Discovery network takes Granada corporate head

Virginia Lee, Granada’s head of corporate affairs, has been poached

by factual entertainment channel Discovery Networks Europe, to fill the

newly-created role of corporate communications director.

Lee, whose role is pan-European, will report to managing director Joyce

Taylor, and head a team of five press and PR staff in the UK.

Staff in other European offices, including Germany and the Netherlands,

will also report to her.

Lee, who is heavily involved in Granada’s fight against the proposed

digital licence fee, said: ’I wasn’t looking to move, but Discovery is a

wonderful company and this is a very exciting offer.’

Taylor said the role was created because ’increasingly we are faced with

issues of regulation and, between the European and UK regulators, we

need to have someone focusing on this.’ Recent issues involving

Discovery include the ITC ruling on cable bundling.

At present, Discovery uses lobbying firm Westminster Strategy. Lee said

she would wait and see how the structure worked before making any change

to this arrangement.

Granada Media handles all its PR and public affairs in-house.

Regarding Lee’s replacement, Granada’s acting director of corporate

affairs Susan Donovan said: ’We are currently recruiting her successor,

with a well-known headhunter.’

She added that there were no plans to change Granada’s corporate affairs

structure at present.