• by Wayne Friedman , July 20, 2018

After completing its upfront sales deals for next year -- following its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive early this year -- Discovery U.S. Networks has restructured its most senior advertising executives around three groups of networks.

Under a new structure, Discovery-Scripps 12 biggest TV networks will be organized around three groups, four networks each.

The HGTV, ID, Animal Planet, DIY Network will be headed up by Greg Regis, now promoted to executive vice president, national ad sales. Regis had been senior vice president, advertising sales -media partnerships, a 15-year veteran at Scripps Networks.

Another group -- consisting of Food Network, TLC, OWN, Cooking Channel -- will be headed by long-term Scripps veteran Karen Grinthal, now executive vice president, national advertising sales.  Grinthal had been senior vice president, advertising sales for Food Network and Cooking Channel.

Four other networks -- Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, Science, Motor Trend Network -- will be headed by longtime Discovery veteran Scott Kohn, executive vice president, national advertising sales. He was the group senior vice president, regional advertising sales.

In April, Ben Price, president of advertising sales at Discovery Communications, announced he was leaving the company after the upfront market was completed. Since the deal was made for Scripps Network, Discovery said it would be making staffing reductions with its advertising sales staff.

Discovery also completed its upfront. 

Reports suggest Discovery’ upfront advertising deals were its best ever, according to Jon Steinlauf, chief U.S. advertising sales officer of Discovery.

In 2017, Discovery reported a 3% hike in U.S. advertising revenue to $1.74 billion. Scripps Networks Interactive, grew 2% to $2.1 billion in U.S. advertising last year. Generally, cable networks take in around 50% of their U.S. advertising revenues during upfront selling markets, when advertisers buy a season's-worth of TV advertising time.