Discovery Communications Names AOL Executive Kathleen Kayse to Lead Digital Ad Sales

Discovery Communications Names AOL Executive Kathleen Kayse to Lead Digital Ad Sales

NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Discovery Communications announced today the hiring of Kathleen Kayse as Executive Vice President, Digital Media Sales. A 24-year veteran of Time Warner, Kayse was most recently Executive Vice President, Marketing Solutions for AOL's Platform-A organization.

"Kathy is at the top of her game and the perfect leader to take over our growing digital sales operation," said Joe Abruzzese, President, Ad Sales, Discovery Communications, to whom Kayse will report. "Her respect throughout the industry and vast knowledge of the digital marketplace positions Discovery to continue broadening the advertising opportunities across our organic and acquired websites, mobile and on demand offerings."

Working with Discovery's Digital Media division, Kayse will lead the development of all digital ad sales strategies for Discovery's web properties, which combined earn 25M unique visitors monthly (source: Omniture) and include all 13 network sites, and Discovery's recent website acquisitions HowStuffWorks.com, Treehugger.com and Petfinder.com. In her new capacity, Kayse will also create new client relationships and generate revenue from targeted major advertisers through the use of Discovery's multi-platform assets.

"Discovery has some of the most powerful brands in all of media and having watched the company's recent expansion in the digital space, I was immediately drawn to the role," added Kayse. "Discovery's mix of unmatched quality TV programming plus deeply contextual digital offerings equals countless opportunities for clients. Joe Abruzzese is one of the most respected executives in the business and I can't wait to get started."

At AOL since 2004, Kayse led advertising sales and partnerships, generating more than $1 billion in advertising revenue.

Prior to her post at AOL, Kayse spent the previous 21 years with Time Warner, most recently as publisher of People magazine, where she managed all advertising sales and marketing operations. Under her leadership, her sales team achieved record success in 2003, when the magazine ranked #1 in PIB advertising revenue, pages and share.

Kayse also held publisher positions at Money and FSB: Fortune Small Business magazines, after serving in various sales capacities with Time, Inc. in Chicago. She began her career in media planning positions in Chicago at Wells, Rich, Greene, and J. Walter Thompson.

Among her many affiliations and honors, Kayse is a member of the Board of the Advertising Women of New York and IAB Board of Directors. Moreover, Kayse was honored by Advertising Age magazine as "One of the Top Women to Watch" in 2003.

A Chicago native, Kayse received her BS in Advertising from University of Illinois. She will be based at Discovery's Ad Sales headquarters in New York.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Discovery Communications

CONTACT: Catherine Frymark of Discovery Communications, +1-240-662-2934,
Catherine_Frymark@discovery.com

Web site:

http://www.discoverycommunications.com/
http://www.discovery.com/

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