Global expansion for Discovery execs

Honeycutt, Renaud to centralize int'l operations

By JOHN DEMPSEY

Discovery Communications has awarded the task of centralizing its massive global operations to veteran executives John Honeycutt and Myrna Renaud.

The worldwide business encompasses programming in 35 languages transmitted by 125 distribution feeds to 1.5 billion people occupying 170 countries.

Honeycutt's title changes only slightly -- from exec VP of media technology & operations to exec VP and chief media-technology officer -- but his duties expand to include supervision of the company's broadcast centers in Miami, London and Singapore. He remains at Discovery's global headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., and reports to Mark Hollinger, president of global businesses & operations.

Renaud, a 12-year veteran based in Miami, moves from senior VP of operations for Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic to senior VP of international-media operations. Her bailiwick will stretch to include international broadcast/network operations and traffic-scheduling management. She reports to Honeycutt.