Courtney White has been promoted to president of Food Network, overseeing all aspects of the culinary brand for Discovery Inc.
With White’s promotion, former Food Network chief Allison Page will focus on running HGTV and Discovery’s nascent streaming and linear TV venture with home design gurus Chip and Joanna Gaines. Page had been president of HGTV and Food Network. White previously served as exec VP of HGTV and Food Network.
White will relocate to New York from Knoxville, Tenn., the headquarters of HGTV and its former parent company, Scripps Networks Interactive. She reports to Kathleen Finch, Discovery’s chief lifestyle brands officer.
“Courtney has been instrumental to the growth of both Food Network and HGTV, turning talented home experts and everyday chefs into treasured, household names,” said Finch. With her strategic eye on Food Network and Allison’s on HGTV, we’ll ensure these iconic brands continue to delight our passionate fans and maximize their unique value to our advertising and affiliate partners.”
White joined Scripps in 2005. She has held programming posts at HGTV, Food and Travel Channel. Before that she worked as a producer and development exec at Working Dog Productions, where she developed programs for HBO, Nat Geo TV and PBS, among other outlets.
“I relish the opportunity to lead such an amazing group of innovative storytellers, inspiring people everywhere through the power and joy of food,” White said. “It is an exciting time to be in the food capital of the world, where the team is making food-centric entertainment more tantalizing and inspiring to our fans than ever before.”