Beijing/Hong Kong/Taipei/Singapore, Friday, 22 April 2016 – Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific today announced the appointment of Fang Chang as senior vice president and general manager for its Greater China region. The Taiwan and Hong Kong remit is in addition to his existing role as senior vice president and general manager of China.
Fang will be responsible for setting the growth strategy and charting new business opportunities for the Greater China region. He will continue to be based in Beijing and report to Arthur Bastings, president and managing director, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.
Gina Hung, who has been providing interim leadership for Taiwan and Hong Kong, will move into a newly created role as vice president, Corporate Communications and Business Development, Greater China. She will report to Fang and work closely with him to maximise growth in both traditional and new media sectors and lead corporate communications activities for the region.
“Fang’s appointment underscores Discovery’s commitment to the Greater China markets. He is a seasoned professional, with a wealth of experience in China coupled with strong Taiwanese roots. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Gina for her commitment and support for the past year and congratulate her on her new appointment,” said Bastings.
“China’s online video market has expanded at scale and speed like no other – resulting in boundless opportunities for Discovery. Consolidating Taiwan and Hong Kong into China’s operations will ensure greater synergies as we look to sharpen Discovery’s product mix to appeal to young Chinese consumers and scale up digital,” added Bastings.
Fang joined Discovery in 2002 to head Discovery’s China operations. During his tenure, the Discovery business in China has grown over ten fold. Fang has built solid partnerships with the likes of State Administration of Press Publication Radio Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and the State Council Information Office (SCIO), and media companies such as China Central Television (CCTV), Shanghai Media Group (SMG), Beijing TV (BTV), Hunan TV, WASU, China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC), BesTV, Tencent Video and Alibaba. Through these partnerships, Discovery has produced more than 70 hours of China-related content including Discovery’s first-ever China format, Survivor Games, a 12-part series which was co-produced with China’s Yunji Media for Dragon TV last year.
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About Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, a division of the number-one pay-TV programmer Discovery Communications, is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content through its portfolio of 15 brands. From survival to natural history, wonders of science to extreme jobs, motoring to travel and lifestyle, and the latest engineering marvels to live sporting events, each channel offers distinct must-watch programming to engage viewers across the region. The network’s 15 brands reach 695 million cumulative subscribers in 38 countries and territories with programming customised in 14 languages and dialects. For more information, please visit www.asia.discovery.com.