Marjorie Kaplan, Eileen O’Neill & Henry S. Schleiff

Marjorie Kaplan

Title: Group President, TLC and Animal Planet
Years in Cable: 17
Education: Major in Semiotics, Brown University
Best Advice: Women live a long time.

Eileen O’Neill

Title: Group President, Discovery Channel, Science Channel and Velocity
Years in Cable: 24
Education: BA, Communications, Notre Dame; MA, Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University

Henry S. Schleiff       

Title: Group President, Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Destination America and Discovery Fit & Health
Years in Cable: All of them (more than 30 years)
Education: BA, University of Pennsylvania; JD, the University of Pennsylvania School of Law

Animal Planet continues its wild ratings under Kaplan’s watch, last year outperforming its record-breaking 2012 by achieving its most-watched year ever in both prime and total day across major demos. And digi net Animal Planet L!VE is extending the reach even further. Let’s not forget the Puppy Bowl, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Kaplan and O’Neill will have plenty on their plate next month when Discovery and TLC begin offering Spanish-Language secondary audio programming (SAP) for a selection of series. O’Neill will continue to drive viewers with innovative content geared to her nets’ specific audiences, like the Skywire event and Shark Week on Discovery. Schleiff, meanwhile, has become the Go-To Guy at Discovery Communications. With 65 series that have delivered a 1.0 or higher rating, he now oversees one of the largest content slates in cable—and that’s just on ID. His bold renaming of Military Channel to American Heroes Channel has so far repositioned the net for significant growth, and we can only imagine what he has in store for Discovery Fit & Health. As for Schleiff’s claim to Discovery fame with ID, look for continued programming innovation, and an expanded Inspire a Difference public service initiative and dedicated ID Films that contain a social message.

Kaplan

I watch the majority of programming on this device: Still, on my television 

TV show I’d most like to have a cameo in? Not “Girls”!

John, Paul, George or Ringo? Joni Mitchell

Twitter or Instagram? Instagram

Favorite Restaurant: Meals by Genet in LA

Favorite vacation spot: Amagansett

Beach or mountains? Beach!

Schleiff

One thing I would do all the time if I could: watch my networks, of course

My favorite newfound hobby: bad golf (favorite old hobby was good golf)

Favorite business or motivational book: William Goldman’s Adventures in the Screen Trade…to paraphrase his quintessential quote “No one knows anything about this business.”

Twitter or Instagram: New York Post

Favorite Cable Show memory: Trying to get Sumner Redstone out of his villa by throwing pebbles across the gate at the glass wall–which, unfortunately, set off the sprinkler system after he joined us, flooding his villa as we later discovered. I don’t think he ever knew who did it–until, perhaps, now.

Favorite Restaurant: Michael’s

Favorite Vacation spot: Silver Spring, Md.–or Round Hill, Jamaica and Deer Valley, Utah