior role at Discovery Communications. It's unclear who would replace McCall on the Latin American front. Six VPs report to McCall in her current job.

Besides Latin America, Discovery Intl. oversees operations in Europe, Canada, Africa-Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.