• Broadcasting & Cable, Friday, March 2, 2007 12 PM

John Ford will soon step down as head of programming for National Geographic Channel, so he can pursue other creative projects, including feature films. Ford, who joined the network from rival cable Discovery in 2003, led it through a period of huge ratings growth and will stay on through August to help find a successor.

Ford has already begun work on a movie inspired by his father, an aviator in the Pacific during WWII. "These are itches that for a while I've wanted to scratch, so I figure it's time to go ahead and scratch them," he says. He has been talking about leaving the channel for some time and apparently does so with the blessing of National Geographic President Laureen Ong.

"Like all creative people, they always have that other thing they want to do, and I respect that," says Ong. "We're obviously very sad and sorry to see him leave, but ... we hope we will have a continued relationship with him."

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